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| Photo: Timothy Mah |
So, let's see what happens when Syd Rose visits Section 36 Music!
I really enjoy your latest single, “Nothing Like Me”. What can you tell me about it?
Nothing Like Me is a pop-rock anthem with a catchy hook, upbeat feel, and strong vocals that snatch a listener’s attention. Despite its lively sound, I explore more serious themes in this song regarding body insecurity and modern beauty standards. The first verse opens with: “I swear this mirror must be warped / Standing in this department store / Knowing nothing will fit me like the pictures.” The verse sets the stage for “Nothing Like Me,” opening the song with my experience of feeling inferior to other women, especially the beautiful people you see all over social media and the Internet.
“Nothing Like Me” was born after a moment that I’m not very proud of– doing a social media deep dive on my ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, and seeing that she looked nothing like me but everything like the beauty standards I had always wished to achieve. The chorus of this song outlines what I was feeling at that moment: “I don't know what to think anymore / She looks nothing like me / I've been wondering all night long about / That girl on the screen / She looks nothing like me.” The girl on the screen first began as my ex’s new girlfriend, but as I continued to write the song, I began to see more of myself in her.
Writing about this moment made me think back to when I had a much more damaging opinion of myself and my body. My history of unhealthy body image and constant comparison began young, exacerbated by being an early bloomer (yes, I was the first kid in my class to get acne AND to have to get a training bra, and no, I can't remember which was more embarrassing at the time) and a swimmer, where bodies were always on display during training. I became hyper analytic of things that I couldn’t control. Everything from my height, to how my forehead wrinkled around my acne when I spoke, to how my legs looked underwater when I swam, to the thickness of my thighs, waist, and arms were points of contention for years of my life. Thoughts like these are something that so many women (and men) experience, even when we know it isn’t healthy to compare ourselves to each other. We know that other women should be a source of friendship and comfort rather than competition, and when conversing with others, I find most of the time we share this experience-- often criticizing our bodies unfairly while never judging others in a negative light.
Eventually, when it came to my thoughts post-breakup, I stopped thinking about the new girlfriend. I began comparing myself to old pictures of me when I had been in the relationship, going through a futile cycle of trying to see if I had changed or if something could explain why that relationship had gone so sour. Writing “Nothing Like Me” became a very cathartic process, helping me understand my unhealthy thoughts and leading me to replace them with positive ones. Ultimately, I learned that comparing ourselves to how others (or even our past selves) look is pointless. Everyone is unique, and appearance is the least interesting aspect of who we are.
Do you see more studio work in the future?
Yes! Though I have an artist project, my primary career path is related to studio work. I’m a recording engineer, producer, and instrumentalist. Creating records in the studio is one of my favorite things to do, and I am actively pursuing opportunities that will bring me more work in the recorded music realm as I continue my career.
You are a graduate of Berklee College of Music. What is the biggest thing you saw Berklee do for your career?
Berklee is the kind of place where you get out of it what you put in. I think the biggest thing it can do for your career, whatever you pursue, always comes from the network of people you meet while studying there. Whether it’s a classmate, professor, band member, work-study employer, or former roommate that ends up bringing you your next opportunity, the Berklee network is massive and can always help you out. When applying for jobs before I first moved to L.A., I made sure to let all of my professors, peers, and bosses know that I was looking for work out there. I actually got my first gig from a “Hey, we’re hiring” story post on a studio’s Instagram account that a former work-study supervisor sent me. You never know what opportunities are hiding in plain sight and what directions they can take you.
Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?
My biggest musical influences are acts like The 1975, Noah Kahan, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, and Maggie Rogers. These musicians walk the line between old and new sounds, combining modern mixing technologies and synthesized sounds with full-band recordings to make music that teeters between folk, soft rock, and alt-pop. Their songwriting is also a great combination of dedicated pop hooks, folk-like storytelling and melodies, and poetry-influenced vocabulary and subject matter. All of these characteristics are things that I hope to reflect in my music and continue to grow as I build my voice as an artist.
What would you say is your biggest challenge with your music career?
My biggest challenge so far with my music career has been finding ways to grow my credits as a recording engineer while also dedicating time to my artist project. Since moving to L.A. and beginning life as a postgraduate, it has been hard to find the time to write more between job hunting, working at studios, freelancing, and still making time to see friends. I’m also trying to learn how to promote myself and my music effectively without having social media take too much time out of my life. I hope that as I build more of a routine and a reliable income, I will be able to find the freedom to continue to write my songs and build a career I can be proud of.
