Jesse Sykes Explained

Jesse Sykes
Background:solo_singer
Birth Date:17 July 1967
Birth Place:Mount Kisco, New York City
Birth Name:Jessica Ann Solomon[1]
Instrument:Guitar
Occupation:Musician
singer-songwriter
Years Active:1999–present
Label:Burn Burn Burn Records
Fargo Records
Barsuk Records
Southern Lord
Station Grey
Associated Acts:The Sweet Hereafter
Hominy
Whiskeytown
Sunn O)))
Boris
Current Members:Jesse Sykes
Phil Wandscher
Past Members:Kevin Warner
Anne Marie Ruljancich
Eric Eagle
Bill Herzog

Jesse Sykes (born Jessica Ann Sykes, née Solomon; July 17, 1967) is an American singer and songwriter, best known for her band Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, which was formed in 1999 with Phil Wandscher.[2]

Early life and education

Sykes was born in Mount Kisco, New York,[3] and grew up in Pound Ridge, New York.[4] An obsession with Lynyrd Skynyrd drove her to purchase her first guitar at age 12.[5] Sykes earned a BFA in photography from Rhode Island School of Design.[6]

Sykes moved to Seattle in 1990 after a brief stint in New York City. Sykes says that among her more memorable experiences in the '90s was meeting songwriter Townes Van Zandt after a Seattle show.

Career

In 1990 Sykes moved to Seattle, Washington, and began playing in bands. Sykes was formerly in the band Hominy[7] with then husband, Jim Sykes, who played guitar.[5] The band released a self-titled album in 1998 on the Ivy label.

In 1998, she met Phil Wandscher,[8] a founder of the alt-country band Whiskeytown.[9] They formed the band Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter. Members of The Sweet Hereafter included Anne Marie Ruljancich on viola, Bill Herzog on bass, Kevin Warner on drums (on first two albums)[10] and Eric Eagle on drums.[11]

In 1999 Sykes met producer Tucker Martine who recorded and produced the first three albums of The Sweet Hereafter.[12] 2011's "Marble Son" was produced by Sykes and Wandscher along with engineer Mell Dettmer.[13] [14] There was additional recording and production on both Like, Love, Lust and the Open Halls of the Soul and Marble Son by Martin Feveyear.[15] The band was signed to Barsuk Records in 2003 after Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie, also a Barsuk band, heard the debut album Reckless Burning and brought it to the attention of label head Josh Rosenfeld. The same year the band signed with Paris-based label Fargo.[16] Their follow-up album, Oh, My Girl was recognized by music critic Jon Pareles of the New York Times on his end of the year list of "2004 albums that deserve notice before turning the calendar page"[17] and was featured on NPR's All Things Considered. The Seattle Times said "Rolling Stone magazine called Sykes' brooding, emotionally-raw album "quiet marvels of lamentation," and Oh, My Girl made a handful of Top 10 of 2004 lists."[10]

According to the Miami New Times, "At this time the band spent the majority of time on the road, mostly in Europe where The Sweet Hereafter received its earliest accolades."[18] The band played the Roskilde musical festival in Denmark in 2004. In 2005, Conor Oberst, a fan of the band,[19] invited them to tour with his band Bright Eyes.[19] After the release of their third album, Like, Love, Lust and the Open Halls of the Soul, which the Dallas Observer called "her first masterpiece"[19] and CMJ said "a significant step forward for Sykes as a torchbearer of masterful mourning."[20] The band then toured with Sparklehorse.[21] The New York Times reviewed the show at New York City's Webster Hall, saying "in some ways Ms. Sykes could be a female counterpoint to Mr. Linkous" in an article titled "Everything Crumbles Toward Eternities". Sparklehorse was dropped from its label during the tour with the Sweet Hereafter, which Sykes described as a "bomb dropped on the Sparklehorse camp—most critically on Mark Linkous" in an article for the Seattle Weekly she authored describing her experience touring with Mark Linkous.[22] Sadly, Mark Linkous died from a self-inflicted gun shot wound in 2010.[23] The song "Birds Of Passerine" on Marble Son was written by Sykes for Mark Linkous after his death.[24]

