SYML

SYML is the solo project of American singer-songwriter Brian Fennell, born in 1983 in Issaquah, Washington. The music sits at the crossroads of indie pop, intimate folk and atmospheric electronic textures. After classical piano training and an early career with the indie band Barcelona, which released Absolutes in 2007, Fennell developed SYML from the mid-2010s as a more personal vehicle, shaped by questions of adoption, Welsh heritage — 'syml' means 'simple' in Welsh — and family bereavement. Early releases were EPs, including Hurt for Me (2016) and In My Body (2018), before a self-titled debut album in 2019 that established a writing style centered on voice, piano and spare arrangements. SYML continued with cycles of songs, notably the EPs You Knew It Was Me (2020), Dim (2021) and Infinity (2024), and two live albums, Sacred Spaces (2021) and Live at Hangar 30 (2024), which extended this stripped-back aesthetic in concert. In 2023 the album The Day My Father Died further explored mourning and family bonds, produced by Phil Ek and featuring collaborations with Lucius, Guy Garvey, Sara Watkins and Charlotte Lawrence, while Nobody Lives Here, released in 2025, confirmed SYML's grounding in slow, melodic songwriting marked by discreet electronic washes and spiritual references. Working from a home studio near Seattle, SYML alternates studio projects, occasional collaborations — including Paris, Texas with Lana Del Rey in 2023 — and solo or small-ensemble tours.