When Saints Go Machine Has a New Singel “Co-Star”

For over 15 years, When Saints Go Machine has been the architects of a sleek, surreal corner of Nordic electronic music—where synths shimmer, beats glitch, and emotions float somewhere between the future and the dancefloor. But now, with their latest single, “Co-Star,” the Copenhagen trio is taking a sharp and deeply personal turn. They’re dialing down the electronics and turning up something far rawer: human vulnerability.

“Co-Star” is not just a new release—it’s a reckoning. The track pulls listeners into an earthy, psychedelic pop landscape that feels like it’s been grown rather than produced. With swirling melodies and a deeply emotional vocal performance, it captures a side of the band rarely heard this clearly before.

As frontman Nikolaj Manuel Vonsild puts it, the song was born from heartbreak and isolation. “Every day, around 100,000 commercial planes take off,” he reflects. “And in one of them, I sat wishing I could jump out the window because I had lost one of life’s great loves.”

That stark imagery—paired with the surreal loneliness of a hotel TV playing through the night, the sterile glow of a nearly empty restaurant, and an elderly American couple cast in ghostly cigar smoke—hangs over the song like a fog. It’s cinematic, aching, and completely arresting.

While “Co-Star” marks a sonic shift, it’s rooted in something familiar: When Saints Go Machine’s own musical DNA. Drawing inspiration from the bands and sounds that shaped their youth, the track feels like a homecoming of sorts—but one painted in new colors.

Vonsild, along with Jonas Kenton and Silas Moldenhawer, have never been ones to sit still. Their past albums—Infinity Pool, Konkylie, and 2023’s award-winning Rosy—have made them a mainstay in Europe’s avant-pop landscape. But even by their standards, this is a bold evolution.

“Co-Star” lands in the wake of last fall’s double release “Chainsaw / Trying,” a surprise drop that introduced this more organic sound and drew fast praise from international tastemakers like HUNGER (UK), COLORS (Germany), and Austin’s KUTX. Back home, “Chainsaw” made its way into heavy rotation on Danish radio, signaling a broader appetite for the band’s new direction.

Now, as When Saints Go Machine continues to work on what will be their seventh studio album, When Saints Go Machine is also gearing up to take this new chapter on the road. A nationwide Danish tour is underway, with a major show scheduled at Poolen in Copenhagen on November 21.

In the end, “Co-Star” isn’t just a single. It’s a moment of When Saints Go Machine and their transformation—a reminder that even in a band known for its digital wizardry, the most powerful instrument is still the human heart.