//Interview// Sylvette

Sylvette are one of those bands that don’t seem to stop, even in one of the craziest times globally they have certainly kept themselves busy, releasing not only a new single and a music video but also a full album of new music for fans to dive into for comfort, inspiration and entertainment. In this interview, the band's lead singer, Charlie Sinclair, talks about the band’s current music favourites, the experience of releasing music during lockdown and much more. During lockdown, you have released a new single 'Kelpius' as well as a music video for the track and of course your new album 'Stiller than still', what has the experience been like for you? Releasing during lockdown has been quite a strange experience. Without gigging the album and feeling a reaction to it in the room it’s hard to feel the same sense of completion as we did with the first album however we are so happy we were able to release it. It’s been amazing to feel like we are moving forward as a band even during this objectively awful time for musicians. Hearing people’s reaction to the album and feeling that people are listening has made our lockdown so much brighter. Also Working on the promotion of this release has been a great project keeping us busy through quarantine which we were lucky to have. Kelpius is also the first single to come from your new ep, accompanied by an incredible music video, what was the creative process behind that?

We started talking to the amazing director Theo Jessel who we worked with on ‘Sylvette a Vignette’ last year about making the Kelpius video and he was really excited by the idea. Unlike with 'Memories', we didn’t want to have a narrative-based video. We wanted something that was visually exciting and challenging that complemented the feel of the song. A lot of the creative process was exploring movement with the choreographer Giorgia. She was incredible to work with and we had several improvisational based workshops before even thinking about choreographing. We were just trying to find the most instinctive way to express the feeling of the song through movement. Alongside this Theo was getting together his team and the artists were working on the animation sections. Theo really took the lead with this project and our trust in him paid off. Where do you usually turn for song inspiration?

For me, song inspiration can come from anywhere. Sometimes it is personal and emotional but other times I’m inspired by nature, dreams, art, literature and films. I enjoy exploring imagery through daydreaming and seeing where it leads me. If I don’t fully understand the world sometimes that is more exciting. When you were in the studio, were there any funny moments during recording?

One of my favourite things about making this album was the fun we had in the studio. Our producers Phil and Jake were constantly cracking jokes which really helped create a positive energy that drove the recording process forward. The strange thing about spending so much time in the studio is that the smallest and mundane things can become hilarious in-jokes. Whether it was Ashley's cat naps through the heaviest sections of songs, The Macclesfield-based sandwich shop Jacksons or the hours we spent in the Red Willow pub after sessions it all became funny in some way through our delirium. I think in some ways it’s a reaction to how heavy and intense our music is so it is so nice to let off steam in-between takes. Do you have a favourite lyric from any of 'stiller than still' songs? Why is it your favourite?

I think the second verse of ‘Divide Myself’ is my favourite. ‘So strange to see you lying there. You were my strength for so long now I’m lifting you into a chair. I seem to need you more and more each day. You still lift me so much just in a different way.’ It’s about my dad and the illness he has been struggling with for several years. So much of the album talks about change and nostalgia and the change of seeing your parents grow older is one of the most poignant ones I have experienced so it was really important to me to get it into a song. I like how it is honest about my feelings on the distressing situation but also it is essentially about the love I have for my dad and how our relationship has blossomed over the last couple of years. 'Waiting in the bliss' was your first Ep, was the recording and writing process different this time around for 'Stiller than still?' or was it quite similar? It was hugely different. All of the songs on Waiting in the Bliss were written on one or two instruments and were arranged by us in the rehearsal room. We were bouncing off the excitement of playing with each other for the first time and in many ways, it was much more instinctive than the writing of this album. On this album, the production of every single song was approached with meticulous detail. We explored different sounds and textures more than we ever have and we just generally tried to dig deeper and experiment more. It was a lot more work but I think the result is a more mature and intricate record. As a band, you have a such a variety of taste musically, who have you been listening to during lockdown?

I (Charlie)have been listening to a lot of Moses Sumney, Nick Drake, North Atlantic Oscillation and Cocteau Twins. Philip and I have been loving the new Arca album. Pete has been getting into more ‘Oneohtrix Point Never’. Ash has been listening to a lot of Japanese math rock and American Football and Jack has been really getting into the whole of Richard Dawsons back catalogue who is a band favourite of ours. Have you got anything exciting planned for the coming months, even with everything going on currently?

To be honest it is hard to plan anything right now but all I can say is that we are continuing to write and we have plans to record this autumn as soon as we can. Are there any places/venues you would love to play in 2021? (festivals, locally/globally?)

We would love to play Gorilla, Greenman Festival and Glastonbury. What advice would you give to upcoming artists and possibly your younger self about music or being a musician in general? I would say to upcoming musicians: don’t change for anyone and remember to explore your imagination. The more you look into it the more you find.

You can see the band's incredible music video for 'Kelpius' below (trust me you need to!)