Santi Forget on Nostalgic "North Star"
Punk Head: You once wanted to escape Toronto, now you’ve written it a love song. What changed in you before the city changed in your eyes?
Santi Forget: I went through a tough breakup and moved to a new part of town, forcing me to rediscover the city that was becoming stagnant to me back at Yonge and Wellesley, where I previously lived. I had so much healing in the spring of May 2025. I walked for hours, got lost in my headphones, and saw the gorgeous tulips that sprouted in the city. I went on bike rides along the water and checked out neighbourhoods in the east and west all over again. It was nostalgia 101.
Punk Head: “NORTH STAR” feels less like a tourist postcard and more like a neighborhood memory archive. Were you consciously writing against cliché versions of Toronto?
Santi Forget: I think I wanted to be honest about the version of the city that I know it as. It's beautiful sunsets, amazing food like THE BEST, the CLEAN and non-smelly streets, and of course lots and lots of great vintage and thrifting. I hope others relate lol!
Punk Head: The church trio detail is fascinating. What did those musicians bring to the spirit of the record that a conventional session band might not have?
Santi Forget: I was really looking for an emotionally driven song. I wanted all to feel the nostalgia and keep a timeless vibe. I think the trio channelled the love of God and their emotion from within when I sang of the city we all love. We all sort of started playing together the first time I sang and the song just fell into place. Intuitive, heartfelt sessions are the best. I also lean towards live sounding as it captured a moment in time, we were all together in a room, quiet and in tune with each other.
Punk Head: You shout out Toronto’s bike lanes, thrift culture, even clean roads, which are gloriously specific details. Why was it important to praise the ordinary?
Santi Forget: I think every time I return to the city, I notice these ordinary gems "clean street, thrifting, and bike lanes" as a missed blessing. Our bike lanes are vast and well-kept and were a huge investment to improve city transportation while offering an environmentally green solution.
Punk Head: If “Dear New Love” introduced one chapter and “Raquel” opened another, where does “NORTH STAR” sit in your artistic evolution?
Santi Forget: I believe I shared a part of myself that wasn't known through my EPs that I wrote about my personal experience with love and heartache. I felt it was important to shout out my beloved community while also giving my audience context into who I am, and where I'm from. Drawing into world issues, I especially felt the need to empower our citizens with a song to keep us united and note the silver lining that our country is safe and we are privileged here.
