Santigold opened up about how she went from working at Epic Records to opening for Björk at Madison Square Garden in a new interview with her longtime friend, actor Lake Bell. The indie artist, born Santi White, talked about her father’s influence on her sound, why she started writing her own songs and the MySpace message that put her on one of New York’s biggest stages before she even had a live show.
Key Moments
- Santigold started her career at Epic Records under Sony, where she tried to sign a female artist to a demo deal.
- She couldn’t find songwriters to match the sound she wanted, so she wrote, executive produced and performed the songs herself.
- Her father introduced her to reggae, Fela Kuti, Sade and Nina Simone, artists she says make up her “musical DNA.”
- Björk reached out, likely over MySpace, and asked her to open at Madison Square Garden before she had a live show.
- She and Lake Bell first recorded a public conversation together for the Talkhouse Podcast in June 2019.
This isn’t the first time the two have sat down on the record together. Back on June 20, 2019, Bell and Santigold recorded a long-form conversation for the Talkhouse Podcast, where they dug into balancing their careers, their artistic evolution and the realities of motherhood. Seven years later, they’re picking the conversation back up with a look at where it all started, and we’re loving the chat.
It started at home. Santigold says her father was a huge music fan, and he played mostly “Black music” across every genre, from reggae to Fela Kuti. He also took her to see Sade and Nina Simone live. “I always say those things made up my musical DNA,” she told Bell. You can hear that mix in everything she’s put out since: dub, Afrobeat, soul and punk energy all sharing the same track.
Before she ever stepped onstage, Santigold worked at Epic Records under Sony. She wanted to sign a girl to a demo deal, someone who sounded different from anything she’d heard. When she couldn’t find the right songwriters, she decided to do it herself. “I just wanted so badly to hear what’s in my head,” she said. She executive produced the project, wrote all the songs and then performed them. While Santi didn’t name the project, I’m pretty sure it was for the alt soul and R&B artist, Res (How I Do). She’s on the credits as a producer/lyricist.
One of her earliest memories of her first paying show is Björk reaching out, probably over MySpace, to ask her to open at Madison Square Garden. “And I didn’t even have a show! I was so … ” she laughed, looking back. It’s a very 2000s indie origin story: a message on MySpace that landed her on one of the biggest stages in New York. She found her footing onstage fast. By 2009, Grimy Goods was already pointing fans to her as one of the featured acts, alongside MGMT and Silversun Pickups, at the free KIA Soul Collective show here in Los Angeles. I’ve been hooked on her ever since.
The kid who “didn’t even have a show” became one of LA’s must-see live acts, and we’ve been in the crowd for a lot of it. In June 2012 she sold out Club Nokia on her Master of My Make-Believe tour, with a then-rising Charli XCX opening the night. In 2016 she brought the 99¢ tour to the Hollywood Palladium with dancers, a slot-machine video screen, fans pulled onstage and costume changes that ended in a skirt printed with her own face. She returned to the Palladium in 2019 for the 10 Years Golder Tour, celebrating her debut album with a set that sounded stronger and more seasoned than ever.
Most recently, Santigold joined the lineup for Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields on Aug. 29, 2026, at the Great Park in Irvine. The one-day festival was built around women in music, putting current stars like Chappell Roan and Doechii on the same bill as trailblazers like Bikini Kill, Garbage and The Breeders. Santigold fit right into that lineage. Too bad the festival had some major flaws depsite its good intentions.
From an Epic employee who couldn’t find the sound she wanted to the artist who made it herself, Santigold’s path came down to trusting what was in her head. Her dad’s records gave her the ear, and Björk gave her the stage.
I don’t know about you, but between this sit-down and her Daisy Chain Fields set, I’m feeling it and holding out hope for a new album and tour from our beloved indie queen. Santigold, if you’re reading this, we’re ready when you are.
Santigold’s interview with Lake Bell comes from Two Top, a dinner conversation series where it’s “one table, two people, unlimited stories.” It was filmed at Queen’s Raw Bar & Grill for Chase Sapphire’s exclusive dining partnership with OpenTable.
Watch our favorite clips from the interview
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