PHOTO CREDIT: Scott Chalmers
INTERVIEW: Alessandro DeCaro
Welcome to Artist Spotlight, our new series where we introduce you to fresh and exciting artists you need to hear now! Our latest pick for Artist Spotlight is the London,UK-based goth/industrial rockers Saint Agnes who are set to release their highly-anticipated new album Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin on May 29th via Spinefarm Records. For those who are looking for a black-clad sound with deep, pulsating synths, frenetic rock energy and musicianship, coupled with infectious pop sensibilities and earworm hooks, then look no further than Saint Agnes.
In an exclusive interview, we sat down with Saint Agnes frontperson Kitty Austen to discuss the band’s origins, genre-bending sound, style and fashion inspirations, as well as inside scoop on the band’s forthcoming album, Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin and so much more.
Additionally, we asked Austen to pick three of their favorite The Pretty Cult items from our store and provide a style guide. Read the interview and view the style guide below!
Can you walk us through the formation of Saint Agnes and how you all came together? Who were some of the most crucial musical influences you had from the very beginning, especially in the more industrial and rock world?
Kitty Austen: Jon [James Tufnell] and I were both in different bands, and we played a show together in a tiny London venue. It was when shoegaze and psychedelic music were having a moment in the city, so we got to talking and realized that we both were craving some more obnoxious, punk-driven noise, something more audacious and rockstar than the kind of “too cool to care,” poe-faced thing we were surrounded by. We found we had a joint love of The Dead Weather back then. We made some music together that was like blues-rooted garage rock crossed with Spaghetti Western soundtrack music and started gigging it around wherever anybody would have us.
We found that when we played it live, we both massively got off on performing it like it was metal, going crazy, climbing on bars, having so much fun. It was very inappropriate for the genre. And that pushed us to make heavier music, as we needed material to fit the live show. I think the arrival of our drummer Andy is when we kind of see the official start of the band proper, as we started to really take it seriously around then. Our biggest influence has always been Nine Inch Nails, and I’d say our upcoming album, Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin, is where you can hear that most obviously out of all the music we’ve made, but the thread that follows everything through is a NIN-inspired emotional intensity and aggression. You can hear that in all the music.
For someone hearing Saint Agnes for the first time, how would you describe your sound and overall vibe, as well as the first song you would want people to hear?
Austen: Emotionally intense, aggressive but with real moments of beauty. Dark industrial rock for those who dare to hope. “The Father, The Son and The Holy Beast” is a good first listen because it contains all of the different genres and elements that make up our new record somehow.
Your new album Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin is dropping on May 29th, 2026. What was the process like putting this album together both sonically and lyrically? What do you hope listeners will ultimately take away from this release?
Austen: Our last record Bloodsuckers was recorded right after my mum had unexpectedly passed away, so it was a torturous endeavour, to be honest. I was in agony and just pushing myself to make that record. So, for this one I needed to fall back in love with the process. I went into it with a fully open mind and heart and challenged myself to really go wherever the inspiration would take us. It felt like the light creeping in after a dark night, if that makes sense. We worked with a producer for the first time to start and then took the project back in house to complete ourselves, so it was a huge amount of work, but it was really satisfying and really fun as we got really experimental and playful. We’d been listening to The Fragile and With Teeth by Nine Inch Nails, as well as U2’s Achtung Baby, and I’d say all of those records were sonically very influential. Lyrically, there are some extremely personal songs on this record. I wrote a lot about my journey with grief, I wrote songs for my friends, I wrote about the absolutely dystopian shit show we’re all currently living through.
What song from Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin holds the most significance and meaning to you, and why?
Austen: There’s two. “The Beast” is a deeply personal song about my journey with grief after the death of my mother and how I’ve had to learn to accept that deep sadness as part of who I am. You have to grow around the grief, you can’t escape it. The other one is the last song on the album, “Where Do I Begin?” It’s a love song really to my bandmates for holding me together these last few years, but also a realization that I’m ready to stand more on my own two feet now and discover just who I am after all of this. When you lean on people, as I’ve needed to, you can quite easily disappear a bit, but I’m ready to step out again now.
