Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sara Syms . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sara , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

As a songwriter, I am inspired by albums or collections of songs that have a story to tell. Living in a “singles” world where short attention spans and mindless streaming is the norm, I tend to create projects and experiences to take listeners on a journey from beginning to end. The way we used to listen to records, and mine through lyrics. My latest album The Darkest Light weaved in and out of themes of fear, love and survival. A journey I spend countless hours working and reworking the order of the unfolding. My next project is currently titled Illusion is Everything is Illusion. The dichotomy of the human experience. On one side, we care so much about the illusion we put out to the world. Hiding behind social profiles and avatars, Escaping to the metaverse. On the other side, we know it is all an illusion. A sickness. How can we break it all down and return to our roots. A simpler time. To celebrate the whole of humanity.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Sara Syms and I am a visual and vocal artist. Creative director by day and performing artist by night. Currently living in Nashville, I’ve lived in Chicago (hometown), Boston, NYC and Cincinnati.

Have been involved in music since childhood. Classically trained in piano, violin and voice and part of a world-renowned children’s choir The Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus (now Anima Singers).

After multiple years in various bands while living in NYC, I spearheaded a band called The Ashen. Electronica/ ethereal style influenced by the likes of Portishead, Massive Attack, Warpaint and Zero 7 to name a few.

After years on the scene with The Ashen and my solo works, I took a needed step back from the industry a few years ago. My own struggles with depression and anxiety, and the state of the world during the pandemic fueled my last album, The Darkest Light which was released in August, 2022.

I have a sleu of new releases over the summer and working towards my new album Illusion is Everything is Illusion.

My songs will always have an emotional charge to them but have been challenging myself to write from a place of strength or lightness as opposed to a place of darkness and defeat. Recent single “Golden” and upcoming releases “Sun Never Runs” and “Fire in Me” share themes of resilience, perseverance and power.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Get curious. Go beyond what’s popular and discover new music or genres you might have never listened to. Read the lyrics. There is so much gold that lies in an artist’s perspective or a blank canvas for your own interpretation of the song. Support indie music. Find patreon accounts or buy directly from the artist (website, merch table, etc) so the streaming giants don’t make off with all the profit. Listen to music more purposely as opposed to white noise in the background. Support or host house shows. These intimate gatherings can be just as rewarding as a stadium show. Connecting with an audience is incredibly rewarding and why I keep showing up.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

How overly saturated this industry has become and how hard it is to be heard inside all the noise. Social media, streaming platforms and a multitude of talent shows has created a somewhat toxic environment that awards those who can scream the loudest. Are you posting 5+ times a day? Have you cracked the algorithm? How much money are you spending on marketing? Compared to 5000+ releases a year back in the early 2000s, there are more than 100,000 songs uploaded digitally per day! And that number will continue to skyrocket with the emergence of AI. So many companies financially prey upon artists trying to be heard and it can be incredibly overwhelming and disheartening to know where to firm next. It has become much more of a commodity than an art form. That said, keeping focused on why I create helps the noise fade away.    

Contact Info:

• Website: sarasyms.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/sarasyms
• Facebook: Facebook.com/ssymsmusic
• Linkedin: LinkedIn.com/in/sarasyms
• Twitter: Twitter.com/sarasyms
• Youtube: YouTube.com/sarasyms
• Other: tiktok.com/@sarasyms

Image Credits
Marcelo Krasilcic, Laura Schneider