Make sure to listen to “Stay Broke” and let me know what you think in the comments!
First of all, please introduce yourself? How did you get into music?
Hi! I’m Sykamore, a country artist based in Nashville Tennessee. I first got into music at school and church as a young kid, and borrowing albums from my friends. When I got a little older I started writing my own songs about my life and decided it was something I wanted to do with my life. I got my big chance to move to Nashville after getting noticed on Twitter, and shortly after I was lucky enough to sign a record deal.
What musical genres or artists inspire you?
I have a wide range of influences – I’m very inspired by storytelling in country music, as well as the daring soundscapes of pop and singer songwriter styles. Some of my favorite artists are Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, George Strait, Keith Urban and LIGHTS.
What was your favorite person to work with? What did you learn from them?
I love working with my vocal producer, Bobby Campbell. I write a lot of songs with him and we work together in studio all the time. He is a wonderful collaborator and has taught me the importance of keeping it simple, letting the melodies speak for themselves and playing to your strengths.
Let’s talk about your single “Stay Broke”. What is it about?
Stay Broke is a song I wrote about young love – and that feeling you get when you are unapologetically falling for someone. The idea that even if loving that person makes you broken, you’d rather not be fixed.
You mention that the song is a “John-Hughes-Inspired Track”. Could you elaborate on this more?
I styled it after some of his iconic movies from the 1980’s like Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles, hoping it could be a song that would be played at a high school dance during a romantic, cheesy moment. I think there is something so pure and epic about those scenes, and I just wanted the song to match that energy.
Who did you work with this song?
I worked on this song with my producer, Michael Knox. I’ve worked with him on all the songs I’ve put out this year and they stem from a larger body of work I hope to put out in the near future. Michael is great at giving songs that powerful punch that makes them really memorable and I think we achieved that on Stay Broke.
How was the creation of this song? Did you have a certain idea in mind when creating it?
Yeah, I think it circles back to that idea of those 80’s coming of age films – I wanted a song that really captures that essence of young love, the one that’s portrayed so clearly in that genre.
What do you want people to listen to in your music?
I hope my music evokes emotions that are real for people and in this case maybe nostalgic. I hope when they hear this song that maybe it takes them back to their first love or first dance.
What are your future plans?
It’s hard to make definitive plans during a pandemic, but my hopes are that I get to play on stage again soon, and put out the rest of my finished music!
Finally, do you have any messages for the readers of ai love music?
Thanks for taking a second to get to know me! You can follow my social handles to stay up to date on new music and shows!
About the Artist: Sykamore
Drawing inspirations from George Strait to George Michael and Shania Twain to Lana Del Rey, Sykamore’s mixture of humor and heart is a fixture in her writing, which lives for sly wordplay and lyrical winks. Last year she released her five-song escape, California King, produced by ACM Award-winning producer Michael Knox (Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson).
Originally discovered via Twitter by veteran songwriter Rhett Akins, the vulnerable lyricist has shared bills with artists ranging from Miranda Lambert to Josh Ritter, and she was recently named a CMT 2020-2021 “Listen Up” Artist.
