Sycco: 'Let's Normalise Nature Breaks'
Introducing our first collaboration with Future Classic
Over the past 15 years, Australian record label Future Classic has established itself as something of a global phenomenon, gifting us the music of Flume, Flight Facilities, Hayden James, G Flip, Methyl Ethel, Chet Faker and heaps more. We've always been huge fans of what they do, so we were stoked when they reached out early last year to discuss how nature sessions could benefit their artist roster creatively and psychologically, particularly those starting out during the pandemic.
Brisbane's Sycco (Sash McLeod) is one of fc's newer signings and already destined for very big things. Last year, while much of the country was in lockdown, she managed to sneak away to Unyoked locations in Byron and Noosa, seeking inspiration for her creative process at a time when touring was all but off the table.
Away from Instagram feeds and expectation, immersed in the beauty of nature, Sash found herself coming up with new ideas, which she channelled into a fresh interpretation of label mate Flume's classic breakout single 'Sleepless.' We've joined forces with Future Classic to release this on a limited 7" vinyl, which you can grab HERE. Read on to discover why Sash thinks all artists should make a habit of spending time in the wilderness and how birdsong became her new favourite soundtrack.
So tell me about the last year. We were obviously in lockdown, but you’ve been really busy. Have you found that kind of stressful or enjoyable, having a lot going on?
The past year’s been confusing because it’s been on and off; you’re in the zone, doing everything and then you get taken out of it and you get lost. It’s been confusing; I think that’s the word for the year.
I think that’s very appropriate. So in a normal environment, do you find it difficult to switch off? You mentioned being ‘yoked to your mind’ before. Is that something you have to work on?
I definitely learnt that I’ve had to have a quite habitual routine to keep my mind at ease and keep things running at a smooth level line, otherwise I just go into a little hole (laughs).
It gets a little too psychedelic?
Yeah, way too psychedelic!
What sort of stuff do you do to keep yourself on that habitual level? I would say I try to meditate or even do some sort of meditative practice like washing the dishes and being present while doing it. Or cooking dinner and eating healthy. Just really separating the work from me.
I also find that about cooking but never with washing the dishes!
You should try it! So you’ve been out to Unyoked twice - you’re pretty much the only person that has been able to do that in the last 12 months! You said that it was one of the highlights of your year. Tell us about it, what did you really enjoy about going out there?
Going to Unyoked was like..I think everyone should experience it. You’re so disconnected and you realise how simple things could be and how happy you are just doing simple things. Like making a fire; that’s something we don’t really get to do. You just get so in it and you’re like ‘I made that!’ and it’s so beautiful and special and you watch it burn. There’s so many different messages in it all.
I had this revelation when I was making the fire that you have to constantly keep transforming everything and adding blocks so they burn. It’s like our inner worlds, we do inner work and then we need to transform, and add new blocks.
Escaping out into nature is so special because it reminds me that I’m just a little speck in the universe, just doing my own thing. We’re all doing our own things just trying to live our own little lives...
Do you normally get to go into nature very much? Or is this the first time you’ve done it properly?
I reckon properly on my own, yeah. My Dad lives out a bit in the valley and going to the beach is always cleansing, but especially this year it felt really necessary and I was always ready for Unyoked to happen again.
You mentioned building fires. What else did you do with your nature sessions?
Lots of music, lots of working out what the clouds were saying and doing. I thought I was a tree at one point. I also loved waking up and seeing nature. It’s so special, it makes you feel so connected and a part of it and grateful to be there with all the trees.
Did you have curtains on your windows?
No. Never any curtains!
That’s good. Waking up with the sun and going to sleep with the stars is incredible.
Yeah! And you take that with you when you leave because I had such a good sleep schedule. My circadian sleep rhythm would be trained and I’d be waking up at 5am after Unyoked. It was amazing, I got so much done!
How did you feel to be out of phone reception?
When you’re there, if you’re present, you don’t even think about it. It would be hard if you weren’t, because Instagram is a whole other world. But I thought it was really nice and necessary to have that cleanse.
So this Flume track is a classic. Your take on it was really different. We had an idea of how you would attack it but you came at it in a completely different way. What inspired that?
I was really confused [at the start] because that song is amazing and so Flume. I didn’t really know how to take it anywhere else. I knew I wanted to say certain stuff because Unyoked helped me realise so many things. It was honestly really hard to do!
When you say you wanted to say certain things, what were they?
It was about the 9 to 5, we’re all sleeping kind of thing. There’s so much nature around is that we don’t even recognise or look to for help or bringing so much joy. That’s what I liked about the song.
I think we are all such workhorses and we all just need and deserve a break! It would be really lovely to normalise breaks and just having fun.
How does the new track make you feel when you listen to it?
It makes me reflect on what it’s like to be so muddled up and confused about where to go for help and joy. I think it just reminds me of nature and looking to that for guidance and beauty!
I loved what you said earlier to us about feeling small out there and having that realisation that you were just a tiny little speck. Can you talk to us about that?
Escaping out into nature is so special because it reminds me that I’m just a little speck in the universe, just doing my own thing, we’re all doing our own things just trying to live our own little lives.
Did it give you some good clarity to write some new music?
Yeah, it definitely gave me so much clarity coming back home to write new music. I realised that all my creative processes from before sort of dissipated. I realised I wanted to be free and let what came to me in that moment flow.
You mentioned to me on email that you wanted to ‘normalise taking a break’ which I thought was really cute. Do you think more artists should do that? You’re collaborating with a lot of other musicians now; is this something you’d recommend they do?
I would recommend this to artists but I would also recommend it to everybody, because I think we are all such workhorses and we all just need and deserve a break! I think it would be really lovely to normalise breaks and just having fun.
A lot of musicians we send out to Unyoked talk about the sounds the tune into, like insects or birds or rain. Was there anything you were vibing out there?
I heard so many sounds when I went to Unyoked, especially on the Noosa trip. There were so many birds and I think that’s one of the special things about those locations - so many birds! And they talk, they sing and they yap, but they’re so beautiful. You do pause the music because you just want to listen to it and I never pause music.
Future Classic is obviously an amazing Australian label with a big history, you must be excited to be part of that. How do you envisage this track being received by your audience?
I would like for this Sleepless track to be listened to when you’re in your room, staring at the ceiling, pondering on life and reflecting on things. I think maybe it would be a step for the next path or the next thing to do, changing things up and going outside.
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Sycco's cover of Sleepless is available as an exclusive 7" through Future Classic and Unyoked. Get your copy here.