Listen to the live interview Episode #440 unique music: http://tobtr.com/9845333
GETTING TO KNOW SYDNEY BLAKE
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio
Music has brought me through a serious depression. The minute I started to play and record full time, I came out of that darkness. Now my music collection serves as a timeline for my life and all that I’ve been though. Connecting with others through my music is a heeling moment and I feel very blessed to have that.
San Francisco…
was written after my first West Coast Tour (aptly named “The Long Weekend Tour) that I took with my then producer/ guitarist, Adam Sisco. As the tour name suggested, we took a four day weekend traversing up the 101 and the 5 from LA, playing in various towns all the way up to Sacramento, CA. Along the way, we stayed with friends of friends, fellow musicians, and in a lovely AirBnB 45 minutes outside of San Francisco. Adam was the sort of person who didn’t get a lot of sleep in general, and we had stayed up late a lot on the tour talking to our hosts til the early morning hours. Naturally, when it was my turn to drive, Adam would fall asleep- leaving me alone with my thoughts and the road. Adam was one of those people and friends that knew me like the back of his hand- and it became a running theme and joke along the trip that we knew each other from a past life. Between ghost stories in Sacramento, exploring Haight St, in San Francisco, and the long drives in between, I learned that home was not really a place, but the people you share your time with- thus the song was born.
This particular rendition of the song “San Francisco” was recorded a month or so after “The Long Weekend Tour.” We recorded it live at Adam Sisco’s studio “Studio 52, in San Diego Ca. We then filmed it after the fact, on the studio floor,using the live recording for a dubbing track. It was filmed by Austinn Hernandezwe played a lot with the lighting and atmosphere, but i think the winning effect was the “fog” the guys created using their vape pens.
(link to music video produced at Studio 52, in San Diego)
The music…
I believe listeners can expect a lot of truth from my music. Though the lyrics can be perceived to fit each listener’s understanding, I like to believe that my music resonates with so many because my music stems from some of my deepest moments. My music is often perceived as “light,” and “happy-go-lucky,” because it’s led with ukulele,and pleasant vocals- but the truth of the matter is, my music addresses a lot of feelings everyone goes through, but don’t really know how to talk about. It’s important to talk about our worries and fears, along with our hopes and dreams – music helped save my life because it got me talking about things I didn’t really know how else to convey. If my music can do that for someone else, then I’ve done my job.
I live in Los Angeles…
but I work and thrive in what’s best known as NoHo, or North Hollywood. Living in LA, as you can imagine is wonderful if you’re an outgoing person who is willing to take risks. As the entertainment capital, Los Angeles is inundated with music venues and various music nights and collectives, so as you can imagine it can be a bit overwhelming when you first are getting acclimated. However, once you find your niche and venues that fit your vibe, it is a wonderful city and great scene. Though my music doesn’t really fit into the venues I like to frequent for a night out , one of my favorite venues is The Federal, located in North Hollywood. They have amazing food, drinks, and impeccable music nights.
Music business is tricky…
and I honestly have a love/hate relationship with it. It’s hard to be a “career” musician, because now everyone and anyone can be a “producer,” or “manager,” or whatever thanks to in- home recording and social media- causing the industry to be almost inundated. It makes it hard to get seen, or noticed when there are so many other people to filter through… and for a person like me, knowing that, it caused me a lot of stress and borderlined workaholicism just to deal and cope with that…
However, I love the music industry because there is so much freedom to be yourself and make that work in your favor. There’s no set rules, and when you embrace that, it is
extremely freeing, and allows you to create the thing you love most.
I would love to have 5 minutes with Walt Disney…
Though I know he is long gone, and the name can be rather controversial, I would love to seek his advice on business building, but also staying true to your dreams and staying young at heart. He is a man who went through multiple bankruptcies, and yet built a legacy. Everytime I get the chance to go to Disneyland, I am in awe of what he started, and am reminded to never give up and to keep moving forward.
Social media:
● sydneyblakemusic.bandcamp.com
○ www.facebook.com/sydneyblakemusic
○ www.twitter.com/sydneyblakey
○ www.instagram.com/sydneyblakeofficial
○ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdUGjDMZj1Zmd5YKXLr98H
○ www.sydneyblakeofficial.com