In 2008 the band toured with Earth[25] and Black Mountain.[26] In 2009 Sykes and Wandscher wrote and recorded original music for The Seattle Shakespeare Company's performance of "The Tempest".[27] [28]

In 2010, Sykes sang at All Tomorrow's Parties in Monticello, New York with the festival's headliner Altar, a collaborative project (as well as album name) between Sunn O))) and Boris.[29] The festival was curated by the film director Jim Jarmusch.[30] That same weekend Sykes also performed in Altar at Brooklyn's Masonic Temple. The show was opened by BXI, the collaborative project with Ian Astbury, front person of The Cult, and Boris, followed by Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter.[31] On this night a power outage occurred, lasting forty-five minutes.[31] To preserve power, Altar was performed in the dark.[32] On December 10, 2007, Sykes also performed with Altar as part of ATP at The Forum, London.

Sykes' association with Altar came about in 2006 when she had been asked by the members of Sunn O))), to write lyrics and a melody and sing over music they had created with members of Boris, for the upcoming collaborative album. Sykes named the song "The Sinking Belle".[33] Sykes said she drew inspiration for the song from author Joan Didion’s widow's memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking.[34] Pitchfork called The Sinking Belle "Altars centerpiece and masterpiece".[35]

In 2011, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter's fourth album, Marble Son, was released, garnering critical praise from The New York Times, Spin, Consequence of Sound, and others. The Line of Best Fit called it "a triumph, in a word".[36] Spin called it "a sprawling psyche rock vision."[37] [38] [39] [40]

In an interview with Mark Lager on Vinyl Writers, Jesse Sykes discussed her upcoming fifth album. "The new record speaks about what happens in the wake of all the angst and all the noise and fury - so, therefore, a lot of it is very gentle. It feels like the residue left over after you have a good cry or suffer a trauma. The new record is also how my isolation sounds: crickets chirping, ripples on ponds, but then there’s always a sinister reminder. This record may not be as sonically robust as Marble Son – a bit more fragile, perhaps. I would like to think we became more sophisticated after making that record- we learned a lot and I think that evolution is still in the process of unfolding. The new record is maybe going to be a bit more lo-fi, in that we recorded some on 1/2 inch tape… so it has a rawness, but I think it’ll be a nice companion to our earlier work, but will also appeal to those who liked the heavier aspects of Marble Son."[41]

Personal life

Sykes was previously married to musician Jim Sykes. She was in a 10-year relationship with Sweet Hereafter bandmate, Phil Wandscher.[42]

Discography

Albums

"spellbound music, rapt in fatalism and sorrow."
— -Jon Pareles, The New York Times

