Saynt Ego on Grief, Mental Health, and Learning to Sit With the Noise

There’s a certain kind of silence that’s louder than anything else. It’s the noise in your head when you’re alone in a parking lot, checking your phone, staring off into nothing. That’s where Will Retherford lives right now, both literally in the visualizer for his latest single “Voices” and figuratively in the work he’s creating as Saynt Ego. He’s not trying to escape grief or quiet the internal dialogue. He’s learning to sit with it, and he’s inviting listeners to do the same.

You’ve said “Voices” is about getting stuck inside your own head. Walk us through how that song came together.

I fixate on a concept, then take musical references and ideas into the studio with Logan Bruhn, creating collaboratively until the song reveals itself. It’s built around restrained beats, atmospheric synths, and emotionally driven vocals exploring the internal noise that pulls you forward and holds you back at the same time.

The visualizer is just you alone in a parking lot. Why was that the right visual?

The visualizer (created by Logan Miller) reflects that liminal space—stillness, motion, and reflection suspended between where you’ve been and where you’re going. It’s simple, but it captures that feeling of being stuck inside your own thoughts in a way anyone can relate to.

Your music explores grief, mental health, and transition pretty directly. What draws you to those themes?

Learning to create without chasing approval has been huge for me—making art I believe in, whether it’s received or not. Learning to believe in myself first before I expect others to follow. My music tells personal stories of loss, change, and becoming. It’s about learning how to sit with pain, move through liminal spaces, and grow into who you’re meant to be.

You’ve built a whole career as a producer with Citizens of Sound, featured in outlets like The New York Times and Entertainment Tonight. How does that production background shape your approach to making music?

As a producer, I’ve always been learning how to grow a team, move people in roles around like chess pieces in order to make the best possible art. Collaboration is your best friend. My music producer, Logan Bruhn, taught me that the best music is discovered in the room, not perfected beforehand.

For someone who’s never heard your music, how would you describe what you’re doing?

I make cinematic, electronic music about grief, transition, mental health, and becoming. I hope it gives people space to feel, reflect, grow, and breathe.

You’re juggling music releases and your first short film right now. How do those two worlds connect for you?

I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker as a kid, but music became my first true language for creating. The turning point came when I realized I didn’t have to choose. Film and music were always speaking to each other—I just needed to let them exist as one artistic path instead of two separate lives. Saynt Ego is part of a larger creative ecosystem where music, film, and storytelling inform one another.

What’s coming next?

I’m rolling out singles from Liminal Space while completing my first short film “Penny: A Portrait in Motion,” scored with original music. New music through spring, a full album in May, plus select shows, festivals, and the short film this summer. I’m focused on releases, sync, and growing an online audience, letting shows happen intentionally and organically.

“Voices” clocks in at 3:40, built around a restrained production that values feeling over excess and space over noise. Released December 16, 2025, it’s the first chapter from the upcoming record Liminal Space. Retherford isn’t trying to fix grief or silence the noise. He’s learning to sit with it, and the music creates room for listeners to do the same.

Follow Saynt Ego on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. For Will’s filmmaking and production work, visit Citizens of Sound or follow Will Retherford on Instagram and IMDB.