I was lucky enough to chat with Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn of Sylvan Esso to talk about their fourth album, No Rules Sandy, which was released on August 12th.
Interview with Sylvan Esso
While the album has been received well by both critics and fans, ironically, Sylvan Esso was not intentionally set out to make an album when they started working on songs.
"We were driving out to California to do some songwriting sessions but also because the Grammy's were at the end of the month and we wanted a change of pace. So the record itself appeared once the Omicron spiked and everything got cancelled". – Meath
"The album told us it was an album. We were making all these songs and they were coming so easily…it felt very unexpectedly natural…there was almost no premeditation it was almost more about 'how do we feel today?' 'what is this song gonna be like?' and once we got to the end of all that we realized we had this set of songs that felt very much like this exact moment that we were in and probably because it was made so fast, without any preconception of what we wanted to do, we just did what felt right on each given day". – Sanborn
A New Start For Sylvan Esso
While their previous three albums have been described as a trilogy, Meath had described this album as a clean slate.
"With Free Love we knew we needed to go in a different direction and No Rules Sandy appeared. It's like us cracking our knuckles or something…it's like a new try at a thing we've been doing for a while, but it does feel completely different to me". -Meath
"It just feels like we're at a new chapter in our lives…we needed to find a new way to be a band…the last record really felt like we kinda closed the door on a lot of things…we ended a thing, it felt complete…[with this record] what is the next thing gonna be about, how do we make music now…you have to find a way to reinvent your creative projects because you yourself are changing as a personal".- Sanborn
What Came First, The Chicken Or The Egg? Or In This Case, Was It The Lyrics Or The Music?
Although when they began writing, Meath and Sanborn were not setting out to make an album, their process remained true to their roots.
"Everything was an improvisation, so we were initially doing both things at the same time. I write lyrics and melody in the moment at the same time and Sandy had brought this incredible flexible patch…"Sunburn" I wrote the whole thing and then I came and banged what I wanted the beat to be to Nick and you can hear it still in that song". – Meath
"Us trying to react to the other one and do something that will inspire the other one…there's never like a set way to do it because if we have a set way to do it it would become boring really quickly". -Sanborn
Album Flow
When it comes to the tone of the album, starting with "Moving" and ending with "Coming Back To You," you can feel a tonal shift, something that Sylvan Esso said just had happened that way.
"To me when e got those two songs, "Moving" and "Coming Back To You", "Moving" we immediately knew that was gonna be the first song just because it's the thing that pulls somebody from whatever they were just doing into the rest of the album…
pulling them through this narrative, that from my perspective, is so much about the last little while and having them coming out the other side "Coming Back To You" which feels so much more like a meditation. I would love for this album to leave someone feeling better then it found them". -Sanborn
Like any artist, the order of the album's tracklist is a crucial component of the band.
"Usually we know what's going to be the end and the beginning and then we like to know what's going to be the opening of the B side. I also try to pay attention to the seventh track on the record, it's like the end of an article, you know someone's gotten that far they're really with you". -Meath
"It's kinda the subtle push pull of the best way to show somebody what you've done".- Sanborn
What's Next For Sylvan Esso?
In terms of next steps for Sylvan Esso, the possibilities are limitless.
"I don't know what the next thing is gonna be now and I felt like I've always had an idea…and now in a really fun way I have no idea what we're gonna do and it feels like free and open and full of possibility". -Sanborn
Aside from interviewing, Sylvan Esso was also kind enough to break down a few of their songs from No Rules Sandy with me, so let's get into it!
