The atmospheric mood of SYML is both stark and mysterious. Sparse piano and haunting strings grow beside delicate vocals—equal parts hushed and passionate. SYML is the alias of one Brian Fennell. With millions of YouTube views, Fennell’s meditative musings on the human condition connect with a global audience. From his home studio in Washington State, he speaks about his new EP and short film, as well as the meaning behind the SYML moniker.
Before SYML, Fennell was the songwriter/multi-instrumentalist behind Barcelona. In his words, the band had a “crazy ride with Universal Motown” before disbanding. He’s learned much about how to run his career since then. “My manager gave me that book, All You Need to Know About the Music Business,” laughs Fennell. “I didn’t know until ten years later what I was doing wrong in terms of thinking of publishing like a business.”
Certain artists helped shape what Fennell now calls the second season of my musical life. “Elbow is a band I found in college. I got to meet the lead singer, Guy Garvey, at a festival overseas,” Fennell remembers. “I’m such a fan of him as a human. He’s a model of songwriting and storytelling. Elbow showed me how an artist’s image means something different than what I thought when I was younger.” There were other influences as well. “Jeff Buckley shaped my approach to singing with that heart-ripped-out-make-you-believe-it style.”
Cues from artists like Garvey made Fennell’s segue from Barcelona bandleader to the minimalist SYML vibe a natural one. “We were on a major and checked all the boxes of crazy indie band experience,” he explains. “Everything galvanized to get me to a place where I was more focused and chill when SYML started.”
That energy shaped both his music and team. “It was a calm, zen-like place to create from which attracted the people that I’m currently in business with.”
“SMYL started by focusing on minimal instrumentation. That laid a naked canvas so I couldn't hide behind anything."
That peaceful creative place allowed for some unexpected twists in SYML’s career. First was the resounding worldwide success of “Where’s My Love?” Originally recorded with piano, vocal, and strings, his label encouraged him to do an acoustic version. The song gained YouTube success and multiple Gold and Platinum certifications around the world.
However, there was a slight detour on the way. “We had the instrumental of the original track, but there was nothing else,” recalls Fennell. “So, I had to go back in and re-record an acoustic version, which became the version most people know and was on the radio.”
Another development was the popularity of SYML’s instrumental tracks. They earned him a massive listenership and are ubiquitous on Spotify playlists. Yet, like most aspects of Fennell’s career, the shift to instrumental music was organic. “SYML started by focusing on minimal instrumentation,” explains Fennell. “That laid a naked canvas so I couldn’t hide behind anything.”
He goes on to describe that canvas in more detail. “It’s quite stark and texturally focused so you have this nice bed. The transition started with the last song on my first full-length. It was my first instrumental song and I coyly named it, ‘Before You Knew It Was Me.’”
Helping Fennell achieve the rich piano performances on the most recent SYML recordings is the Roland RD-88. “Finding the RD-88 was perfect because it has that weighted hammer feel,” he says. Indeed, it all comes back to that relaxed pace. “The music has a ton of space and patience. I need that piano feel. It’s the opposite of, ‘Are we done with that note yet, and should we move on to the shredding solo part?’”
The latest SMYL release, You Knew it Was Me, might be Fennell’s most ambitious effort yet. The EP is a song cycle with a short film that accompanies its six tracks. Directed by longtime collaborator Gavin Michael Booth, the film depicts a life-changing accident. “In my music, there’s a theme of longing for acceptance of something you can’t control. Loss is something we can all relate to.”
Michael Booth and Fennell met while working with ’90s icons Third Eye Blind in the Cayman Islands. The duo has maintained a dynamic creative partnership since then, working together on numerous videos. Still, the latest film project went deeper than ever. “What if something happened to you which you didn’t deserve?” The story grew from there. “In the video, there’s an accident and the character loses the use of her legs. Obviously, that’s an important thing for anybody, especially a dancer.”
"In my music, there’s a theme of longing for acceptance of something you can't control. Loss is something we can all relate to."
As in much of SYML’s music, there’s an extended metaphor at play. “What if you had your voice, your livelihood, or any sort of reassurance or safety taken?” Fennell praises Michael Booths’ ability to extrapolate from the sounds to create moving visual art. “That’s all his brainchild when it came to the writing.”
That same sense of longing has roots that extend back to Fennell’s unique family background. While he knew from a young age he was adopted, Fennell learned about his heritage later in life. “One of the interesting things about my adoption is that both my parents were majority Welsh. That makes me a surprisingly high amount of Welsh for someone outside of Wales.”
Having a family of his own changed his priorities and musical approach as well. “Everything’s different,” Fennell asserts. “I have a son. He’s about to turn six. When we had him, it led to an honest conversation between me and my wife. Thankfully, she said, ‘I’ll keep a job with health care until you figure out exactly what you want to do.’”
He also credits his wife for suggesting SYML, a Welsh word meaning simple. “I hate thinking of band names,” Fennell jokes. Nonetheless, both the music and moniker of SYML have an enigmatic quality. “There’s part of my identity that’s a bit of a mystery. I’m proud of the name because it has meaning.”
Sad SYML Christmas Stream
6 PM PDT Tuesday, December 15th // Amazon Music Twitch channel // All tips go to the United Way of King County in Seattle
