Five Fits With: Retro Rocker (and Dresser) Stephen Sanchez
This week’s subject is Stephen Sanchez, who happens to be this column’s first and only brush with Elton John. The young rising star performed his single, “Until I Found You”— three-times platinum, with two billion streams, by the way—on stage at Glastonbury earlier this year with the music legend. Coming off a summer of songwriting, touring, and playing Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge’s wedding in the South of France, Sanchez has just released his anticipated debut album, Angel Face, last Friday. I was particularly curious to discuss style with someone whose music is such an homage to a bygone era; I wondered to what degree he was, for lack of a better phrase, about that life.
Over a slice of pizza from his new favorite neighborhood spot, Best Pizza, Stephen and I discussed how his upbringing, church, and his grandathers influenced his music career, releasing a debut album at 20 years old, the role style plays for him on and off the stage, and plenty more.
Fit One
Let's start with your upbringing and your path to where you are today. How did you find music as a career?
Whoa, music as a career—holy smokes. I grew up in the church, so there was a love for music in seeing people impacted by it and it evoking a feeling enough to drive people to believe in something and give them hope. That was really inspiring for me growing up. It was something that I wanted to bring out of people through the music that I was writing, and all that songwriting and the desire to do that came from my grandfather, who used to play guitar and write songs. My other grandfather helped me to discover my sound through ‘50s and ‘60s style music and songwriting of that time. He would show me old records and sent me home with vinyl when I'd go up and see him. There were a lot of different influences and they've all been really beautiful.
You're only 20, and you already have a ton of anticipation behind your debut album. How would you describe your head space currently?
I feel full of joy about it. I really, really do. This album is incredibly special to me. I feel like I have said this before in a different way, but in this career I felt like I've been stepping into the shoes of my heroes. Those shoes have felt very big and I've been trying to tie the laces very tight to fit the shoes. But I think now I feel like I actually fit into them a little bit and I know what I'm doing a bit more and I'm really, really excited about this album.
Fit Two
What was the creative process like in writing your first album, knowing you've already received so much acclaim? Plus, it's like a concept album, right?
Yeah, it was an incredible experience for me to have written a debut record, 13 songs in total. But to have written a story along with it—with characters that have individual lives and humanity that is completely fictional—it's something that can bring fans into even more of the record and be even more involved in the discovery and the love of the music. There are people to care about in this record and there’s a mirroring of reality in there that might show up in people's individual lives when they are listening to this record. So, for me, writing that was an incredible process and it was so exciting and honestly exhilarating, almost like jumping out of a plane.
Fit Three
Do you separate your style on stage and on tour from your daily style?
Totally. I definitely do. I think that there are elements of dress up that I apply if I were to go on a really nice date or go to a nice dinner. I would definitely dress up a little bit more. But I think I'm usually just rocking something a little bit more vintage and sneakers and having my hair all curly and natural rather than slicked back. But it helps to kind of separate the two worlds of my personal life and then my musical life. This music is obviously very ‘50s and ‘60s driven, so I want to play the role a bit more there. I don't really like to mix the two.
Fit Four
You just touched on it a bit, but what role does style play in musical performance for you?
Style is a huge piece of musical performance because it's something that you have to confidently wear on stage and if you don't feel confident, your performance lacks an element of confidence that it would have if you were wearing something that made you feel empowered. So for me, wearing a suit on stage, playing the persona, having the slicked-back hair, it makes me feel even more ingrained in the world and the feeling of that music. It definitely helps my performance be even better.
Do you have any style icons, or just people that you take inspiration from?
Love Alex Turner. He's got great suits. Black Beatle boots are his jam as well as mine. Obvious ones are Elvis in his early years with his suits. The suits he wore in his movies were really well-fit and nice. I think less so for his stage gear. That was very much Elvis, but I'm thinking more of his nice clean-cut vibe in his movies. Or Roy Orbison’s black suits. That's a jam.
Fit Five
What are some of your favorite brands or designers currently?
I really love Saint Laurent a lot. They have great boots, great blazers. I've been loving Jaded London for their pants. I've been wearing a lot of Onitsuka Tigers. Those shoes are sick, so I've been enjoying those. I've been enjoying Celine a lot. Their pants are amazing. Their fluffy shirts are amazing. It's been really great.
If you had to wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it consist of?
A brown blazer, a tank top, some gray sweatpants, sneakers, and a tight T-shirt.
You Might Also Like
