After a long 28-year absence, iconic UK trio Saint Etienne are finally returning to Melbourne for a bittersweet farewell performance on Thursday 26 November at The Forum. Lauren sat down recently with vocalist Sarah Cracknell to dive deep into the band's rich history and reflect on over three decades of pop perfection.

Saint Etienne are one of the UKs most beloved and enduring pop groups. Merging swinging sixties London chic with modern electronic beats, the trio created a musical world that is truly uniquely their own. Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs formed the band in 1990, and their debut single - a cover of the Neil Young track Only Love Can Break Your Heart, became an era defining club anthem along with with some classic remixes from Andrew Weatherall and Masters At Work.

Following that single, Sarah Cracknell joined the band in 1991 and completed the definitive Saint Etienne lineup with her effortlessly cool vocal style. Her debut on the track Nothing Can Stop Us Now and the Mercury Prize‑nominated album Foxbase Alpha cemented the group’s place in UK pop history.

After now after more than three decades of genre-defining pop brilliance, and thirteen albums, the band are preparing to say goodbye. Announcing their final album, last year’s International record which features collaborations with Tom Rowlands from The Chemical Brothers, Paul Hartnoll from Orbital and Australia’s very own Confidence Man.

In the interview, Sarah also opens up about Winona Ryder's viral post revealing that a Saint Etienne cassette she bought off the street in Lisbon "totally rescued" her during a difficult film shoot at age 20. Sarah shares the band's collective disbelief and delight upon seeing the shoutout, providing a heartwarming testament to the far-reaching, therapeutic power of their music.