You just dropped your nostalgic new single “Song for Mia,” which you have described as a “tribute to your teenage best friend.” What was that experience like opening up those memories again and reliving them in the process? And, of course, the biggest question is, has Mia heard the track yet?
Austen: I sent it to Mia as soon as it was recorded. I wanted to call it “Song for Mia,” but I wanted her permission, as it’s very personal. She said she’s very honoured, which is lovely. We had such a magical time at that age. We were joined at the hip, always dreaming and laughing together, and I wanted to honour that time we shared because I look back on it with so much joy and love.
With Saint Agnes forming in London, how has your environment shaped your overall sound and ethos as a band?
Austen: Living in London is not for the faint-hearted. There’s not a lot of room to experiment or mess around or make mistakes, so we got quite used to being very decisive in our approach and moving quite quickly. Studio time was always a huge expense, even with very kind mates’ rates most of the time, so you learn to deliver fast and embrace your limitations.
At the end of the day, stuff you record is just that: a record of that time in your life. I don’t think you need to spend endless time neurotically worrying about every compression, every reverb. I think ultimately it’s a capture of a certain time, a certain feeling, and that’s interesting enough. I think rebelling against the music scene in London was hugely instrumental to where we’ve ended up, and then there being enough people in the city to actually latch on to what you’re doing.
Who or what is your biggest style/fashion icon or inspiration?
Austen: Neo and Trinity in The Matrix. The blood rave scene in Blade. Only Lovers Left Alive. Hot ’90s vampires, or in other words, Tilda Swinton. I like androgyny, and I only wear black.
What is your process like when putting together outfits for your live shows?
Austen: On this last tour I’ve been experimenting with different outfits that all fit that ’90s goth vampire aesthetic and switching up between the more androgynous, Nick Cave suit look and this batshit crazy, over-the-top goth Marie Antoinette dress I got from Selkie. Playing with the different looks has been so much fun. I swear I have a whole different set of moves depending on what I’m wearing. The clothes inspire personas. We’ve all been suited for a lot of these shows, and it works so well. I think it’s really cool to have the juxtaposition of being respectable and well-dressed and then performing like we’re involved in an exorcism. We will never be a T-shirt-and-jeans kind of band. We all have one suit each, so you can imagine what the van is like after a few sweaty shows.
Outside of music, what does a typical day in your life look like, and do you have any hobbies or routines that help keep you grounded?
Austen: I’m naturally very introverted and quiet. I crave peace and calm in normal life. I'm a big bookworm, so I read obsessively. I live in the countryside now, and it suits me so well. I’ve got the sweetest little garden that I spend most of my time in. We all surf in the band, goth surfers, if you can believe it, and we’ve got vans that we converted to be little weekend campers, so we’ll often be sat round a fire on the beach after surfing all day. That’s one of my favourite things. We all have day jobs that we’ve fit around the band too, as it's so difficult to make any kind of living from music, so most of our time is hurriedly spent getting as much paid work in as we can before we’re off touring again.
If Saint Agnes’ music could be the soundtrack to any film or TV show, what would it be and why?
Austen: The Matrix, but I really don’t think they need to make any more of those… Any big blockbuster sci-fi action film would be ideal. Or anything with hot vampires or a badass female lead who kills everybody.
Looking ahead, what is next for Saint Agnes in terms of touring or anything else people should be on the lookout for?
Austen: We’re about to head to France to play three sold-out shows with an incredible band called Last Train, then we’re joining InMe on a full UK tour, which is gonna be great. And in between that we’re coming to the States for the very first time to play SXSW. We’re very excited for a big 2026.
STYLE GUIDE BELOW
Kitty Austen: I love the slim '90s shape, it's very cunty. I'd be wearing these everyday with everything. I tend to wear my long black trench coat, think Trinity in The Matrix, and they'd pair together perfectly for that.
Kitty Austen: I love the high neck and the velvet, it's giving '90s vampire. I'd wear it with my combat boots, they're my go-to stage shoes of choice. Though they've taken a battering, they look all the better for it.
Kitty Austen: This would be a tour staple, perfect for traveling and sound checking. I'd wear it oversized with wide legged black jeans and my big-ass buffalo boots and probably my Nine Inch Nails baseball cap.
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