Photo Credit: Michael Carter
Sydney Sprague‘s sincere and refreshing songwriting caught our attention last year, with the release of her single i refuse to die. Now the singer/songwriter is gearing up to release her debut album maybe i will see you at the end of the world, which drops this Friday via Rude Records. We caught up with Sprague ahead of the release to discuss her pathway as an artist, her inspirations and more.
Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m an anxious, introspective 28 (almost 29) year old woman-child from Phoenix, AZ, and I like to write and sing songs.
How long have you been releasing music and how did your pathway as an artist come about?
I’ve been releasing music since I was about 13. My parents noticed I had started to make up songs around then, but I was too shy to share them, so they bribed me ten dollars to play my first open mic at a coffee shop. The response was good, so I kept coming back and gradually started performing more and recording my songs. I released five EPs over the last ten or so years, getting a little better and learning more about the kind of music I wanted to make as I went, until I finally had a group of songs I was really proud of and decided to make my first full-length album.
Can you remember the first time you realised you wanted to make music?
It was around the time that I bought my first CD (Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time). I was probably like seven or eight, and I would sit in my room and try to make up melodies. I never envisioned myself being a pop star or anything like that, but I knew singing made me feel good and I loved it right away.
Who and what are your main influences?
I honestly listen to a lot of everything which I think has impacted my songwriting a lot. It started out with a lot of pop and 90s/early 2000s radio alternative, and then as I grew up I got into a lot of pop-punk and indie. I definitely went through a huge Avril Lavigne phase, she influenced me a lot when I was getting really into writing as a teenager.
What do you aim to achieve?
I really just want to make songs I’m proud of. My album (maybe i will see you at the end of the world) is the first thing I’ve ever made that I really love listening to, so I just want to keep making more music. Anything else is a bonus.
For those who are yet to see you live, what can they expect from a Sydney Sprague show?
It’ll be a surprise for me even to see what happens once live shows start up again! Haha. For years I’ve performed mostly solo with an acoustic guitar. I’ve been working on some pretty exciting arrangements with my partner (Chuck Morriss III) that involve an ableton set-up and kind of electronic, stripped down versions of the songs. I would love to get on the road with a full band, but it’ll all just depend on how things go with the world re-opening. No matter what though, you can expect to see me pour my whole heart out.
What’s next for you?
I really have no idea! Everything is still so suspended in time right now that it’s hard to make real solid plans. I already have another set of songs I’m excited about, so I’ll definitely be working on another album, and keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be getting out to play some shows later this year or next. I’m just happy to be along for the ride at this point.
Sydney Sprague‘s debut album maybe i will see you at the end of the world is due for release on 26th February 2021 via Rude Records, available to pre-order HERE.