EPs

Singles

Music in Film and TV

Collaborations

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: GROW A NEW HEART . ASCAP . American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers . March 13, 2023.
  2. Web site: MacNeil. Jason . Jesse Sykes – Biography . . April 7, 2013.
  3. News: Sykes. Jesse. April 18, 2012 . Selective Exposure. . April 18, 2015.
  4. News: Sykes. Jesse. From Cripple Creek to Pound Ridge. April 18, 2015. Seattle Weekly. June 13, 2012.
  5. News: Levin. Hannah. Blue-toned and Beautiful. April 18, 2015. The Stranger. October 18, 2001.
  6. News: Stout. Gene. Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter are Spreading Their Wings. April 19, 2015. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. February 10, 2005.
  7. News: Ochs. Meredith. Music Review: 'Oh, My Girl' from Jesse Sykes' Band. April 11, 2015. All Things Considered. NPR. July 7, 2004. Audio feature.
  8. Web site: Jesse Sykes's Page. Sykes. Jesse. No Depression. April 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20120401223541/http://www.nodepression.com/profile/jessesykes?xg_source=activity. April 1, 2012.
  9. Web site: Horowitz. Joanna. Jesse Sykes — new disc, Showbox gig. Seattle Times. July 28, 2011 . May 26, 2015.
  10. News: Scanlon. Tom. Barsuk Records' roster of rising acts post-Death Cab for Cutie. April 19, 2015. Seattle Times. January 23, 2005.
  11. Web site: Eric . Eagle . Eric Eagle | Credits . . May 17, 2015.
  12. Web site: Tucker . Martine . Tucker Martine | Credits . AllMusic . May 17, 2015.
  13. News: Moorman. Trent. Sound Check Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter: Marble Son, Wrangled Chaos. April 19, 2015. The Stranger. August 3, 2011.
  14. Web site: Mateer. Chris. Jesse Sykes discusses creation of Marble Son. Uprooted Music Revue. April 19, 2015.
  15. Web site: Martin . Feveyear . Martin Feveyear | Credits . AllMusic . May 17, 2015.
  16. News: Levine. Hannah. Rocka Rolla Brothers in Arms (mentions Sykes/Fargo Records). April 19, 2015. The Stranger. January 4, 2007.
  17. News: Pareles. Jon. 2004: The Ones That Got Away. April 11, 2015. The New York Times. January 2, 2005.
  18. News: Zimmerman. Lee. Tangled Up in Blue. April 19, 2015. Miami New Times. February 3, 2005.
  19. News: Bailey. Noah W.. Blue Norther. April 19, 2015. Dallas Observer. February 1, 2007.
  20. News: Best New Music. April 19, 2015. CMJ New Music Monthly. 145. January 2007.
  21. News: Sparklehorse Announces North American Tour Mark "Sparklehorse" Linkous is set to take Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter on the road with him.. April 19, 2015. SPIN. January 2, 2007.
  22. News: Sykes. Jesse. It's a Wonderful Life. April 19, 2015. Seattle Weekly. December 12, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20150702050850/http://www.seattleweekly.com/2012-12-26/music/it-s-a-wonderful-life. July 2, 2015. dead.
  23. News: Siserio. Ben. Mark Linkous, Leader of Sparklehorse Band, Dies at 47. April 19, 2015. New York Times. March 8, 2010.
  24. News: Kaston. Roy. "Life Has To Mirror What Goes On Sonically": An Interview with Jesse Sykes. April 19, 2015. River Front Times. November 21, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20150417232152/http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/rftmusic/2011/11/jesse_sykes_musician_health_insurance_interview.php. April 17, 2015. dead.
  25. News: Barr. Brian J. Earth and the Sweet Hereafter. April 19, 2015. Seattle Weekly. June 24, 2008.
  26. News: Theissen. Brock. Black Mountain Announce North American Tour. April 19, 2015. Exclaim.ca. August 14, 2008.
  27. News: ARONOWITZ. BRENT. Opening Nights: Pilot in Peril, Prospero in Pain. April 19, 2015. Seattle Weekly. June 9, 2009.
  28. Web site: Hetrick. Adam. Winters and Lass Will Conjure Magic in Seattle Shakespeare Company's Tempest. Playbill. April 19, 2015.
  29. News: Ratliff. Ben. The Best of Two Bands at All Tomorrow's Parties. April 11, 2015. The New York Times. September 6, 2010.
