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Announcing an early self-titled EP on Terrible Records - “A lot of the songs feel like they’re about other people’s lives, my experience with them, or a time and place in the past,” he said at the time – Sylvie features vocalists Marina Allen and Sam Burton, with Ben’s father John returning to the microphone once more to sing on ‘505’ and ‘Rosaline’. Alongside Connor Gallagher (Pedal Steel), Sam Kauffman Skloff (Drums) and JJ Kirkpatrick (Horns) Ben plays all other instruments himself but do not be surprised if, in future Sylvie expands. “I keep things loose, so I have freedom to explore. I’ll go song by song and do whatever it asks,” he says.
Now a fully formed album, with artwork featuring a photo captured by friend Brandon, of Ben playing the piano alone in his studio in the wee hours of night, Sylvie’s process, like each song, has grown from an increasingly personal space. ‘Shooting Star’ is a country travelling road song about a collective experience of friends together – a shimmering mantra sung on camping trips up the coast, ‘Further Down The Road’ is a smooth cruise through a landscape of copper and burnt orange, and the fleetingness of time is ever present via the poignant vocals of ghostly ‘Stealing Time.’ ‘Falls On Me,’ meanwhile, reflects personal growth. “I was sorting through a decade of emotions, relationships ending, bridges burning,” Ben says of the track. “I found myself at a place very distant from the source, repeating similar patterns, over, and over. Then you are reminded of yourself, just enough to see what it would be like to return to the source. It is about deliverance; a returning home that took me years to arrive at.”
Whether releasing his own limited run of tapes featuring outtakes and conversations from his phone, covering Jason Molina for Secretly Canadian’s SC25 Series, or supporting Widowspeak on tour; music may run in the Schwab family, but history is not ready to repeat itself. “I would love to make a short film around the concept of Sylvie and plan to release my dad’s Mad Anthony tape separately later this year but for now, I’ll go at my own pace to see what inspires me and run with that.” Dig for gold, you might just discover Sylvie and its lasting treasures within.
Tracklist:
1. Falls On Me (feat. Marina Allen)
2. Sylvie (feat. Sam Burton)
3. Rosaline
4. Further Down the Road (feat. Marina Allen)
5. Shooting Star
6. 50/50
7. Stealing Time (feat. Sam Burton)
**Second Chance** Option: Minor cosmetic damage to the packaging / sleeve. The Vinyl is in mint condition.