Daisy Tullulah Syron-Russell quite rightly shortened her name for the stage to 'Syron', because lets face it, the full version would be a mouthful. As a graduate of The Brit School, a place for those blessed with the ability to perform, Syron has placed herself as one to watch, boasting masses of cool credibility on the street and a plethora of strong releases to her name.
Her latest single, 'Here', is to be released this week (the video can be seen below) as is sure to be another hit baring her unique vocals and musical tastes in the genre's of house, garage, pop and reggaeton (impossible to say without using the accent).
Syron only made her first visit to Ibiza last year to perform live in Pacha with Tensnake at Defected's party, raving away in the DJ booth as she sang out 'Mainline', she seems to have caught the bug so presume to be seeing more of her this season.
Syron performs at Ministry of Sound for Defected on Saturday 9th Feb – full details here.
Hey, how are you?
"I'm good thanks, how are you?"
Great, cheers. Lets dive right in - So, Syron is an actual part of you real name?
"Yeah, it's my real surname!"
Mine is Chapman... it doesn't really work as well, does it?
"Haha... yeah... it's quite cool..."
I'm not convinced. You have a pretty unique look about yourself as well, so what influence is that in terms of your style?
"I guess it's where I'm from. I'm from South East London, so there's lots of cheap nail shops there - really long, patterned, acrylic nails, Carribean hair shops selling really cheap gold jewellery, that sort of thing... so I always have lots of that on."
Yeah, your nails intimidate me a bit.
"Ha, thanks!"
Obviously you're really young yourself, being only 20 years old, how do you go about getting spotted at such a young age?
"I was 20 a few weeks ago actually!"
Happy Birthday for then!
"Thank you! Well, I went to The Brit School for Sixth Form, and at the end of the year, before I was leaving, there was a showcase I did. That was last year, and someone from my management came and watched it, and from there I started making music and working with them!"
You went to University for a while, but decided it wasn't for you after a month, is that right? I spent years messing about at University doing various different courses, and I often wish I had just got started with work instead. Do you think thats something that all aspiring singers should do, rather than put it off with University - just dive right in?
"I guess it depends on the person. For me I wasn't able to do a degree anyway, because I didn't have grades that would allow me to do a degree. So, I was on a diploma course, and yeah I left after a month! But, I mean, for me, I always felt like there wasn't ever really something that I would want to do, or could really do. There's nothing else I would have been happy doing. So yeah, for me, Uni was a waste of time!"
"A lot of the time if you want to do a creative job, Uni isn't really the best place to be - you learn a lot more actually doing it. I wouldn't say to people not to go, as for some it is the right thing."
Whats exactly goes down at The Brit School? I don't know what I've got in my head, but I don't imagine it's classrooms of 30 people sat down being taught to sing...
"Well, I did Musical Theatre, which included dance, singing and acting, 5 days a week. You have hour lessons, and they are split into dance, singing or acting, and you're in groups for different things. It's really hands on, the teachers are really cool! Most used to be students themselves, so they know what you need from a lesson. It is really cool, and lunch times are pretty crazy! In the canteen it is a little bit like fame academy…"
Haha, I think that's what I had in my head! I didn't want to say it but that's it...
"Yeah, dance jams, people doing pirouettes around the corridors and so on…"
I saw you at your live performace in Ibiza at Defected, performing 'Mainline', it was cool! I've got to say though, I'm not really a huge fan of club PA's, specifically when a singer just sings to a backing track, but it was different with Tensnake as he was all live too. Is that something you like doing?
"Definitely! I just get really into it. I always feel like I'm at a party, because I can dance and get into the song, and Tensnake is great to work with. It was my first first time in ibiza too!"
Well, are you going to come back?
"Definitely, hopefully I'll be back to perform more, maybe even with my band."
So, what is the plan in terms of setting a band up? I've read in various places that you want to get more girls into the band?
"Well, at the moment, we have Midge who DJs the set live and then Grace who plays keyboards and backing vocals. I mean, yeah, it would be great to get more people involved, maybe someone on drums, maybe even someone on guitar. It's cool to do it live, makes it even more fun to have them two on stage with me as well!"