What are your immediate music goals?
My immediate music goals are to learn more about the skill it takes to engineer and produce records while building a new discography of songs to flesh out when I am ready. As of Friday, May 17th, my debut EP Half the Things I Said, which I spent over a year working on, is finally out in the world. This opens up a chance for me to slowly begin figuring out what I want my next project to be about. Right now, I want to focus on making L.A. feel like a home, hone my skills as an engineer and producer, and let the next project idea fall in place as it comes.
Nothing Like Me is a pop-rock anthem with a catchy hook, upbeat feel, and strong vocals that snatch a listener’s attention. Despite its lively sound, I explore more serious themes in this song regarding body insecurity and modern beauty standards. The first verse opens with: “I swear this mirror must be warped / Standing in this department store / Knowing nothing will fit me like the pictures.” The verse sets the stage for “Nothing Like Me,” opening the song with my experience of feeling inferior to other women, especially the beautiful people you see all over social media and the Internet.
“Nothing Like Me” was born after a moment that I’m not very proud of– doing a social media deep dive on my ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, and seeing that she looked nothing like me but everything like the beauty standards I had always wished to achieve. The chorus of this song outlines what I was feeling at that moment: “I don't know what to think anymore / She looks nothing like me / I've been wondering all night long about / That girl on the screen / She looks nothing like me.” The girl on the screen first began as my ex’s new girlfriend, but as I continued to write the song, I began to see more of myself in her.
Writing about this moment made me think back to when I had a much more damaging opinion of myself and my body. My history of unhealthy body image and constant comparison began young, exacerbated by being an early bloomer (yes, I was the first kid in my class to get acne AND to have to get a training bra, and no, I can't remember which was more embarrassing at the time) and a swimmer, where bodies were always on display during training. I became hyper analytic of things that I couldn’t control. Everything from my height, to how my forehead wrinkled around my acne when I spoke, to how my legs looked underwater when I swam, to the thickness of my thighs, waist, and arms were points of contention for years of my life. Thoughts like these are something that so many women (and men) experience, even when we know it isn’t healthy to compare ourselves to each other. We know that other women should be a source of friendship and comfort rather than competition, and when conversing with others, I find most of the time we share this experience-- often criticizing our bodies unfairly while never judging others in a negative light.
Eventually, when it came to my thoughts post-breakup, I stopped thinking about the new girlfriend. I began comparing myself to old pictures of me when I had been in the relationship, going through a futile cycle of trying to see if I had changed or if something could explain why that relationship had gone so sour. Writing “Nothing Like Me” became a very cathartic process, helping me understand my unhealthy thoughts and leading me to replace them with positive ones. Ultimately, I learned that comparing ourselves to how others (or even our past selves) look is pointless. Everyone is unique, and appearance is the least interesting aspect of who we are.
Do you see more studio work in the future?
 |
| Photo: Vince Baur |
You are a graduate of Berklee College of Music. What is the biggest thing you saw Berklee do for your career?
Berklee is the kind of place where you get out of it what you put in. I think the biggest thing it can do for your career, whatever you pursue, always comes from the network of people you meet while studying there. Whether it’s a classmate, professor, band member, work-study employer, or former roommate that ends up bringing you your next opportunity, the Berklee network is massive and can always help you out. When applying for jobs before I first moved to L.A., I made sure to let all of my professors, peers, and bosses know that I was looking for work out there. I actually got my first gig from a “Hey, we’re hiring” story post on a studio’s Instagram account that a former work-study supervisor sent me. You never know what opportunities are hiding in plain sight and what directions they can take you.
Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?
 |
| Photo: Icekcream |
What would you say is your biggest challenge with your music career?
My biggest challenge so far with my music career has been finding ways to grow my credits as a recording engineer while also dedicating time to my artist project. Since moving to L.A. and beginning life as a postgraduate, it has been hard to find the time to write more between job hunting, working at studios, freelancing, and still making time to see friends. I’m also trying to learn how to promote myself and my music effectively without having social media take too much time out of my life. I hope that as I build more of a routine and a reliable income, I will be able to find the freedom to continue to write my songs and build a career I can be proud of.
What are your immediate music goals?
 |
| Photo: Vince Baur |
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Don't forget to stream that EP!
As always, I want to thank Syd for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview.
I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. I would follow her on Instagram, Bandcamp, and Spotify to make sure you don't miss a thing.
Thanks again Syd, and good luck reaching your goals!
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