SYML releases new track 'Better Part Of Me (Feat. Sara Watkins)' on November 25th
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FROM THE DAY MY FATHER DIED THE NEW ALBUM OUT FEBRUARY 3, 2023
PRODUCED BY PHIL EK (BAND OF HORSES, FATHER JOHN MISTY, FLEET FOXES)
INCLUDES PREVIOUS SINGLES “HOWLING” FEAT. LUCIUS & “LOST MYSELF” FEAT. GUY GARVEY
+ HEADLINE EUROPEAN TOUR SPRING 2022
INCLUDES KOKO, LONDON ON APRIL 19
November 25, 2022—SYML has today released “Better Part of Me (feat. Sara Watkins)”, the latest track to be lifted from the Seattle musician’s second solo album The Day My Father Died, due February 3 via Nettwerk—pre-order/pre-save here. The new track follows previous singles "Howling" Feat. Lucius – “…a gorgeous symphony of angelic harmonies, pulsating percussion nand soaring guitars” (Wonderland), and "Lost Myself" Feat. Guy Garvey – “…a gorgeous collaboration” (The i), which received plays on BBC 6Music from Lauren Laverne and Chris Hawkins.
SYML - the solo project of US singer, songwriter and producer Brian Fennell – will follow the album’s release with a major headline European Tour in the Spring, taking in four UK shows including London’s KOKO on April 19.
On the achingly lovely “Better Part of Me”, which features Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, Fennell pokes gentle fun at our preconceived notions of what marriage will be, and the revelations each day that the reality is so much better.
“When we talk about someone being the ‘better part of me’, it’s certainly a familiar trope,” comments SYML. “For me, there is a sweetness that is appropriate and not saccharin when we think about our ‘other’. Love is certainly a journey full of conflict and challenge, and the best way to become better together is through being honest with ourselves and one another. And to have Sara Watkins join me on this song is something of a dream. Nickel Creek’s first album was a blueprint for me as I started singing and writing songs. I love her voice, and the tenderness and simplicity she brings to this song fits perfectly.”
SYML—Welsh for “simple”—makes music that taps into the instincts that drive us to places of sanctuary, whether that be a place or a person. With 9 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over a billion streams in total, Fennell’s music is resonating all over the world and particularly in the UK, one of his biggest territories for listeners.
For The Day My Father Died Fennell enlisted the skills of renowned indie producer and fellow Seattle native Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Built to Spill, Band of Horses), whom he’d had admired since recording with his first band, Barcelona. “To me, this album feels very cohesive,” he says, crediting Ek with helping him achieve that effect, recording in studios – including a former church – around Seattle. “Working with Phil was exciting, humbling, and memorable,” adds Fennell. “This dude has produced some insane records that are beloved by everyone I know.”
The Day My Father Died finds Fennell telling a story of interpersonal connection and chosen kinship following the death of his adoptive father in 2021. More a document of growth and healing than of loss, the album charts Fennell’s journey to figure out how to move forward after a fundamental and intractable shift in his life.
“The ever-expanding universe will always frighten and delight me, but the truly unbelievable shit happens down here at our human level,” Fennell says. “Losing my dad felt like running out of air. I still feel it in my gut. But this record is not about losing him, it’s about what happens after we have lost.”
Born and raised in Seattle, Fennell studied piano and became a self-taught producer, programmer, and guitarist. He released his self-titled debut album in 2019, which included the platinum-selling song “Where’s My Love,” followed by the grief-stricken EP DIM released in 2021. His music has been featured in countless movies, TV series and ad campaigns including Netflix’s original series “Behind Her Eyes,” which featured his version of “Mr. Sandman” as the title track.
SYML, EUROPEAN TOUR 2023
March 9 Amsterdam, Paradiso
March 10 Cologne, Burgerhaus Stollwerck
March 11 Antwerp, De Roma
March 13 Milan, Circolo Magnolia
March 14 Zurich, Kaufleuten Festaal
March 15 Munich , Ampere
March 17 Vienna, Porgy & Bess
March 18 Warsaw, Praga Centrum
March 19 Berlin, Heimathafen
March 20 Hamburg, Uebel & Gefaehrlich
April 15 Madrid, Independence Cluyb
April 16 Barcelona, Razzmatazz Room 2
April 18 Paris, Le Trabendo
April 19 London, KOKO
April 20 Bristol, Thekla
April 22 Manchester, Manchester Academy 3
April 23 Glasgow, King Tut’s
April 25 Dublin, The National Concert Hall
Tickets from https://symlmusic.com/
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