INTERVIEW: Sir Winston discusses origins and influences alongside new album ‘Protect The Future’

Shrouded in shadow yet impossible to ignore, New York-based Australian artist Sir Winston returns with ‘Protect The Future’, a visceral, genre-bending protest record that roars with urgency and defiance. Melding breakbeat, drum & bass, UK rave, and industrial punk into a singular, high-octane sound, the album is a sonic gut-punch to apathy and denial, offering no easy answers but demanding that we ask better questions.

Recorded at Brooklyn’s Transmitter Studios with acclaimed producer Abe Seiferth (LCD Soundsystem, Nation of Language), the album pairs raw vocal fire with meticulously sculpted sound design, creating a landscape where rebellion dances with introspection.

We sat down with Sir Winston to dive into the making of ‘Protect The Future’, explore the politics of sound, and ask what it means to create art in a world on fire.

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What was the first rock song or artist that made an impact on you?

The first for me was The Beatles, followed by The Stones, Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Zeppelin was the first band that I really dived deep into. From there I got into the Velvet Underground and David Bowie. Then later I was into Jane’s Addiction, Rage Against The Machine and Nine Inch Nails.

Who are some of your biggest musical influences within the rock genre?

Rage Against The Machine and Nine Inch Nails.

Are there any non-rock musicians or genres that have also influenced your music?

Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim and The Prodigy. I like hard hitting breakbeat. Also Nine inch Nails and Ministry too – I love industrial dark music.

What is your main inspiration when looking to write new music?

My album Protect The Future is a concept album about protest, resistance and a reckoning for the truth. The world is on fire right now, and I’m writing about what I see, feel and hear every day living in America. I write about real-life events and socio-cultural issues that are happening right now and affecting us all. Our world is full of disinformation – where the truth and facts are distorted and people must really fight to maintain power and control of their lives.

What do you enjoy most about performing live and do you have any memorable live performance experiences you’d like to share?

I love the energy of a show and feeling connected to an audience. With Sir Winston it’s just me on stage, I DJ, sing and play guitar, so I’m very focused on making sure the show is as impactful as possible. Lighting and visuals play a big part. It’s important to me to get the message of my music across and I try to create visuals that are deliberate and striking. I want my show to be both intense and uplifting, bringing people together and making them think as well. I want my message to linger in people’s minds. But it also has to be fun and exhilarating – which it is for me – and I hope also for the audience. The recent shows – particularly a show at the start of the year in Australia, where everything came together for the first time and the full vision of how the show could be was realized – that was a turning point. I could see that people were into it and the energy was next level.

What has been a particularly rewarding moment in your musical journey so far?

I’m getting messaged a lot by people who are discovering the album and both the music and the narrative is really resonating with them. I’m connecting to people all over the world who share my frustration and unease with the state of the world right now. 

How would you define success as a musician?

Doing what you love is success. 

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out?

Don’t quit. Never stop. Enjoy the ride.

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Listen to Sir Winston’s new album ‘Protect The Future’ below.