SAULT have officially released ‘Acts of Faith’, their surprise album from earlier this year.
The mysterious collective first shared ‘Acts of Faith’ in July, with the whole album available as a single 32-minute .wav file. Since then, fans have requested an official release.
In the lead-up to Christmas, they took to their official Twitter/X account to share a short clip of album closer ‘Pray For Me’, on December 20.
Then, on Christmas day, SAULT shared a link to the album and its cover, writing: “ACTS OF FAITH- Album officially released today.” You can listen here.
‘Acts of Faith’ debuted last December, when SAULT played their spectacularly immersive first-ever live show. The performance also included appearances from Little Simz and Michael Kiwanuka.
Shortly afterwards, the collective suggested that there would be several more concerts around the world in the near future, although these have yet to materialise.
According to a social media post, the shows were to showcase their album ‘5’ in New York, ‘Black’ in Los Angeles, ‘Untitled (Rise)’ in Canada, ‘11’ in Germany, ‘Air’ in Paris and ‘Earth’ in Africa at some point.
SAULT have never officially confirmed their bandmembers; however, producer Inflo is generally regarded as the leader, with Cleo Sol, Kid Sister, Chronixx and more providing uncredited vocals.
In January, André 3000 said that he had plans to record a collaboration with the group and confirmed that he had spent time in the studio with them.
Speaking to BBC Radio 6 Music, the OutKast rapper said: “A musician friend turned me on to them when they were in their secrecy stage. So he connected me with them.”
“You know, we hung out, went to the studio, messed around a bit… yeah. And once I was turned on to them, I kind of listened to what was done before. I think they’d only had like one or two albums out at that time.”
Host Gilles Peterson then asked Benjamin if he had recorded any music with SAULT, and whether fans could “look forward to” hearing it. “We can look forward to it in the future,” he responded.
In a four-star review of 2021’s ‘Nine’, NME wrote: “Once again, Sault demonstrate the power of words and just how impactful music can be. It’s impossible not to feel affected by the stories being told.”
“Despite ‘Nine’s sadness, Sault channel optimism and hope for a brighter future into their songs. Coupled with twinkling piano keys, the album’s poignant closing words offer a lifeline: ‘Don’t ever lose yourself / You can always start again’.“
Taylor Swift believes Nashville has a music scene that stands apart from anywhere else.
The 36 year old singer moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when she was young to chase her dream of becoming a country music star. After being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday (26.10.26), Taylor took the opportunity to recognise the city and the talented writers who have helped shape its music scene.
In her acceptance speech, Taylor said: "I believe you really get to master a craft by doing it again and again. That's exactly what the incredible songwriters in this wonderful town do every day."
Taylor also spoke about what makes Nashville such a special place for musicians.
The award winning singer, who ranks among the best selling music artists of all time, said: "You won't find another music community quite like this one. Trust me, I've checked them all."
Taylor also shared how being part of Nashville's songwriting scene had taught her valuable lessons about life and working with others.
She joked: "I've learned to be flexible when your co writer turns up with a hangover, or when they need to spend ages talking about their divorce before we can even get started on a song."
Taylor previously spoke about how Faith Hill and Shania Twain inspired her decision to move to Nashville.
Speaking to Time magazine, the singer said: "I couldn't get enough of watching TV biographies about Faith Hill and Shania Twain, and I realised they had both moved to Nashville to get their careers started. After that, I kept asking, pleading and begging my parents to take me there.
"When I was 11, my mum took my brother and me to Nashville during spring break, and we spent the trip driving around Music Row. She stayed in the car while I rushed into record companies one after another, giving my demo CD to the receptionists. I found it fascinating that so many major record labels were gathered along a single street, often inside little buildings and old houses.
"What really stayed with me was how welcoming people were to newcomers and complete strangers like us. We started visiting Nashville more often, and when I was 13, I received an offer for a development deal from a major record label. That was when my parents finally agreed to leave Pennsylvania and move with me."