  30. News: Breihan. Tom. Filmmaker Jim Jarmusch Talks ATP "I invited Bill Murray to come to ATP just to hang out.". April 19, 2015. Pitchfork. August 20, 2010.
  31. Web site: Brooklyn Masonic Temple . Brooklynvegan.com . May 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150918191119/http://www.brooklynvegan.com/tag/Brooklyn+Masonic+Temple/2 . September 18, 2015 . dead .
  32. Web site: Electrical problems & then police show up . Brooklynvegan.com . September 8, 2010 . May 17, 2015.
  33. News: Grow. Kory. CMJ New MUSIC Monthly, Beast Meets West, BORIS Brings Their Monster Doom To SunnO)))'s Studios. April 19, 2015. CMJ. November 2006.
  34. News: Levine. Hannah. The Break-Up Artists Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter bust out of alt-country. Hard.. April 19, 2015. Willamette Week. August 3, 2011.
  35. News: Currin. Grayson. Sunn O))) & Boris Altar, Pitchfork Review. April 19, 2015. Pitchfork Media. October 31, 2006.
  36. News: Oinonen. Janne. Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter – Marble Son Review. April 19, 2015. The Line Of Best Fit. May 11, 2011.
  37. News: Menconi. David. Spin Reviews \ Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, 'Marble Son' (Station Grey). August 2, 2011. Spin Magazine. April 19, 2015.
  38. News: Dremousis. Litsa. Might As Well Jump. August 2, 2011. Seattle Weekly. April 19, 2015.
  39. News: Pareles. Jon. Psychedelia of Many Colors, Doo-Wop in Bluesy Shades. August 5, 2011. The New York Times. April 11, 2015.
  40. News: Hardy. Tony. Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter – Marble Son. July 27, 2011. Consequence of Sound.
  41. Web site: Amazon Moon - An Interview with Jesse Sykes . Vinyl Writers . 2020 . Lager . Mark.
  42. News: Cole. Kevin. Jesse Sykes: The Beautiful Sound Of Struggle. April 11, 2015. KEXP-FM. NPR. September 15, 2011. Audio interview and in-studio performance.
  43. News: Stout. Gene. Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter are Spreading Their Wings. April 19, 2015. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. February 10, 2005.
  44. News: Pareles. Jon. 2004: The Ones That Got Away. April 11, 2015. The New York Times. January 2, 2005.
  45. News: Pareles. Jon. Everything Crumbles Toward Eternities. April 11, 2015. The New York Times. March 2, 2007.
  46. Web site: Obscure Sound (gentleness of no)thing review). Obscure Sound. September 30, 2008 . April 19, 2015.
  47. Web site: Seattle Shakespeare Company's The Tempest, Original music score by Jesse Sykes and Phil Wandscher. Seattle Shakespeare Company. April 19, 2015.
  48. Web site: Split 7 inch Jesse Sykes/Steve Turner. KEXP. April 19, 2015.
  49. Web site: Jack and Bobby (soundtrack credits). IMDb. April 19, 2015.
  50. Web site: 12 and Holding (2005) Soundtracks. IMDb. April 11, 2015. 2005.
  51. Web site: First Snow (sound track credit). IMDb. April 19, 2015.
  52. Web site: True Blood (soundtrack credits). IMDb. April 19, 2015.
  53. News: Holden. Stephen. Two Men on the Road, Together and Yet Alone (movie review). April 19, 2015. New York Times. May 1, 2009.
  54. News: Levy. Emanuel. Eldorado: Interview with Director Bouli Lanners (mentions jesse sykes music in his film). April 19, 2015. Emanuel levy Cinema 24/7. July 7, 2008.
  55. Web site: Path of Souls (film soundtrack credits). IMDb. April 19, 2015.
  56. News: Levine. Hannah. The Break-Up Artists Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter bust out of alt-country. Hard.. April 19, 2015. Willamette Week. August 3, 2011.
  57. Web site: Vienne. Gisele. Eternelle Idole (play) directed by Gisele Vienne, music credits. Eternelle Idole (play). April 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150413232248/http://www.keyperformance.se/wp-content/uploads/GV/EternelleIdole/dossier/gv_eternelle_idole.pdf. April 13, 2015. dead.
  58. Web site: Seattle Shakespeare Company (credits). Seattle Shakespeare Company. April 19, 2015.

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