After taking some time away from music and relocating from Dallas to New York City, Sydney Sherrill quickly became every girl’s 2000s bubblegum indie-rock dream. Her pink, NYC party-girl aesthetic exudes confidence, and we cannot get enough. Blending her sweet and honey-like vocals with guitar-centric rock instrumentals, Sherrill’s sound allows the audience to unwrap all things sweet and sour.
With the release of her EP Live Me Down, Sherrill has put herself on the map as a new artist to absolutely fall in love with. Celebrating its release, Sherill joined Garrett Elias and True Jackson to debut the collection of songs live in New York City. Throughout the five-track EP, Sherrill serves us raw emotion coated in sugar — hitting our taste buds in all the right ways.
The opening track “Hard Candy” takes us through Sherrill’s experience with a past relationship and her conflicting feelings. True to the title, this track unfolds like a piece of hard candy — tough on the outside with an addictively sweet taste that can leave the mouth feeling raw. Pairing this track with an electric guitar instrumental scattered in the background allows her true emotions to shine and her angst to the forefront of the track.
“Hard candy / Teeth rotten / But I still keep you in my pocket / Hard candy / Wallflower / It was sweet until it got sour”
Despite the relationship having its sour moments, Sherrill still holds on to those sweet memories. Comparing the relationship to hard candy creates the illustration that Sherrill, despite having negative experiences, chooses to outweigh the downsides and live through an optimistic lens. Throughout the EP, Sherill does not shy away from sharing her true feelings. Her genuine and honest lyricism allows for audiences to relate with her work, creating a connection between artist and listener.
Released as a single leading up to the EP, the third track “Closer” follows a similar narrative. Underneath Sherrill’s mellow and captivating vocals, this track details what she feels as a possible one-sided attraction to a lover. The pain in her voice is unmistakable, adding an extra layer of raw authenticity to the track.
“Don’t let me make up your mind / ‘Cause from here I feel just fine / When the curtain falls / You’ll read the writing on the walls / Are we closer / Closer to nothing at all”
Sherill’s use of the idiom “writing on the walls” expresses her knowledge that the connection is not going to end well — but that is okay for her. She wants to let this individual know she is here for them — through all the good, the bad and the ugly. Throughout the track, her soothing vocals and angry grunge instrumentals seamlessly blend together to convey every feeling and emotion she holds for this situation. It is a beautiful combination of devotion and real life, Sherill doing her best to keep the connection alive.
In contrast to the other tracks on the EP, the closer “Here I Am,” allows Sherill to trade her grungy aesthetic for a more stripped-down and solemn melody. The swap to an acoustic guitar allows for Sherrill’s vocals to become the shining star, introducing listeners to another side of her. The previous track “If I Can Last” also embraces the acoustic musicality, before building back up to the electric instrumentals that we have grown to know and love throughout this musical collection.
Following her rebrand, Sydney Sherrill is set for success; not just in the NYC music scene, but across the globe. Her bold and authentic lyricism, captivating vocals and shocking electric instrumentals leave her with the perfect ingredients to create the sweetest of treats, leaving us salivating for more.
Keep up with Sydney Sherrill:
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