Revisiting Shadows: Sonny Syd's 'Try Again in Green' Weaves Nostalgia and Hope Through Music

Photo Credit: Callum McGuiness

London-based folk artist Sonny Syd unveils his latest single, ‘Try Again in Green,’ a reflective piece that draws inspiration from early childhood memories, set against the backdrop of vibrant, overgrown gardens and cherished family moments. This nostalgic track, recorded in Hackney with Callum McGuinnes of State 51 in October 2023, delves into the complexities of reminiscing about youth, capturing both the warmth and shadows of the past in vivid colors and emotional depth.

‘Try Again in Green’ represents Sonny's journey through the murkiness of memory, using shades of blues and purples to symbolize the mixed emotions tied to his early experiences. The song poses a poignant question: if we had the chance to revisit our past, could we paint it in a different hue, perhaps in green, to alter its essence or improve upon it? This narrative is deeply personal to Sonny, reflecting a thoughtful exploration of his own childhood and the possibility of change. Despite coming from a musical background, Sonny only began his songwriting career in his 20s, teaching himself guitar and embracing his vocal talents. With two singles already under his belt, produced by Alice Western, and drawing influence from folk legends and contemporary artists like Lianne La Havas and Sasami, Sonny Syd's work is a testament to collaboration and the power of music to explore and express life's intricate tapestries.

1. Sonny, your latest single "Try Again in Green" delves into the nostalgic memories of childhood with a rich tapestry of imagery and emotions. Can you share with us the inspiration behind choosing green as the metaphorical color to represent a new perspective or change in revisiting these memories?

Thinking back to when I wrote the song, which I believe was sometime around november 2022, It was actually born from the title; for some reason I had the phrase 'Try Again in Green' in my head and then I suppose I wove the song around this, using the lyrics to explore a particular time and place  (the place being the house I was born into and that me and my older sister part-way grew up in) and then applying the title back to the lyrics. The garden of this house has a particular hold on my memories so that was the first connection to the word 'Green' residing around the idea of 'the grass being greener..' as well as the ever changing colour of the walls inside the house; referred to in the 3rd verse by the line; "on blue and purple walls", which is perhaps the second connection (they were never painted green, but could they have been given another chance?). The dominating colour of the song and those memories for me is sort of a blue/purple - lots of lavender in the garden too!. Green seemed like an appropriate choice, a hopeful choice to veer away from the colours I was relating to those particular memories, not good nor bad though, just the curiosity of having a different perspective. 

2. Having collaborated with members from Penelope Isles and Route 500, as well as having Callum McGuinnes at the helm of production, how do these collaborations shape the sound and feel of "Try Again in Green"? What do you believe each contributor brought to the table in the creation of this single?

Well I've not long been playing solo and less so with other people, so it was really important to have people that I felt comfortable around and both Joe (drums), Dina (bass guitar) and Callum (production) are just great. I owe it to Joe really for initially approaching me at a gig saying he'd happily play drums anytime and then more so for helping me rally up some other great musicians (we've played a live line up including Nijuu, who is another incredible artist, on keys). Dina brought just a real coolness to the session, completely masking the fact that it was the first time she had ever recorded, and Joe made easy work of the drums, at one point falling down a rabbit hole of the percussive instruments that lined the walls - he recorded a couple of layers of percussion, with shakers and anything that jangled and bonged, which gave some nice layers and textures to the recording.

It was my first time recording with Callum Mcguiness but after having a pre production meeting with him he just felt like an old friend! He had some really great input and ideas; helping me to get out of my comfort zone and try different things - giving the song space to form into something that I had not envisioned - from a little acoustic demo - to what it is now.

3. You've mentioned that your musical journey started in earnest in your 20s when you began teaching yourself guitar and singing. How has your late start in music and the process of self-discovery influenced your songwriting and the themes you explore in your music?

I'm not far off 25 now and at first I did feel I had started late, however now I feel I started at just the right time. I had tried to learn guitar growing up and but couldn't get past playing 'mary had a little lamb' (I can't play this anymore) but picking it up again at 20 was almost a necessity, I didn't quite realise it at the time, but it gave me something to put a bit of faith into at a time when I wasn't quite sure where I was headed- I made sure I played every morning and night for the first 2 years for fear that I'd forget how to play if I missed a day - fortunately now I can put a bit more faith into muscle memory and not worry so much about skipping a day. Songwriting has been a great tool in helping myself to ask and answer a lot of questions about things that usually I wouldn't know how to approach but more so It's just really good fun.

4. Your work has been compared to current folk artists like Oscar Browne and Naima Bock, and you're clearly making waves in what's being described as a folk boom. How do you see yourself fitting into the contemporary folk scene, and what unique elements do you think you bring to it?

Folk music has been a sort of sound track throughout my life as it is something my parents have always played so it's lovely to see it having a bit of a resurgence, especially trad folk and there are some brilliant new artists creating their own traditions and some great new tunes - people like Daisy Rickman and Lando Manning.

Folk music is certainly the base for my guitar playing as I started with finger picking whilst listening to a lot of Nick Drake and Wizz Jones but I'd like to think that I bring something a bit different vocally and in the way that I write my songs - before I rediscovered the folk music that I grew up around, and before I even thought about writing songs I had always listened to a lot of RnB and Soul and more so Singers rather than guitar players. I'd like to think that this mix of influences helps me to appeal to a wider audience. It has certainly helped me to discover and collaborate with other musicians outside of the 'folk scene' which is important to me as I just want to keep challenging myself and playing the music that I enjoy.

5. With three singles under your belt and mentions of an upcoming EP, what can your listeners expect in terms of musical direction and themes? Are there any specific stories or messages you're eager to explore in this larger body of work?

I've got a bit of a backlog of tunes currently so Hopefully one day I can get them all recorded, but right now I'm thoroughly enjoying playing live and meeting new musicians as it's really helping me to shape my sound - I'd really like to experiment more vocally and certainly to take a little detour at some point to writing/playing on electric guitar more, as It was quite freeing to play about with some distortion and lead guitar on 'Try Again in Green'. So I think people can expect a lot more harmonies and second guitar parts and perhaps even a collaboration or two.