![Worship the New ‘RELIGION’ with St. Mary & GRAIL [Exclusive Interview]](https://theelectrichawk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/St.-Mary-X-GRAIL-Religion-Artwork-Final.jpg)
Time to find our devotion with the rising new artists St. Mary and GRAIL as they release their new single “RELIGION.” This comes via broke music on April 21st. The duo brings us to services as they showcase the serene soundscapes that elevate us into a heavenly atmosphere. And before you leave Heaven’s Gate, check out the exclusive interview we have with ascending star, St. Mary!
“Our aim with the record’ was to implement a euphoric element to the high-energy festival music that we both love playing live. We wanted to bring a harder edge to it by introducing a hardwave twist to the overall sonic palette of this track. The more it progresses, the more melodically-driven it becomes. Leading up to the final drop, all the tension gets released into a fully evolved hardwave section, making it my favorite part of the song.”
St. Mary
Step into the spiritual awakening that St. Mary & GRAIL share with “RELIGION.”
Immediately, we feel the chills arise along our bodies as the soft piano keys slowly paint the soundscape we are entering. While we anticipate the rising tension building through the atmosphere, we feel our body tense up, slowly suspending us in motion until we reach the ultimate climax of the single. The duo unleashes the massive hardware breakdown that allows everyone to surrender their anxieties into the world. “RELIGION” becomes a powerful score of upbringing emotions and freedom to be yourself and not fear what is in front of us.
St. Mary and GRAIL unveil an elegant ballad for everyone to truly release themselves in. Whether that be a late-night drive releasing tension or escaping into the crowd of a show, “RELIGION” gives the listener a sense of escapism. In the end, you’ll never want to let go of this track after the first listen.
seradopa: It’s only been three years into your project so far, what are some revelations you have learned since starting your project? Did anything new come to fruition that you didn’t think about as you were starting?
St. Mary: In the three years since I’ve started this project I feel like I’ve just really gotten to know myself
more than ever before. Whether that has to do with the music or the branding that’s tied to it, I
realized how every creative decision I’ve taken as an artist really is just a reflection of who I am
and how I’ve been processing situations and you know, life in general, as a person. It has definitely unlocked parts of my brain that have given me a level of self-awareness that I wouldn’t otherwise have.
Something I didn’t think about when I was starting out was how this project was about to
introduce me to so many people, including some of my closest friends. I was so used to being
that one weird kid wanting to be an EDM artist growing up that when I finally moved out here
and got introduced to the scene I just felt like I wasn’t that crazy anymore.
seradopa: You’re originally from Cyprus and you mentioned that the number of raves and live shows was not limited for you although Bass/Trap/EDM style music was really niche over there. How did you come across it in the first place? What song, in particular, gave you that, “wow” factor?
St. Mary: Trap and bass music pretty much doesn’t exist in Cyprus, unfortunately. We get a lot of our influence from countries that are geographically closer to us, so Techno, Progressive House, and Trance had always been the ones to dominate the scene there. However, the way I came across bass music for the first time was back in 2010 thanks to Skrillex’s Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’ EP completely changed the scene. It had brought Dubstep into the mainstream to the point where even a country as small as Cyprus had promoters throwing Dubstep events and raves for the first time and my mind was blown away.
I’d say the song that really shifted everything for me though was years later at an Above & Beyond show. They played “Sun and Moon” and that was when it all clicked for me. I realized there’s a world where you can create your own music, perform and be an artist, but without being the singer of the song. In that moment I just knew this was exactly what I wanted to do.
seradopa: Do you believe the culture of raves and live music has changed in Cyprus over the three years you have started your project? Have you helped show others different styles of electronic music from your own sets?
St. Mary: I’d say the biggest thing I’ve noticed is the speed at which Techno and more specifically
Melodic Techno has emerged into the scene there. Trance and Big Room used to be big growing up, but I think considering how massive Techno is in Europe right now, it was only a matter of time before it would trend in Cyprus as well. Preparing for shows there might actually be the trickiest for me, just because of the gap between the US and EU scene. I feel very strongly about creating a bridge between the two though and there really is a middle ground, where you can push the boundaries just enough so people get a taste and say “I have no idea what that was, but I loved it”. That’s the best compliment you can get.
seradopa: It also appears you give a lot of love to your home, noticing you performed a secret cave rave in Cyprus at the end of last year. How important is it to you to continue supporting your roots and just appreciating your home?
St. Mary: Honestly, playing back home feels so wholesome. The Secret Rave Cave was actually the first show I ever threw myself and DJ’d as well. It was a really rewarding experience that was only an introduction to something I wish to establish long-term. I felt that there wasn’t a show there that made sense with the music I wanted to play and the experience I wanted to give to people. So instead of waiting for something to happen, I just decided to create it myself.
Seeing the potential it has was crazy. The whole process and the response afterward gave me
a lot of inspiration to try and shift some things around. I just think it’s a matter of taking things
into your own hands instead of compromising and following what’s already there.
seradopa: “RELIGION” brings the euphoric energy that allows the audience to fully ascend into their highest spirit. What does the track mean to you and what’s the energy you want to feel in the air when you’re playing this track live?
St. Mary: “RELIGION” to me feels like the perfect combination of that harder high-energy sound I love
along with the nostalgic, emotional one. I collaborated on this track with GRAIL and it was the perfect blend of our styles. We wanted to make something that would work really amazingly live, especially for those moments when you want to feel an explosion of confidence and liberation.
seradopa: With a new EP coming later in the year; is “RELIGION” a sneak peek of the sound we can expect from you? What else do you have in store for the year?
St. Mary: “RELIGION” is the first track I’ve released since my debut single three years ago that has no
vocalist and it really feels like an evolved, fleshed-out version of that.
It is actually a great representation of a big portion of the EP, which is crafted in such a way that it can translate to a live audience. There will still be vocal-led and featuring artists, but I really wanted to include a blend of the high-energy trap that I love playing live along with some more accessible, vocal-driven tracks. Along with the EP, there are a few more of my favorite collaborations in store, which I’m so excited to share later this year.
seradopa: What do you believe is the biggest proud moment from writing the EP and also what was your biggest lesson/learning moment from it?
St. Mary: Writing this EP has honestly made me fall in love with producing all over again. I wanted it to be a new chapter for my project that establishes my signature sound, which meant taking the time to fully immerse myself in the creative process. I had a very strong vision for it from the beginning and so I’d say what I’m the most proud of is staying true to the story that it encapsulates. Sometimes I’d even have to take off certain tracks because they wouldn’t fully fit the narrative I wanted to tell, but every decision proved to be worth it in the end.
With a lot to look forward to with the rising talent, this appears to be just the beginning for St. Mary! And through her “RELIGION” release with GRAIL, the possibilities seem endless. The single brings that sense of euphoric energy we are longing for when we are at shows or wanting to escape reality for a brief moment. The duo crafts something special to continuously listen to throughout your musical ventures. It’s just a simple reminder to allow yourself to feel liberation from all the restrictions that are around you and simply just be.
Devote yourself to the new “RELIGION” with St. Mary & GRAIL below!
Keep up with St. Mary:
Spotify | SoundCloud | Instagram | YouTube
Keep up with GRAIL:
Spotify | SoundCloud | Instagram | YouTube
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