Q&A with Sykamore
Congratulations! You you must be very excited for 2018 as you kick off the year with the release of your EP Self + Medicine.
Q: Reflecting on 2017, what has the past year been like for you and can you share any highlights?
A: 2017 has been my favorite year so far! I was able to experience a lot of things on my bucket list this year, like play some awesome festivals [Boots & Hearts, Cavendish, Red Truck and more], film my first music video, and sign a publishing deal in Nashville. I’m really honored and proud to look back on 2017 – I feel like I really evolved as an artist and a human.
Q: What was the experience like putting together your EP?
A: Putting Self + Medicine together was a three-year labor of love. It underwent a lot of different titles and manifestations before I got it right. But every step was a blast and such a learning experience. I love the way this record chronicles my journey from Nashville, where we cut a lot of the tracks, back to my hometown of Calgary for finishing touches. The songs shine a light on a lot of human experiences, some that I went through personally and some that I saw others endure. I think in the end I want this record to be something people can relate to and find their own catharsis in, the way I did. Which is why it’s called Self Medicine – I used storytelling and songwriting to express myself and to heal when I needed to, so I hope others can do the same.
Q: Were you involved in the writing process of the songs? If so, where did you get your inspiration from when writing?
A: I actually wrote all the songs on the record this time around, with the exception of Better Half, which I wrote with April Geesbreght and Jason Massey [Jason worked on Kelsea Ballerini’s debut record and wound up co-producing Better Half with me.] My inspiration for writing honestly comes from anywhere – as a songwriter you sort of learn to always leave a channel open in case the muse shows up, whether it’s in the form of a word or a concept or a dream, or sometimes you just start messing around and something blossoms. For this record in particular I focused a little more on my own human experience, dealing with love and life as a millennial, as a female, as a human, as an artist. The best material always comes from that place of honesty and authenticity.
Q: Are there any specific stories behind any of your songs?
A: There are stories within the songs for sure – sometimes they’re laced with a bit of hypothetical circumstance, but I can find myself in all of them at some point or another. Hayloft talks about the weight and the importance of love in a world that can be really scary, which is something I can definitely identify with. Better Half is a song about someone knowing and loving you so well that they can talk you off the ledge or bring you back down when you’re being ridiculous – and those are pages directly from my life story haha.
Q: Which artists would you say have inspired your music
A: That list is really lengthy – but lately I’ve taken a huge interest in artists like Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Brothers Osborne and Thomas Rhett. They all push the envelope in their own way but manage to preserve the things about country music that we love. And that’s something I strive to do with my own material. Iconic artists that always inspire me are Lee Anne Womack, Shania, George Strait, Reba, and Elton John.
Q: Do you have any tour or festival plans for the coming year?
A: I’ll definitely be back out on the festival circuit this summer – I can’t wait to see more new places and play for new faces. Traveling is such a fun part of the job.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about 2018?
A: Honestly I’m really excited to start writing for a new record and get some new projects in the pipeline. My favorite part about being an artist is the ability to create, so I hope to keep sharing fresh music, videos, merch, and collaborations in the year to come.
Twitter: @SykamoreJordan
Facebook: @sykamoreproject
Instagram: @sykamore
YouTube: /ezekiel8914
TheCountryMill 
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