Sylvan Weekends Releases ‘Headlong into the Unknown’
What was the creative process like for this particular EP 'Headlong into the Unknown?'
With our first EP, 'Outliers' we were still figuring out a lot of things about our sound and what type of music we wanted to make. With this EP, our second, we had a better idea of what we wanted to achieve with each track - the feelings we wanted to evoke with each one, the nostalgia we were trying to unlock, and how our particular combination of folkiness (from Matthew) and synthy piano (from Freya) comes together.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this EP?
Matthew and Freya co-wrote and co-produced the songs together - sometimes together in the same room and sometimes sending files back and forth. The title track, “Headlong into the Unknown,” was a really interesting experience - the song started life as a folky gentle song about wild swimming but when Matthew and Freya got together to actually record, it totally transformed. They wrote a new chorus really quickly, changed the vibe of it and it became more energetic and started to represent the excitement of new experiences, and heading towards unknown things... which we feel like we are right now!
What has been one of your favorite memories along the path to making 'Headlong into the Unknown?'
Learning the dance for the Foolhardy (I will never forget this summer) music video was a lot of fun - we were in hysterics the entire time. We had a time pressure before we lost the light as the sun was going down - Matthew's sister Julia had choreographed the dance and was drilling us out in the car park and we kept taking it in turns to mess up - but we got there in the end!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in music?
All of us are lifelong musicians - we've all been playing since we were tiny and in school bands and orchestras, and with our families, and have been in various bands over the years. Matthew is in the folk band Keston Cobblers Club which he created with his sister Julia, and he and Daniel are also in the folk band Stables. Freya had a solo folk project (which Matthew produced), and has been a member of LCV, singing with artists like Imogen Heap and Basement Jaxx - and also has a solo instrumental piano-synth project. So, we've all done tonnes of different things, but there's something really special about Sylvan Weekends - it feels like it's just working in a great way and like our individual styles compliment each other.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
We've just finished a 16-date tour around Germany and we had the absolute best time. Our favourite thing is when we notice people start to really lock into the songs, start moving a little bit because they feel like they need to dance or start to react emotionally - as it means they're understanding the songs how we intended them. We always challenge ourselves to get as many of the audience bopping along with us as we possibly can - it's such a great feeling when the audience comes up afterward to tell you they've had a great time.
