Meet Danny And Julia St Pierre | Saint Pierre Band

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danny And Julia St Pierre and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danny and Julia, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
(Let me start by saying we answered this question because it’s the closest to our current story, especially if you re-word it to: What is your thought process behind starting this project?)

Luck and Gravity is our first album as Saint Pierre. We are husband-and-wife Danny and Julia St. Pierre, and we have been performing together for many years. Drawing inspiration from our Texas roots and decades performing in the Los Angeles-based Tom Petty tribute band Petty Theft, the album came about organically during the pandemic—we were looking for ways to be creative and stay sane and we had the time to sit down and write songs. I had a guitar teacher once tell me: if you want to be a better guitar player, book a gig. Wow, that idea terrified me as a new player. I used that same philosophy for songwriting: if you want to be a better songwriter, book a recording session with a producer you admire. The producer in question is Ed Tree, who I had worked with before on a solo record. So, Danny and I sat down and wrote some songs. What we did not realize as we started out is that the project would become an ode to our relationship and the arc of our life together.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Luck and Gravity showcases 12 tracks that are a vibrant mix of rock and Americana. Our story is unique: we got married in 1990, divorced, and then remarried in 2017. We’ve always played music together, even when we were not a couple. Now, we have finally made something that is just ours, original songs that channel classic rock grit with country-tinged storytelling. It’s a record that speaks to second chances in love, life, art, and creative identity.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We always tell people who come to Los Angeles for the first time not to miss The Original Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax. It’s just the best of LA, all in one spot. You can have any cuisine you can imagine for lunch and then pick up a cool gift and all the fixings you need to make a great dinner at home. The other place we always tell people not to miss is Musso and Franks—the oldest restaurant in Hollywood. The martinis are dry and delicious and you can feel the ghosts of all who have sat in those red leather booths before you. And of course, no trip to LA would be right without heading to the beach or up the coast to Malibu. The Malibu Pier is a perfect place to stroll and grab a bite. For a night out of music, nothing beats seeing a band at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, McCabe’s guitar shop in Santa Monica or the tiny Cinema Bar in Culver City.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Well first of all we’d like to acknowledge the mentorship of Ed Tree, the producer of the album. His guitar playing alone adds so much to our sound, but he’s also a real pro when it comes to the technical aspects of recording. Secondly, we think of ourselves as music fans first; then musicians. For us it’s all about the music we love to listen to and want to emulate in our songs. We want poetic lyrics like Lucinda Williams; melodies like Christine McVie; guitar riffs like Keith Richards; and harmonies like the Beatles. We listened to all our favorite songs to draw inspiration as we started this project. I also read a great book called How to Write One Song by the leader of the band Wilco, Jeff Tweedy. He makes it clear: you have to start by sitting down and trying. Lastly, we owe much of our vibe to one of our all-time favorite musicians: Tom Petty. The sound of the record absolutely echo’s the make-up of his band the Heartbreakers: strong lead vocals and harmonies; many rockin’ and layered guitar riffs and solos, and lots of Hammond B3 organ and piano.

Website: https://www.saintpierreband.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saintpierreband

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saintpierreband

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SaintPierreBand

Other: https://linktr.ee/saintpierreband

Image Credits
All photos: Barry Gray