Sylvette - Meet the theatrical band infusing rock music with cinematic magic

Sylvette are an art-rock band founded in Manchester. Joining the genre amongst musical legends such as Pink Floyd, The Beatles and David Bowie; they combine art and rock to make music that appeals to both eyes and ears. Their video for Memories (Falling) is like the product of what would happen if Charlie Chaplin met Muse.

The lead singer and guitarist, Charlie Sinclair (22), grew up in London to a family of actors. Theatre and performance art was introduced to him from a young age and he is influenced by the artistic principles he learnt from his family.

The violin and keys player, Philippos Rousiamanis (21), grew up in rural Greece to a family of gypsies. He's a musical prodigy and is a composer in his own right, writing progressive contemporary classical music alongside his work in Sylvette.

Pete Leaver (22), the drummer, grew up in Manchester and takes influence from alternative electronic music and jazz to bring in unexpected rhythms. He also has a strong foundation in martial arts which he uses to channel discipline and spirituality into his music.

The bass player, Ashley Garrod (21), grew up in Somerset and was utterly obsessed with music throughout his teenage years.

Dan Macfarlane (21), the guitarist from Jersey, has the gift of perfect pitch which has allowed him to pick up many instruments quickly. He has the ability to seek out interesting textures and he is integral to the process of sculpting the sound of our records in the studio.

(L - R) Dan, Charlie, Ashley, Philippos, Pete

Offbeat spoke to the lead singer Charlie to find out more about the band, their future plans and the inspiration behind the eerie music video for their single Memories (Falling).

How the band get together?

Ashley, Charlie and Pete met 3 and a half years ago while studying at the RNCM in Manchester. We formed the first incarnation of Sylvette on the basis of shared influences and then gigged around Manchester relentlessly for the first two years. Our sound at this time was a lot more stripped back and raw and we used to play dive bars and house parties. We eventually realised we wanted to pursue a more expansive sound and it was playing with Dan and eventually Philip that allowed us to fulfil this ambition. We have now been playing as the full 5 piece line up for 8 months.

Where did the name Sylvette come from?

I named the band Sylvette after Picassos famous muse from the 1950’s. She had a fascinating relationship with Picasso and I love his work that was inspired by her. I reached out to her to tell her about our band and we became friends. She is now 83 and an artist herself. She is incredibly supportive of the band and she actually painted the artwork for our first album.

How would you describe the sound of your band?

We describe our sound as Art-Rock. We use unconventional song structures and surreal yet emotive lyrics to take listeners on an intriguing journey.

Biggest influences?

Our biggest influences are Neutral Milk Hotel, Radiohead, David Bowie, Jeff Buckley, Everything Everything, The Mantis Opera, James Blake, Joni Mitchell, Bjork and Love.

What sets you apart from others in the industry?

I think what sets us apart from others in the industry is our integrity. In Manchester there are a lot of people following trends or idolising past icons as the pinnacle of musical achievement but this ultimately results in bland music. We make music exactly how we want it and don’t think about how it will be received. This is why people can connect to it on such a deep level. Building a fanbase for us is a slow process but we have already seen the way that our fans

connect to our music and it’s real. If you keep making the best art you can for long enough that will always beat trends and industry manufactured acts in the long run.

What inspired your album Waiting in the Bliss?

There were a variety of themes that inspired the album ‘Waiting in the Bliss’. Lyrically the title track was inspired by personal loss. ‘Rebirth’ and ‘Cold Night’ were more concept based and came about through exploring my imagination. ‘Sweet Sound’ and ‘Red Green Blue’ deal with the idea of growing older and becoming an adult. ‘Mars Song’ is a sombre farewell to the planet earth in the hypothetical situation where the human race leave it behind due to destroying it to such an extent. Musically the album was mostly written through playing together in a rehearsal room and then me developing the songs further on my own. You can hear how we are exploring different sounds and really enjoying getting to know each other

musically.

Where did the idea for the Memories (Falling) video come from?

I was in Ireland and I saw a woman pushing a pram with a toy baby in it. This gave me the idea of having a couple raising a puppet child in captivity as the basis of the video.

Biggest achievement to date?

Our biggest achievement was probably getting radio support on BBC6. It’s a station we all love and it was great to hear our track on it.

Favourite gig you’ve ever played?

Our favourite ever gig was the Manchester date of our last UK tour. We played in a church and brought in our own lighting rig and sound system. The atmosphere of the church worked perfectly with the music and the crowd were incredible that night.

Where do you see the band in five years time?

In 5 years time I see the band having at least 2 more albums released. I don’t know where we are going musically because it is always a case of exploring first and seeing where it takes you but that’s massively exciting. In terms of growth I see us touring the UK and Europe and playing to theatres of dedicated fans in 5 years time.

To find out more about Sylvette visit their official site here.