Syd Taylor Found Her Own Voice
In conversation with Pleaser Magazine, Taylor highlights her departure from duo group, Stereo Jane, and how the move inspired her debut solo record After the Fact. We also got the chance to see her live at Irving Plaza in New York City, opening for Goldie Boutilier!
PHOTOS BY EMMA FISCHER
As obvious as it may sound, independence is the key to finding yourself. Independence from influence, from friends, and sometimes, even from family. That was the case for Sydney Taylor Schmier, who recently debuted her solo project, Syd Taylor, after the departure from her band Stereo Jane, a duo project with her fraternal twin sister Emilia. I grew up with a twin too, an identical twin sister. Yes, we are best friends and we do a lot together and I love her dearly, but there were many years where I struggled to feel like my own person. I was automatically tethered to her, lumped together like saying one name without the other was an act of treason.
Taylor had a similar experience, but hers was amplified because she and Emilia shared a musical outlet. The two started playing instruments when they were five, and Stereo Jane took shape when they were just eight-years-old. Their dad took on the role as manager, further muddying their relationships and tracking from family to co-workers. “Being a twin and being in a band made it impossible to find out who we were,” Taylor told Pleaser. After the ending of Stereo Jane, Taylor said it feels like she and Emilia are sisters for the first time. “We were afraid of what it meant to not be in the band together, but it’s the best thing we could’ve done for our relationship,” she continued.
Taylor released her first record as a solo artist on June 25, 2020, with After the Fact. She said the prescribed nature of writing for Stereo Jane weighed heavily on her, as the creation process felt like trying to fit pieces of a puzzle together that just wouldn’t connect. “I was writing songs to please other people, my sister, my dad, other industry people we were working with. It just didn’t feel like me.” The environment was like a pressure cooker, and once the top blew and she was on her own, things came together quickly.
The themes of After the Fact touch on Taylor’s experience with finding her own sound and the confidence to discover who Syd Taylor is without the influence of family or other external sources. One track that speaks directly to her finding her independence is “Jane.” Aptly named to reflect her time in the band, the track speaks sweetly but firmly about her need for independence, while also highlighting the closeness she and her sister still share. The softness of the guitar and her voice represent Taylor’s desire to avoid strife in her departure, but the lyrics emphasize her need to escape to find her truest form. The first verse sings,
I know you were thinkin' that I'd never leave /
But my time was running out, and I had to be me /
Two apples trying to fall far from the tree /
Same but so different now, and you don't disagree
The chorus reiterates the relationship the two will always share, “Jane, you're on my mind / I think about our memories when I fall asleep at night.”
Pleaser also got the chance to catch “Jane” live on Friday, March 6 at the iconic Irving Plaza. Taylor shimmered and shined on stage in her silver sequin gown, bringing all eyes to her as she performed eight songs out of her 12 track album. For “Jane,” the lights were down low and the three-person band of a drummer and keyboard / guitar player were tamped down, keeping the focus on Taylor’s voice. As the third-to-last song on the setlist, “Jane” slowed things down before the final rock-heavy tracks, “You’re a Woman” and “Heaven,” closed out her set.
Her third single release in preparation for the full album, “Heaven” focuses on the confidence Taylor gained in the wake of her departure from Stereo Jane. “It was a confidence that was always there but needed to come out, needed a push,” she said in our interview. The chorus summarizes that feeling, doting on Taylor’s celestial energy.
Open the door, I could be your heaven /
Give me some more, more of your affection /
You'll never find somebody like me /
I'm the girl, I'm the girl of your dreams /
Open the door, I could be your heaven
Sonically, the track begins with an etherial, almost ambient sound: a kick drum and guitar. The sparse instrumentals allow listeners to really hone in on Taylor’s voice, carrying the emotional energy of the piece. This truly is a cannon event for a Syd Taylor track, boasting meaningful melodies powered by the layers of her voice. Simultaneously soft with a nuanced edge and flair, her voice is distinguishable due to its natural rasp and delicate undertones.
The fourth track on the setlist was another After the Fact hit and one of my favorites, “Leave Me Out of It.” Another track oozing with Taylor’s quintessential confidence, the song describes a man (boy) who is two timing, and Taylor is not having any of it. She describes herself as the “rarest diamond you could ever adore,” then goes into the details of the situation at hand,
You want me to be your girl /
While you're still playing with another /
And you want me to be your world /
While she's still underneath your covers
Unacceptable. With newfound clarity in her self-assured nature, Taylor won’t put up with being a side character any time soon. And while hearing “Leave Me Out of It” live was epic, the music video for the song draws heavily on its enthusiasm, energy and charm. Generally, Taylor said her music videos were made with her own two hands, a way to demonstrate her own power and authenticity in her craft. Her three-word mantra for creating her visual world was, iconically, "bitchy, kitchy, and trippy.” Continuing, she says, “It was about having fun and being confident.”
Coming back to the “Leave Me Out of It” video, Taylor said it was the craziest one she created. The production is stop-motion, with images of Taylor shuffling in and out of a checkerboard background. If you know anything about stop-motion, or have seen the ICarly episode where Spencer creates his alien masterpiece movie that gets ruined, you know how challenging this video format can be. She reached out to a few friends to help her with the task, but it was still a feat, “We worked on it for at least 50 hours.” The video also marked an achievement for Taylor, it was something she never thought she would do. And yet, she did it, which is part of the new era of Syd Taylor: Fearless, Confident, and Multi-talented.
Back on stage at Irving Plaza, Taylor played an unreleased track called “Movie Star,” that will debut with the deluxe version of After the Fact. Because it’s unreleased, I won’t give too much away, just make sure to keep an eye on her Spotify page (or see a live show!). Taylor will be supporting Boutilier until April 4, so you have until then to catch her. Don’t miss out!
