St. Panther Finds Their Voice in a Strange World
- Jordyn Mayes
- Oct 31
- 6 min read
The LA-based artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist delivers their most vulnerable work yet, translating social anxiety and personal evolution into an essential new sound.
The artistry of St. Panther exists at a powerful intersection, a confluence of self-produced grit, instrumental prowess, and a perspective shaped by growing up Mexican-Colombian in Orange County, then forging a path as a queer, trans creator in East LA.
With the imminent drop of their new EP, Strange World (out November 7th), the musician is preparing to give listeners a 20-minute sonic journey that is both meticulously crafted and deeply, unapologetically personal.
An interview with the artist reveals a journey defined by discipline, unexpected recognition, and an unwavering commitment to authenticity, traits that have positioned St. Panther as one of the most exciting voices in modern genre-fluid music.
From Music Baby to Finding the Core: A Journey of Sound
For St. Panther, the pursuit of music was less a choice and more a foundational instinct.
"I feel like I was a music baby," they recount, noting a beginning with piano lessons at age four, followed by guitar, and an eventual dedication to the drums, their favorite instrument. The education in instrumentation created a fluency that allowed their sound to evolve organically, shifting from early hip-hop experiments to the current rhythmic, soul-infused blend that defies easy categorization.
The decisive move came around 2012, when a brief, uncomfortable stint in college prompted a stark realization: "I knew that there was something else I needed to be focusing my energy on... I dropped out and was like, let's just go for it with music."
That initial drive was fueled by a generational love for artists who mastered their craft, forming an internalized Mount Rushmore of goats. St. Panther quickly names a quartet of icons: Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, and Sade. D’Angelo, in particular, served as a foundational reminder of his universal influence: "Your favorite artist's favorite artist's favorite producer's favorite bassist," they affirm. However, it was the raw, personal songwriting of Amy Winehouse that gave them the practical courage to pick up the guitar and start writing their own songs.
"Seeing something like that as a teenager was highly influential and being like, okay, I love the same music she grew up loving and I can write my own song."
As a self-produced artist, their journey has involved navigating the economic challenges of independence, a landscape where one must often self-fund everything from music videos to tours. Their recent signing to an indie label has offered a new partnership, but the ethos remains firmly focused on self-reliance. As they put it, with an indie deal, "You're still self producing the videos and creating our assets... listening to your intuition is the only way through all of it."
This intuition has been crucial in guiding them through pivotal career moments. They recall a deeply moving moment at one of their DJ gigs when an older man approached them and noted that their music was succeeding in doing what was once impossible: bringing different walks of life together on the dance floor. This sentiment, along with critical nods like being named one of KCRW's best new artists of 2020 and having their music placed on HBO's Insecure, solidified their purpose. As they put it, music is "actually being heard by people that love the music that we love."
On Discipline and Vulnerability
The transition from rapping to a more rhythmic singing style has been an evolution driven entirely by the music itself. For St. Panther, the ultimate artistic signature isn't a single genre but the flexibility of their voice across different sonic landscapes. "I could sound like a million different types of artists, but I'm just one voice," they muse. "I think that the signature is how that voice can be used in a bunch of different ways, but it still kind of has a home."
That "home" is found not in production tricks, but in the sincerity of their message, which demands daily dedication. While they maintain a discipline of producing multiple ideas every day, the final songs that resonate are rare, a "blessed and random" moment.
"I just show up every day to try to catch those songs," they explain. "It doesn't happen all the time. It's very, very blessed and random, but I just show up every day to try to catch those songs."
This intense dedication is maintained by returning to the pure joy of the craft, often by simply DJing or listening to new music. If they encounter a hard moment writing, they find their motivation in the study of music itself, seeing it as "soft fuel."
The Architecture of Strange World
The upcoming Strange World EP is the most evolved expression of St. Panther's sound and the clearest articulation of their personal philosophy. The title itself is a multi-layered concept addressing the pervasive psychological stress of modern life, the "cognitive dissonance" and "desensitization" that feels "dystopian." Yet, it is also an act of empowerment.
"Strange can also mean so many positive things, too," they explain, referencing how the word can represent the trans community—people "that are often misunderstood but are still thriving." It’s an embrace of the "other" that is both political and deeply personal.
This thematic ambition required a new level of sonic rigor and collaboration. For Strange World, St. Panther partnered extensively with co-producer Chris McClenney, crediting him with taking them "out of my box" and elevating the entire sound. The collaboration was a deliberate choice for growth: "It's the only way to grow, when you're working with people that see things differently than you and also teach you things and push you."
The meticulousness of the project was extreme, including constructing an actual window at Haven Sound in Burbank so musicians could maintain eye contact with the producers, a visual thread they found critical to the emotional recording process.
The track that demanded the most vulnerability was "The Deal," which ventures into the "meat and potatoes of my real life" and was initially scary to put out. Listeners will also get the full cinematic scope of the title track, which includes an extended outro, meant to be experienced in sequence with the rest of the EP. Another highly anticipated track is "American Dreams," which will be accompanied by a music video exploring the collective relationship to "capitalism, to ambition, to our phone, to the things we see about each other through the screen."
Identity, Visibility, and the Future
St. Panther's work is intrinsically linked to their Mexican-Colombian, West Coast roots. Moving to East LA six years ago has grounded them, placing them around their culture and "speaking my first language much more often with my neighbors." This perspective carries a deep sense of responsibility, a "first-generation mission."
"I think all of us live to achieve, to pass something back to the families that we came from," they reflect.
As an artist who is also a queer, trans person of color, they understand the crucial importance of visibility in the music ecosystem. They are relentless about taking up space, believing it is vital "for people that are younger to see other people that look like them in high places." This conviction is further emphasized by their hot take on the music industry: "Companies where mostly women are on the staff are just night and day better... We have to stop giving men every high position power in the music industry because it's just also a form of being that needs balance."
Beyond the studio, their grounding force is simple: their best friends ("literally my people keep me grounded through everything"). Their creative energy also channels into painting and, impressively, organizational humanitarian work, having previously organized pop-ups to raise money for free meals for people in downtown LA and fundraising for folks in Palestine. If they weren't making music, they confirm, they'd "probably be doing humanitarian work somewhere."
Looking ahead, St. Panther's five-year vision is rooted in legacy and community support: "Hopefully, I have some records out there that can pay the bills for my family and also have helped some artists that I'm working on producing right now."
Ultimately, St. Panther's vision of "Greatness" is simply being yourself and being successful for it. With Strange World, they invite listeners to put on their headphones, tune out for 20 minutes, and share in the creative release they have been longing to give the world.
"Please go listen to Strange World out November 7th. And if you can, if you really enjoyed it after listening to it, put a friend on."
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