David Byrne on the beautiful mystery of St Vincent: “Not a bad thing”
David Byrne says he and St Vincent remained largely professional acquaintances despite collaborating on their 2012 album *Love This Giant* and touring together for almost a year. He praised her privacy and sense of mystery, suggesting that keeping personal lives separate can help artists focus on their work.
In a 2014 interview, Byrne said he did not know Annie Clark, St Vincent’s real name, much better on a personal level after their time together. He described mystery as something a talented person can embrace without seeming distant, reflecting his own comfort with keeping some boundaries between collaborators.
In short
- Byrne and St Vincent kept their relationship mainly professional.
- They collaborated on 2012’s *Love This Giant*.
- Byrne praised Clark’s privacy and mystery.
Explained simply
David Byrne is a singer and songwriter best known as a founder of Talking Heads. St Vincent is the stage name of American musician Annie Clark; she writes and performs her own music and has also worked with other artists.
Byrne and St Vincent made the 2012 album Love This Giant together and toured as collaborators. Their working relationship is the context for Byrne’s comments about keeping personal and professional lives separate.
Artists who collaborate closely do not necessarily become close friends. Byrne’s remarks touch on how privacy and a sense of mystery can shape the way musicians work together and how audiences see them.