Interview: Ant Saunders Talks “Yellow Hearts” & Future Plans

Ant Saunders is a name you want to familiarize yourself with as we go into 2020. The rising star (who features prominently on our list of artists to watch) generated all sorts of positive buzz last year with his breakout single “Yellow Hearts.” After going viral on TikTok, the earnest track dominated streaming platforms. For reference, it currently has 114 million Spotify streams. Those impressive numbers translated into success on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 81 on the chart. And the song’s reign isn’t done just yet.

Last month Ant teamed up with fellow up-and-comer Audrey Mika for a remix that’s already racked up more than a million Spotify streams. How did it come together? “Audrey was such a fun person to be around and I really liked her vibe,” Ant explained. “We had similar views on a lot of things which made her an easy partner to work with.” They show off that chemistry in an accompanying video, which arrives today (February 11). The yellow and blue-hued release stays true to the song’s roots and will likely translate into further success.

Recently I had an opportunity to touch base with Ant and chat about his experience with “Yellow Hearts.” He opened up about what it felt like to watch the song rack up millions of streams and touched on the variety of doors that it opened for him. Chief amongst those was his deal with Artista Records. The talented teen also spilled some tea about what’s next now that he’s signed to a label. And there are some exciting projects on the horizon. That includes the impending release of another song and eventually his debut EP.

In the meantime dive into our Q&A to learn more and check out the new “Yellow Hearts” video below.

First of all congratulations on everything that you’ve accomplished with “Yellow Hearts.” The song is taking off and opened so many doors for you along the way. What was it like to watch it go viral on streaming services?

Watching it go viral was just unbelievable because I thought it would never happen. It was also just so satisfying seeing that so many people actually liked it.

Do you think there was anything that sets it apart from your previous songs “Miles Per Hour” and “Dial Tone”?

I think the brighter tone of the song definitely sets it apart from my last two releases with Kiaura Rose. It is also pretty different stylistically, sounding more R&B influenced.

Can you tell me a bit about how the track came together?

The song started with the first line, and once I came up with it, I was able to come up with the melody and the instrumentation in my head. All I had to do was to print it down on the computer.

“Yellow Hearts” helped you land a deal with Artista Records. How did you feel to get that offer and what drew you to agreeing to it?

I never imagined getting signed to a major label so fast, and it was really gratifying that people of such high power in the music industry really liked me. The team at Arista just really seemed to believe in me and my work.

What do you hope to achieve with Artista moving forward?

I just hope to achieve as much as I can with my music and to do things I never thought possible.

Do you plan to drop an album or EP sometime this year?

I’m planning on dropping an EP very soon and I’m just so excited to put something new out.

What would you say are some of your biggest goals as an artist?

Some of my biggest goals are to inspire as many people as I can in any way, and to just stay myself and stay calm and happy throughout this whole journey

Are there any dream collaborations you’d like to line up for this year or moving into the future?

I want to collaborate with a lot of fellow newer artists in the near future, and maybe with some greats such as John Mayer and John legend when the time comes

Can you give us a hint about what your next song sounds like?

You’ll have to wait and see!

Speaking of, what are your goals for a release schedule? Do you plan to drop something in the near future or do you want to give “Yellow Hearts” more time to grow first?

At this point I’d love to put out a new single as soon as possible along with the EP and however much else possible

Do you love Ant’s “Yellow Hearts” remix and video? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!