Is this live show something you would bring to Ibiza?
"I'd love to. I don't know what live stuff I'm doing in the summer yet, but hopefully that will be something that I am doing."
So you have this cool relationship with Black Butter Records, as an independent label, and then Defected have really sorted you out. Is working with these labels, that to me come across as very hands on and personal, an advantage to building yourself as an artist?
"Definitely. Working with both Black Butter and Defected, I've got a really good relationship with all the people who work there, they are really personable. You can get to know them on a great level… more like a family, you know? Rather than a big company where you don't know anyone. It's definitely a good way of building relationships - means you're not thrown right in at the deep end, you get to know these people…"
Did they help make the connection between yourself and Tensnake? How did that come about?
"I'd done a song with Solo, who is on Defected as well, before. and then Tensnake heard the song I'd done on Black Butter with Rudimental, and then spoke to them about having me on his track. Because I'd already worked with Defected before with Solo, he just got in contact with my management, and that was that!"
The whole vocal house/garage sound was was massive last season and continues to be so. I see you as a champion of that sound. Do you think are looking for something a bit more musical now?
"Yeah, definitely, I think so. I'm hoping that it does continue that way, as that's certainly what I'm into. The nights in london I go to are always sort of garage and house nights too. I guess because for my age group garage was about when I first started going out, it was mainly what I listened to, and my friends as well. So it's cool that that sound is about a lot now."
Some people seem to describe, or make links, to some of what you have created as being 'pop' influenced. You never really seemed to appreciate that connection. Is that something that bothers you?
"I personally wouldn't say that it is pop music that I'm making. But, I think that pop influences are there in my music, and as I release more music I might have even more pop influences that come through... But you should always keep references in there that aren't too poppy."
I just find it really accessible to be honest. Some 'underground' music can take it away from some people, and pop the opposite, where supposedly cool people don't like it. I think what you create is something that everyone can appreciate.
"Thank you! I hope so too, I'd like to think it would appeal to people who do like pop music and then also people that can appreciate more undergournd music..."
I just wanted to talk about the process for writing the music. Are you one to just remove yourself from all distraction to write, or something you do on the bus?
"I'll have ideas for songs wherever I am, and I'll always jot them down on my phone... things like that. I usually just write in the studio though, whoever I'm working with will just leave me for a bit and I can write the song. I mean, I don't really go off on my own completely! But it is easier to maybe sit on my own and think about it for a while."
Is it always personal stories to whats happened in your life, or is it just making a story up?
"I always write about things that have happened to me, my friends, or other people i know. I think I can sing songs better that are more personal to me or I know the actual story behind it. Usually from things that have happened to me, my friends or family or something I've seen happen, things like that."
What about the producing side? You obviously sing on the tracks, but how involved in the producing side are you?
"Well, the producer I work with, and the producer I'll be working with on the album, is someone I work with quite closely, so in the studio they already know the sound that I'm looking for, but I'll sit with my manager and then we can discuss the track before, and go over everything."
So you get to develop it as well...
"Yeah! But the producer I'm working with at the moment, I'm really into their stuff anyway. So the kind of music I make is music I would listen to and want to write to anyway."
You mentioned briefly about the album before, what more can you tell us? you've a new track out for it this month right…?
"Yeah my second single 'Here' comes out in middle of March."
Who's involved with this new track then?
"That was produced by Dan Dare and Zdot and Txts has done extra production on it."
So, will this be in a similar vain to 'Mainline'?
"It is still quite similar, its got more R&B influence, but you've still got garage and house influences. Its a nice happy song!"
And what about the album sound wise?
"The album throughout will have a lot of house and garage influence, with a few little surprises in there that people wouldn't expect, with a lot of R&B."
Cool, so can we expect all new music, or will you inlude the singles you've released already?
"Both 'Breaking' and the single in march, 'Here', will be on the album, and 'Waterproof', which I put online and will be on iTunes as a free download in a couple of weeks."
