Born in the Upper Austrian City of Wels, Saint Lu is currently ambitioning to conquer the mainstream rock scene with her music. The 25 year old, who lives in Berlin, has already been hailed by the German press as a female Lenny Kravitz.
After gaining experience in various school bands and after her high school graduation, the Upper Austrian went to Austin, Texas, as an au pair and then spent half a year in New York in an artistic commune. Once back at home in Linz, she studied acting, but that was not very satisfying for her. She missed the music and auditioned for the ORF TV talent show Starmania, which she became a part of, but was then eliminated at an early stage. Her demos were not really well received in Austria and so Saint Lu decided to try her luck in Germany.
Her own recorded songs immediately convinced the major label Warner in Berlin, where she was signed without any hesitation. Patrick Majer, who has produced renowned acts such as the famous German band “Wir Sind Helden”, welcomed her with open arms. On that note, the singer moved to Berlin in 2007 to speedup the work on her debut “Saint Lu”.
The album was recorded in the famous Abbey Road Studios in London, where even the Beatles recorded some of their hits. The songs were produced with equipment from the 70s, which gave the album a unique primal rock sound. The strings, electric guitars and the distinctive sound of her voice, which sounds more like Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin than a musician from a small city in Upper Austria, have turned this production into a complete radio-fit rock album.
Her songs are played on the radio in Hungary and Poland, in Sweden they just got the OK for the release and in Germany and Austria Saint Lu is already on her way to stardom. Just recently, the singer was awarded with the European Commission’s “European Border Breakers Award” (EBBA) for her achievements in the past year. This prize is awarded annually to artists, whose potential is certified to be able to succeed outside their home country. The award ceremony will be held on the 12th of January 2011 as part of the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, Netherlands.
The “European Border Breakers Award” (EBBA) is not just any other award. Every year, the jury selects acts from a variety of releases, which could supposedly become a sensation outside their home country. The award of the European Commission for Education, Culture and Youth and for Multilingualism, in collaboration with various companies and organizations of the European music industry, is almost like gaining the ultimate accolade. This award will contribute to the growth of an even bigger fan base.
The first promising steps towards a great career have definitely been done. Saint Lu’s pitch-black soul voice combined with the necessary rock appeal will surely convince a lot more in the future.
Photo credit: Vanessa Maas