“My early musical influences included Fraggle Rock, the Transformers and G.I. Joe. Not much has changed.” This remark typifies the lightheartedness and humor that Syd constantly carries - on and off the stage. On a more serious note, Syd later reveals that his influences range from Ani Difranco to Pearl Jam and Metallica to Dashboard Confessional.  >>> show all

“My early musical influences included Fraggle Rock, the Transformers and G.I. Joe. Not much has changed.” This remark typifies the lightheartedness and humor that Syd constantly carries - on and off the stage. On a more serious note, Syd later reveals that his influences range from Ani Difranco to Pearl Jam and Metallica to Dashboard Confessional. At 22 years old, the acoustic pop/rock musician has cultivated a dedicated fan base almost entirely due to touring and the Internet, as verified by the near 600,000 plays received on Mp3.com before the site closed its doors. Listeners are engaged by Syd’s catchy guitar work, resonant vocals, and passionate lyrics.

Syd began playing music at 12 years old in his native state of Vermont. “My dad played the drums and the guitar, my mom sang, and my step-dad was a radio DJ and played the piano. I was doomed from day one,” recalls Syd. It was actually drums, not the guitar, which Syd picked up as his first instrument. Though Syd played the guitar and wrote from time to time, being the drummer in several bands at a time overshadowed everything else. Syd attributes his transition from drummer to singing and playing guitar to one distinct incident:

“One night I was filling for a drummer at a punk show and one of the bands didn't show. There were at least 150 people in the crowd. The guy who put on the event was freaking out. I said, ‘I've got a couple of songs I could sing.’ I grabbed some crappy acoustic guitar, sat down on stage in front of the crowd and started playing. People actually applauded. I remember getting off the stage to people asking when I was playing my next show. For the first time, I thought I might have something to work with.”

With this encouragement, Syd put the drums aside to focus on songwriting and performing. In Boston during his second year at Emerson College, Syd put together his debut album Week Days Weak Knees with a local drummer and producer. Syd was only 19 years old at the time. Week Days Weak Knees instantly received exceptional reviews and impressive sales on Internet sites including Mp3.com, CDBaby.com, and Amazon.com.

In January of 2004 Syd flew out to Ojai, California and teamed up with a producer duo that has worked with acts from Jack Johnson to Supertramp to begin work on what would become Fault Lines. Reunited with his long-time musical partner Tuck Stocking and aided by the multi-instrumental talent of Jesse Seibenberg, Syd set out to create a more full, vibrant sound. This time around the songs they were working with demanded a different approach. “I can barely remember the first time Tuck and I sat down and played together back in the day. We must have been 12 or 13. What we played then was heavier, louder and more aggressive than anything that was in my Week Days repertoire. So when we started working together again in 2003 I began to return to those roots a little just by virtue of being around him and the songs I was writing reflected that. A song like “The Bottom” or “This Is What I Get” reflects that grit most noticeably, but it’s there on all the tunes.” Also evident on Fault Lines is the influence of the pair’s first season of heavy touring, a subject Syd tackles masterfully in the album’s haunting close “Back Home.”


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