ROXY SAINT- A BREAK FROM THE ORDINARY
by Don Sill
In our post Madonna world it has become ordinary for young girls singing and dancing to sex-laced tunes while parading the stage half naked in a provocative manner. The Brittany Agularia's of the world have been come
cliché, have become boring and ordinary…but Roxy Saint is different…Roxy Saint isn't ordinary…and thank God for that.
The young singer/songwriter/ filmmaker named Roxy Saint breaks the mold of the rock 'n' roll femme by embracing underground sleaze with a daring sharp style. Her music is far from pop as she embraces a punk sound and harsh attitude showing more Wendy O Williams and less Courtney Love. "I have something to say," says Saint, "that's really important because a lot of people are boring, you know. But I definitely have something to say."
Born and raised in Los Angeles Saint is an only child and was only two years old when her father died and for the most part the young girl grew up alone. Her mother was very religious and Saint rebelled by embracing the harsh streets and making it her home of sorts as she grew up amongst the freaks who dwelled within her surroundings.
Saint soon found an outlet for her pain through music and became obsessed with writing songs and making music. She played her guitar on the sidewalks and eventually earned her bones within LA's punk circuit.
There is no doubt that the sexy and petite Saint knew how to get attention. With a wild, fearless strut she'll make any perverts mouth water and her powerfully straightforward lyrics would empower women as well. All the while she was always a focal point on stage. Lusted, loved and admired she'd shock audiences with a snarl while bouncing about while oozing a confidence that is attractive and seductive as she performs songs such as "F**k" in which she declares, "Everyone wants to f**k, F**k/ Everyone wants to scream!"
Despite her deprived upbringing Saint is stubborn and determined to do things her own way, regardless of circumstances. Even though the artist doesn't have much money, own a car or even a bank account she still boldly serves up the big middle finger to the record labels by refusing to sign. She is an independent and that's the way she likes it. "I just got everything so stripped down, so real," she says, "It's just the music and me. That's all I need."
Yet with labels knocking at her door with offers of record deals, fame and fortune, Saint turns them away all in the name of keeping it real. "I have to keep it real even though it's so fuckin' hard," says Saint with a giggle in her tone. "I've gone this far without them and now to give in and do it- I'd probably just rather kill myself."
Then after a breath she admits, "sometimes I'll feel like 'screw it, I just want my music out,' but now I've been through so much that I just know that this is what I'm supposed to do and I want to teach other people that they can do it too."
Saint actually looks at signing a record deal as giving up and is afraid that success might take away her creative outlet. She'd rather suffer and make great art then be rich and make no art at all.
When asked if she believed that success would water down her art she answered, "unfortunately, yes, and that's what sucks about it all. It's a vicious circle. I just figure that I've lost everything already and I have nothing else to loose. I don't have a family, no car, I've been through hell…So, I just got angry and lost it and I wanted to get out there and prove myself."
Proving herself meant learning to do everything within the music business for herself, by herself. From the ground up Saint learned how to play all of her own instruments, work the sound boards, produce, record and even make her own music videos. "I had to do a lot of extra homework," she says with a laugh, "it's very difficult."
All the homework paid off however with Saints latest DVD/album "The Underground Personality Tapes." The DVD is a peek inside the disturbing reality of Saint's world creating a window into the inner-city streets which she lives.
During the taping Saint invited the underground into her home with welcoming arms. Housing prostitutes, drug addicts and transvestites and in return they perform in her wild guerrilla style video shoots. "I would hang out with them and get them to work for free," Saint explains. "These people are not actors or actresses so I had to get them going, you know. I had to get them drunk, get them smoke, get them whatever. Like I would flirt with the girls and get them thinking that I wanted to have sex with them but I'm more like a voyeur and just wanted to get them all on film."
In between the raucous videos of songs such as "F**k", "Rebel", "Humans" and "I Wanna Be Your Dog" are documentary styled tidbits that feature some rather odd people such as the old transvestite dancing on a segment called "Freedom.". "He turned into a she after he was 55 or something. I moved him into my house to get rid of all my friends," she says laughing. "People were really mean to him and they thought I was crazy for getting to that point. But she, I call him she, was the smartest individual I ever came across in my life. She just had an amazing story and it was just meant to be. I learned so much from her."
From video to video Saint often changes her look to suit her mood and no matter what she wears or what color her hair or even if she's only wearing a garbage bag, Saint still manages to be sexy. "I only wore trash bags the whole time I was in London," she said. "I just didn't feel like supporting any big designers or anything. I'd just go to the store, buy the garbage bags and put them on. It was great. I didn't have to deal with any luggage."
Saint has a knack for attracting anarchists, street people and punk fans and after the release of "The Underground Personality Tapes" she may begin to leak within mainstream circles. "I just think this is my purpose in life and I say the things that people wanna say but don't. I say I'm the third revelation and I'm kind of a cross between Hitler and Gandhi."
Roxy Saint is a woman who worked her way up from the streets without any help or guidance. She remained herself and never tried to steer away from who she was or where she came from. She paved her own path and did it her own way and for better or worse Saint is the real deal and is a far cry from the ordinary.
Currently Saint is making huge waves overseas in the U.K. where they have embraced her style and music lovingly. She has played Donnington Festival and is building a world-wide fan base. "The Underground Personality Tapes" will be released in October, 2004.
