OAKLAND — New York synth pop band St. Lucia has always lived up to its name in philosophy rather than sound. The quintet exudes a carefree anything-is-possible glow. But on its current “Intimate & Acoustic Tour,” supporting a new EP of reimagined songs, St. Lucia at times sounded like…

St. Lucia performs at August Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 15, 2018. Photos: Gary Chancer. SAN FRANCISCO — A show that began inauspiciously turned worse for St. Lucia frontman Jean-Philip Grobler Monday when he fell and injured his ankle on the second of two shows at August Hall.…

St. Lucia. Courtesy: Shervin Lainez. Jean-Philip Grobler still dreams of having the biggest band in the world. The St. Lucia frontman acknowledges that the time may not be right for his earnest, heart-on-sleeve pop music. Even when he was in the middle of writing his band’s third record, Hyperion, there…

St. Lucia Looking back on my interviews over the past 12 months, the first thing that surprised me was just how busy I stayed: nearly 50 interviews of 10 minutes or longer, about a dozen more than 2015, which had seemed much busier. Interviewing artists is just one part…

Jean-Philip Grobler of St. Lucia at Outside Lands on Aug. 7, 2016. Che Holts/STAFF. As a successful Emeryville-based studio knows all too well, it’s possible to take an inanimate object, give it life and make children and adults alike laugh and cry by telling a good story. That was…

St. Lucia frontman Jean-Philip Grobler chats with RIFF at Outside Lands on Aug. 7, 2016. Photos: Che Holts Midway through Brooklyn synthpop band St. Lucia’s set at Outside Lands last week, frontman Jean-Philip Grobler lied down on the stage, collecting his breath. But within seconds, his band launched into ’80s-drenched,…

Jean-Philip Grobler of St. Lucia. Courtesy. Jean-Philip Grobler has been playing in rock bands since he was 10 years old, though that may not be clearly evident considering he’s best known as the mastermind of Brooklyn-based breezy dance-pop band St. Lucia. Prior to moving to New York for a…

St. Lucia performs at the Independent in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2014. Roman Gokhman/STAFF. Having bounced around the globe over the past few years — from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Liverpool, and to Brooklyn — being evicted from a recording studio that was transformed into luxury condominiums wasn’t much…

St. Lucia, courtesy. Jean-Philip Grobler was one of the most fun interviews I’ve had in recent weeks, because the South African musician gave a thoughtful answer to each question. I’m sure I asked a couple that he gets each time, but rather than read off his own press release,…