The Saints Reflect on Rapidly Rising in the Hard Dance Scene

The Saints stopped by to give fans an inside look into their careers, a milestone-filled year of releases and festival sets, and a taste of the future.

The Saints are a Dutch hardstyle duo who have taken the scene by storm in recent years. Emerging just a few years ago, this duo has already climbed the ranks, claiming their spot as one of the fastest-rising acts, and for good reason, too. Their unique productions seamlessly blend the raw elements of hardstyle with the powerful and melodic aspects of euphoric hardstyle, creating records that border on chaos and creativity.

Of course, The Saints didn’t appear out of thin air, although their origins almost suggest as much. The duo’s two members, Rick and Jules, were always connected through mutual friends. Jules already had some experience under his belt, DJing under the alias Kid Brutal, doing bookings, and taking production lessons. On the other hand, Rick had virtually no experience.

One day, Rick called me (Jules) because he had somehow managed to get himself on a lineup. There was just one small problem: he didn’t know how to DJ yet. So Rick figured, ‘Jules can probably teach me how to DJ in a few hours, right?’ He had two weeks to learn!
The Saints

In a selfless act, Jules took on the responsibility of teaching Rick everything he knew. For two weeks, Rick and Jules spent countless hours in an attic practicing together. Rick picked up the art of DJing very well, and because of their shared passion for hard dance, they decided to start a hard dance act together.

After a couple of name ideas, The Saints were born. They eventually worked on creating their first track, “Rescue Me,” and sent it to Adaro, who loved the record and gave them their first big opportunity by signing them to the Rough Recruits label. Needless to say, this was a dream come true for both Rick and Jules.

Since their initial signing at Rough Recruits, The Saints have gone on to dominate the hardstyle scene worldwide. Their long list of accolades includes many accomplishments, like signing with the world’s premier hardstyle label Dirty Workz, releasing music on Q-dance presents SPEQTRUM, and dominating festival stages like REBiRTH Festival, Decibel Outdoor, and so much more.

Although they’re already highly decorated artists, it wasn’t until the release of “TUTUTU” with Ivector in August 2024 that their careers took off. “We’re incredibly grateful for everything that’s happened over the past year,” The Saints said. “It’s been an amazing journey, especially because we get to do this together. We’re staying true to what we love, and with the right team around us, we’re working to make this rise as beautiful and sustainable as possible.”

Fast forward to the present day, and The Saints have just presented their latest release, “One (Your Name),” a cover of the iconic Swedish House Mafia track flipped on its back into a rawstyle banger. Despite being on opposite ends of the music spectrum, these two artists express a great admiration for the legendary trio.

Swedish House Mafia was one of the artists where it all started for us. The very first EDM tracks we listened to were by Swedish House Mafia and Avicii. Creating timeless hits like theirs is something that inspires every producer and artist in the scene. That’s why we chose this cover. This track has always been one of our all-time favorites, and blending it with our own sound lets us play it in every set.
The Saints

Speaking of recent releases, The Saints also released a collaboration with The Purge titled “OG Raver.” This track has been a staple in both artists’ sets, always serving as a crowd favorite. To their surprise, this record quickly became one of their biggest hits. “This track symbolizes all the highlights we’ve experienced over the past year,” they said. “We never expected it to blow up the way it did, but it definitely opened some doors for us.”

They expressed that it’s amazing to “see people still love to sing along, instead of only listening to the hardest kicks and screeches.” Of course, riding the fine line of raw and euphoric hardstyle is what The Saints specialize in, and they focus on this every time they’re in the studio. “For us, every track we make needs to have a strong musical side,” they told EDM Identity.

We love heavy kicks, but the music always has to be danceable, too. We have the most fun in the studio when we’re creating real music instead of just beats. That’s exactly what we want to represent in our songs.
The Saints

Photo Credit: Bobbie Photography

This mentality is perfectly showcased during their brand-new live performance, HOLY MADNESS. Captivating screeches, heavenly melodies, and unmatched energy seamlessly combine to create a live set filled with the best that The Saints has to offer. The work that goes into arranging a live performance versus a normal booking is starkly different, but the duo approaches these special sets just as any other.

Jules likes to take a moment for meditation and breathwork to make sure enough oxygen and energy are flowing through his body. Rick, on the other hand, always wants to be at the stage at least 20 minutes before the set to feel out the crowd, see what they’re vibing with, and how they respond.
The Saints

With all their recent success, The Saints have had a wild festival season in 2025 with no shortage of great moments. They expressed that it’s hard to pinpoint a favorite memory from this season, but this year’s Defqon.1 Weekend Festival was an unforgettable show.

They presented their latest HOLY MADNESS set, and in their words, “It had everything to be considered the set of the year. The energy, the vibe, the packed stage, the sunset… It’s a moment that will stay with us forever!”

Other highlights for them included the massive energy from Shutdown Festival in Austria. In addition, their back-to-back with Dual Damage at Sunrise Festival in Belgium had thousands of screaming ravers at their set. Finally, Kalkstorm in Sweden brought one of the most unique venues as they played in the middle of nowhere in nature.

“We traveled a lot together and shared so many highlights and fun moments along the way,” they said. Fans can also get in-depth looks into these wild events with their vlog series, Behind The Saints, on their Instagram.

With such an eventful year already in the books, The Saints are still looking to the future to end 2025 with a bang. Teasing their fans, the duo revealed that there’s plenty of new music on the way. “We’re working on music with someone with a trumpet, and a duo with zero project…” they said. In addition, they’re working on a brand-new live show for next year, complete with all of their newest music.

The Saints are still on an upward trajectory in the scene, and it won’t be long before they earn their title as top dogs. Still, they believe that there is room at the top for everybody, and they were kind enough to share advice for other artists who are on similar paths.

“The most important thing is to not just work hard on your act, but also work hard on yourself,” they said as the conversation came to a close. “Make sure you’re doing something you truly enjoy. Talk with the people around you, be kind to them, and take good care of yourself. And above all, keep believing.”

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