Saint Etienne go out with a big party on ‘International’

There’s an old adage: The hardest part of being in a band is keeping it together. In that regard, Saint Etienne have aced the test. Since Sarah Cracknell joined Pete Wiggs and Bob Stanley on the English outfit’s third single over 30 years ago, the lineup has remained the same, even as the musical ground they tread — pop, indie, dance, rock, jazz and even ambient — has evolved.

But the days of Saint Etienne releasing new albums has come to a close. They go out with a big party on their latest record, International, which features appearances from many of their old friends, including members of The Chemical Brothers, Doves, Orbital and Confidence Man.

Today, Bob, Pete and Sarah of Saint Etienne join us to talk about why it was time to stop making albums and how they avoided all the drama that has been the end of many good bands.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez. Our senior producer is Kimberly Junod and our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.