Sylvan Weekends Releases ‘Headlong into the Unknown’
What was the creative process like for this particular EP 'Headlong into the Unknown?'
With our first EP, 'Outliers' we were still figuring out a lot of things about our sound and what type of music we wanted to make. With this EP, our second, we had a better idea of what we wanted to achieve with each track - the feelings we wanted to evoke with each one, the nostalgia we were trying to unlock, and how our particular combination of folkiness (from Matthew) and synthy piano (from Freya) comes together.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this EP?
Matthew and Freya co-wrote and co-produced the songs together - sometimes together in the same room and sometimes sending files back and forth. The title track, “Headlong into the Unknown,” was a really interesting experience - the song started life as a folky gentle song about wild swimming but when Matthew and Freya got together to actually record, it totally transformed. They wrote a new chorus really quickly, changed the vibe of it and it became more energetic and started to represent the excitement of new experiences, and heading towards unknown things... which we feel like we are right now!
What has been one of your favorite memories along the path to making 'Headlong into the Unknown?'
Learning the dance for the Foolhardy (I will never forget this summer) music video was a lot of fun - we were in hysterics the entire time. We had a time pressure before we lost the light as the sun was going down - Matthew's sister Julia had choreographed the dance and was drilling us out in the car park and we kept taking it in turns to mess up - but we got there in the end!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in music?
All of us are lifelong musicians - we've all been playing since we were tiny and in school bands and orchestras, and with our families, and have been in various bands over the years. Matthew is in the folk band Keston Cobblers Club which he created with his sister Julia, and he and Daniel are also in the folk band Stables. Freya had a solo folk project (which Matthew produced), and has been a member of LCV, singing with artists like Imogen Heap and Basement Jaxx - and also has a solo instrumental piano-synth project. So, we've all done tonnes of different things, but there's something really special about Sylvan Weekends - it feels like it's just working in a great way and like our individual styles compliment each other.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
We've just finished a 16-date tour around Germany and we had the absolute best time. Our favourite thing is when we notice people start to really lock into the songs, start moving a little bit because they feel like they need to dance or start to react emotionally - as it means they're understanding the songs how we intended them. We always challenge ourselves to get as many of the audience bopping along with us as we possibly can - it's such a great feeling when the audience comes up afterward to tell you they've had a great time.
Chloé Sautereau On the Making Of “Ten Thousand Stories”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "Ten Thousand Stories" and the story it tells?
Ten Thousand Stories was born out of this mixed sensation of excitement and feeling overwhelmed after spending my first month fully living in New York and starting college for music. Moving from Geneva to Switzerland, I suddenly felt like there were so many opportunities I wanted to say yes to, and a desire to be able to be everywhere at once. Ten Thousand Stories is about recognising all the things you'll reach for but understanding they’re not all going to be possible but that it’s worth daring to try. It’s an ode to accepting and cherishing the new and the stories that make us who we are.
Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for "Ten Thousand Stories?”
I wish I remembered the details of it a little more specifically (3 years ago!) but I’ve always loved this song for the way it somewhat gives a double meaning to its title. It’s about all the stories you want to live and experience and the growth those provide you with, the exhilaration that comes from opportunity and a new city but also the physical and literal height of the buildings in New York and feeling intimidated by it all. “I’m flying, I’m ten thousand stories tall but I’m falling, cause I know I’ll never live them all.” I remember realizing that lyrically that could work out this way and that was really cool.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for "Ten Thousand Stories?”
This is the first song I fully engineered myself in terms of recording in the studio, so it’s really exciting to have it out!!
Laying down bass lines with my friend Emma Wellons was particularly fun because she got really playful with it and I think some of them really serve as important sonic sweeteners on the track and contribute to its depth instrumentally.
Can you walk us through your creative process when writing and composing music?
I’m usually figuring out a strumming or picking pattern and bouncing back and forth through some chords on the guitar until something sticks and words come. Or I’ll think of a line that feels like it could be the start of a verse pro chorus, so I’ll put it to music and go from there. Music and lyrics have a particular relationship with one another to me and they’re definitely interdependent, where one informs and inspires the other and so forth.
What are your future goals or aspirations as a musician?
I’m trying to song-write as much as I can; I love telling stories, and with that try my best to provide a space where people feel understood or at least can attempt to. I’m planning on keeping these releases as regular as possible, to further grow an audience, so keep an eye out :)
Currently still based in NYC and playing live here as much as I can!