Chaos, Expensive Jeans and a Lot of E – An Interview with Sylvie’s Head

You describe the album as ”A narcotic correction of the reverberating sonic solstice.” What does that actually mean to you – and do you almost have to be a little dancefloor-destroyed to fully understand it?

It’s about exploring the limits of human consciousness, for everyone’s sake. No other musicians dare to do it anymore, they’re as cowardly and ignorant as the people they allow themselves to be controlled by.

It feels like your music is sometimes more about the body than the brain. Is it important for you that the music is felt before it’s understood?

Like, music is about sound. Something we can all feel.

Your songs often feel like they’re about to fall apart – but right before everything collapses they find their way back to the rhythm again. Is that chaos something you actively chase?

No, we try to play as tight as possible.

”Everything Is Free” is a title that feels both liberating and pretty dark at the same time. What does it mean to you?

Everything is free. We are all free. That’s probably what I wanted to say.

There’s something very intense and almost manic about your songs. Is Sylvie’s Head a way to release things that otherwise don’t have room to exist?

Without the rehearsal space I have nowhere to put my guitar. It’s good to have as extra storage.

How much of your music is born in the rehearsal room and how much is built in the studio?

We don’t record in a studio.

If the debut album had been a physical place – what would it have looked like?

Like a nice park – with a fountain.

Your live shows already seem to have become a huge part of the hype around the band. Do you feel like Sylvie’s Head really has to be experienced live to be fully understood?

It’s enough if you follow us on Instagram.

Has there been a show so far where you felt: ”Okay, now it’s really happening”?

When Victor sucked on a stump in Wales.

You sound like a band that could just as easily have come from a sweaty club in Berlin as from Gothenburg. How much are you influenced by club culture and electronic music?

We all grew up inside a sweaty club in Berlin, so there you have it.

There’s a pretty uncompromising energy in what you do. Have you been told you should tone certain things down to become more ”accessible”?

Yes, there’s constant pressure, mainly from the audience.

The Manifest nomination in ”Best in Rock” almost feels ironic considering you pull in so many other directions than traditional rock. Do you even feel at home in the rock scene?

There are no bands playing traditional rock anymore, maybe the Stones, though they lean more toward a show these days. We love rock.

A lot of new bands feel very visually and musically thought-through from the start. How conscious are you about your aesthetic and identity?

We shower and comb our hair before every show. There’s always an ulterior motive behind that.

Which song on the album says the most about who Sylvie’s Head are right now?

None, you’ll have to listen to the next record.

And which song was the hardest to get right?

Hound Dog.

It feels like you’re driven a lot by speed and impulse. Is there any fear in slowing down?

Yes. We stay away from rest.

What does the relationship between control and total chaos look like when you create music?

They like each other. We think. Sometimes maybe. Not always. It’s complicated, as they say.

You flirt a lot with Norse mythology and mythological imagery. What do the Vikings mean to you?

They obviously mean everything. Where would we be without them? Nowhere probably.

What do you hope people feel after hearing ”Everything Is Free” for the first time?

Like they’ve just been chased through the forest by 50,000 bears.

If someone has never heard Sylvie’s Head before and can only hear one song – which one should they start with?

I don’t know, what do you think? Maintainer probably.

What were you listening to yourselves during the recording of the album?

The shitty band in the rehearsal space next door. Damn they’re messy. And Ken Ring, he records there sometimes. We think he’s awesome. Free Ken Ring.

Is there any artist or scene you feel especially related to?

African tribal rituals.

What do you want Sylvie’s Head to be in five years?

Pandrogynous.

And finally – when everything moves too fast, everything distorts and everything is about to derail… what still keeps the band together?

Expensive jeans.

Your songs can sometimes feel difficult, sometimes completely obvious. Would you like to share which chords you’ve used?

There’s a lot of E.