INTRODUCING:st.arnaud

There’s something quietly subversive about “Love You! (For Real)”. On the surface, it leans into warmth — a loose, white-soul groove that feels effortless and inviting. But underneath, it takes aim at something far less comfortable: the hollow intimacy of late-night connections and the performative affection that rarely survives the morning after.

It’s a tension that runs deeper than a single track. Across his upcoming self-titled third LP, the artist leans into contrast — sincerity versus performance, stillness versus movement, solitude versus collaboration. For the first time, the project opens itself up to others, trading creative control for something richer, more dynamic. Released in staggered “movements,” the record resists the churn of modern listening, asking instead to be lived with, not rushed through.

Below, he breaks down the thinking behind it — from lyrical cynicism and soulful textures to creative growth and letting go.

“Love You! (For Real)” pokes fun at those intense, fleeting bar-room connections that feel sincere in the moment but disappear by morning. What drew you to exploring insincerity and exaggerated intimacy as a songwriting subject right now?

On sincerity - I've always been a little irritated by that exaggerated party love; especially because it's so often handed out by people I especially do not love, or do not love or even like me back. It's not even so much about intimacy as it is about just being real. Not to sound like a grump, but turning life's petty grievances into songs tend to be where some of my proudest lyrics and songs are.

Sonically, the single leans into a white-soul groove that feels warm and earnest, even as the lyrics remain knowingly cynical. How intentional was that contrast, and what do you think soul music allows you to express that indie rock sometimes doesn’t?

On the soul groove with cynical lyrics - The contrast between more cynical lyrics and the warm tones is totally intentional - a groove like this gives everyone room to have more fun musically, but also lets you just sit with the idea longer without it feeling heavy or preachy. Indie rock can sometimes push you to keep the plot moving to prove how sharp you are, whereas a soul groove lets you relax into something a bit more.

This upcoming self-titled LP is your third record, but the first to truly feel like a full-band document rather than a solo project. How did writing and recording collaboratively change the emotional or narrative weight of the songs?

On the shift towards collaboration - I think I finally learned how to let go a bit more. Earlier on, especially leading up to my first album in 2018, I was very precious about things being 'mine'. Bringing trusted friends in ended up doing the opposite of diluting and dulling that, and having more ingredients to play with just made a tastier end result. Lots of the time it took someone else weighing in to unlock a songwriting problem I'd been stuck on for months, to spur it back to life.

You’ve described the album as capturing “movement in times of stillness” and reflecting on transient moments. How do those ideas show up across the record—are these songs snapshots of specific periods, or more observational reflections?

On reflection in the writing - You never really notice a phase of life ending until you're well past it. Writing songs always feels like a gift to myself because it lets me mark the time without realizing it; also a very good way to cringe at your old thoughts and feelings as you watch your sense of self slowly evolve.

The album rollout itself is unconventional, with three deluxe singles acting as musical “movements” before the full LP arrives. What excites you about releasing music this way, and how do you hope listeners engage differently with the project as a result?

On the staggered releases - I liked the idea of giving people time to digest. We get fed too much, too fast, I worry that a 45-minute record can disappear in a day, even if it represents years of work and thought. This release style has let everything breathe a bit, and I hope in hindsight listeners can see the entirety for what it is together.