"Moving" Full Lyrics
How can I be moved
When everything is moving
How can I be moved
When everything is moving
When everything is moving
When everything is moving
When everything is moving
When everything moves
Pitching back, rolling in
Another day turning still
It is time, death is near
Cram the night with feelings
'Cause how can I be moved
When everything is moving
How can I be moved
When everything is moving
When everything is moving
When everything is moving
When everything is moving
When everything moves
Shake my head 'til a new one comes
Shake my head 'til a new one comes
Shake my head 'til a new one comes again
Shake my head 'til a new one comes
Shake my head 'til a new one comes
Shake my head 'til a new one comes again
How can I be moved
When everything is moving
How can I be moved
When everything is moving
When everything is moving
When everything is moving
When everything is moving
When everything moves
"Moving" Lyrics Analysis
"I'm the proudest of "Moving" in terms of lyric writing cause it has the most, I think it's the most concise line I've ever written, 'how can I be moved when when everything is moving'. I've always in general been kinda obsessed with this idea of like resting or when I finally get enough rest I'll be able to appreciate what's happening around me, which I don't think is actually true…
the only time I've ever really be able to appreciate my life and what's happening is one of those strange moments that usually happens when you're in the museum or a moment when you're like within art, where all of a sudden everything's closed down and you can like feel your skin in the air and your breathing and you're seeing everything that's happening…
I wanted to talk about that feeling, particularly right now it feels like there's no way to slow down…because when you're doing everything you wanna keep feeling more and more". – Meath
"Echo Party" Full Lyrics
Never staying in at night
I keep banging, cuming right
Never faking
Satisfied
Watch me move I'm looking fine
Empty highways open streets
No one out here in this heat
Underground is where they'll be
Waiting waiting
Just for me
There's a lot of people dancing downtown
Yeah we all fall down
But some stay where they got dropped
It's an echo party ringing all around
Yeah you can't play it down
But you want it to feel right now
Follow follow
One-two-three
Down the tunnel past the stream
If you see them leave them be
Let the echo guide your feet
There's a lot of people dancing downtown
Yeah we all fall down
But some stay where they got dropped
It's an echo party ringing all around
Yeah you can't play it down
But you want it to feel right now
Sylvan Esso Talk New Album No Rules Sandy and Song Breakdowns in Latest Interview
Finding Music For An Organic House DJ Set: How All Day I Dream's Layla Benitez Does Her Cratedigging
Lessons I Learned After Throwing My First Dance Music Event and Party
There's a lot of people dancing downtown
Yeah we all fall down
But some stay where they got dropped
It's an echo party ringing all around
Yeah, you can't play it down
But you want it to feel right now
There's a lot of people
There's a lot of people
I know, know
I know
I know, know
I know
I know, know
I know
I know, know
There's a lot of people
I had a dream there was a field of flowers
And everyone was like you and I
There were so many
I was among them
And I was waving as you walked by
By, by, by, by, by, by, by, by, by
By, by, by, by, by, by, by, by, by
By, by, by, by, by, by, by, by, by
By, by, by, by, by, by, by, by, by
By, by, by, by, by, by, by, by, by
By, by, by, by, by, by, by, by, by
By, by, by, by, by, by, by, by, by
There's a lot of people dancing downtown
Yeah, we all fall down
But some stay where they got dropped
It's an echo party ringing all around
Yeah, you can't play it down
But you want it to feel right now
There's a lot of people dancing downtown
Yeah, we all fall down
But some stay where they got dropped
It's an echo party ringing all around
Yeah, you can't play it down
But you want it to feel right now
"Echo Party" Lyric Analysis
"The chorus I wanted to talk about living through a pandemic and being bored and tired and wanting to rave and rage and have a good time and so I wrote about a fictional dance party, the coolest dance party, the one that you see in teen movies and you're like 'woah I wanna go to this' and also the weird nature of having so many people I know had lost people that they loved because of this pandemic that we're still in.
Less people in America and in the world then there used to be, so I wanted to talk about how the dance floor is emptier, which is why there's an echo". – Meath
"Coming Back To You" Full Lyrics
I'm on a ribbon of concrete
I am a blurred shot
A bright streak
Coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm on the ocean
I'm out to sea
I know my fortune
It's you and me
Coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I am the sound
The one you think
The one you can't find
The one you need
I'm eighty-five
I'm sixteen
I am a mother
A baby
Coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I am the root
I am the leaf
I am the big tree
You grew beneath
Coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
Back to you
I'm on an airplane
I'm in a boat
I'm in a car now
I'm losing control
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back to you
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Back to you
I'm coming back to you
I'm coming back
I'm coming back
I'm coming back
I'm coming back-ack
To you
"Coming Back To You" Lyrics Analysis
"It's definitely a love song, and it's about coming back to the person you love or them coming back to you, but you're coming back to them even though you haven't moved at all. Also it's kind of about dying, which is my favorite way to talk about love.
To me it's about the vision, like how no matter what you're always coming back because you know, everything is everything".- Meath
