Photography by Alex Da Corte

St. Vincent

Musician

WHAT IS YOUR CALLING CARD?

Punctuality, or profuse, oppressive, borderline masochistic apologies when I am, on rare occasion, five minutes late.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?

Hooker with a heart of gold.

WHAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE GET WRONG ABOUT YOU?

I take my work very seriously. I don’t take myself seriously.

““Maybe more girls pick up guitars because of me? I sure hope so.””

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS YOUR BIGGEST CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURE?

Maybe more girls pick up guitars because of me? I sure hope so.

WHAT’S ONE BOOK, WORK OF ART, ALBUM, OR FILM THAT GOT YOU THROUGH AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE?

I picked up Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking assuming it was a joyful, whimsical self-help book. It was not. But it did prepare me, in a small way—because nothing can really prepare anyone—for the eventuality of deep grief.

WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, WHAT WERE YOU KNOWN FOR?

Temper tantrums if my socks did not feel right in my shoes. But also, exuberant obsessions with anything from Michael Jackson to the Dallas Cowboys to chemistry sets to The Simpsons.

NAME AN INFLUENCE OF YOURS THAT MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE.

Erykah Badu is my everything. And she either doesn’t know it, or knows it and doesn’t care. But I’m saying, Erykah, us Dallas girls gotta stick together. Call me on your cellular device, please.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF IN YOUR INDUSTRY? LESS OF?

Less music made for algorithms. That makes me so deeply depressed.

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