SYML releases new track 'Believer' on January 6th via Nettwerk
LISTEN HERE
FROM THE DAY MY FATHER DIED THE NEW ALBUM OUT FEBRUARY 3
PRODUCED BY PHIL EK (BAND OF HORSES, FATHER JOHN MISTY, FLEET FOXES
ALSO INCLUDES THE SINGLES “LOST MYSELF” FEAT. GUY GARVEY,
“HOWLING” FEAT. LUCIUS & “BETTER PART OF ME (FEAT. SARA WATKINS)”
“…it’s got the weary, fragile sway of late-era Beatles”
The New Cue (“Lost Myself)
“…a gorgeous symphony of angelic harmonies, pulsating percussion and soaring guitars”
Wonderland (“Howling”)
January 6, 2023—SYML has today released uplifting new track “Believer”, lifted from the acclaimed Seattle musician’s forthcoming sophomore album The Day My Father Died, out February 3 via Nettwerk—pre-order/pre-save here. SYML - the solo project of 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. In December, SYML was announced as one of the guest artists on the forthcoming Lana Del Rey album Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, out March 10.
With The Day My Father Died SYML offers a profound exploration of the ways in which our lives intertwine.
Throughout the album, SYML weaves in familiar iconography as a means of examining his feelings towards others, and about himself. A devotional paean sung in Fennell’s unique, reverent falsetto, “Believer” wasn’t inspired by any celestial being but rather his partner in life. “To be a believer in something is as pure as it gets,” comments Fennell of the track. “For me, it’s when I realized it was never a God or magical ghost, but my lover and how I fell at her feet.”
LISTEN TO “BELIEVER”
Also available now from The Day My Father Died are previous singles "Lost Myself" Feat. Guy Garvey, "Howling" Feat. Lucius and “Better Part of Me (feat. Sara Watkins)”.
SYML’s music has a sacred quality, its themes tap into the instincts that drive us to places of sanctuary, whether that be a place or person. With over 9 million monthly listeners on Spotify and more than a billion streams in total, SYML is resonating all over the world and particularly in the UK, one of his biggest territories for listeners.
“It comes back to your identity of being human; throughout time we’ve shared the same drive,” Fennell explains. His own upbringing – interwoven with experiences of abandonment, adoption, loss, grief and love – is what drives him to question how connections between people shape us as individuals.
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 new album 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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