Sylvan Esso
Amelia Meath
Vocals
Nick Sanborn
Producer
Location: Durham, North Carolina, USA
Genre: Indietronica, Synth-pop
Years Active: 2013 -
Meaning of the Name: 'Sylvan' is taken from the game Swords & Sorcery.
Way of Working: Led by Nick Sanborn
Associated: Megafaun, Mountain Man
Essential Releases
Sylvan Esso (2013)
Debut album. Infectious. Synths grooves and folk vocals.
What Now (2017)
More accessible. Electronic music with elements of folk.
Sylvan Esso surprised many by releasing an indietronica album as their debut in 2013, considering both members had a background in folk music. However, the creative output of vocalist Amelia Meath's had an established tendency to go against the grain. She previously sang in the a cappella trio Mountain Man, a group comprised of three women from the city. They made Appalachian folk, yet none of the members were Appalachian.
Producer Nick Sanborn, previously a member of the psychedelic folk band Megafuan, shared a similar disdain for the conventional. In Sylvan Esso, Sanborn experiments with weighted bass grooves that rumble and vibrate in order to create low-end punches to the gut.
Together, they released 'Hey Mami' as their first single, a song that perfectly demonstrates the group's various creative forces. Its intimate opening section, in classic folk style, consists of Meath quietly singing a cappella. For the listener, it's almost embarrassing, as if you've intruded on a private moment. Sanborn continues unabated, sampling and layering her voice in real time, creating harmonies before the bass drops.
The success of the single was immediate. Sylvan Esso played sold-out shows shortly after, a feat their bands previous didn't manage in years. To exemplify the groups cult status, 'Hey Mami' has over 50 million streams on Spotify despite being released on the independent label Partisan Records.
As formerly struggling musicians, the sudden appreciation provided both validation and pressure to replicate. Sanborn discussed this in an interview:
"There's this wondrous feeling of, on one side, everything you've ever wanted is working out... and then, the other evil, terrible, clinical-depression monster within you comes out and says, 'You don't deserve this.' And 'It won't last.'"Indeed, the subsequent album, What Now (2017), had 'Radio' as a lead single. The song addressed Amelia Meath's doubts directly:
"Folk girl hero in a magazine, faking the truth in a new pop song."However, confronting such feelings honestly is a core tenet of folk music. It's precisely what makes it so relatable. Sylvan Esso remained true to their influences when many in their place would have grabbed as much cash as possible, like frenzied challengers on an episode of Beast Games. The luxury to pursue their muse over immediate financial concerns came from the pair's close personal and working relationship. They married in 2016.
When Meath and Sanborn joined forces, they didn't only adopt electronic instruments, but also the new internal dynamic of partners. Minimalism became a creative necessity because two people simply can't do as much as five, but it also kept overheads low. Ultimately, the duo’s success proved that embracing minimalism was their greatest strength, allowing them to produce consistently engaging and honest work while keeping their artistic independence intact.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
70
Mental Impact
60
Originality
65
Artistry
60
Authenticity
90
Live
85
Production
85
Musicianship
75
Singing
80
Songwriting
85
Danceability
70
Fun
70
Consistency
70
Range
75
Cool
55
Charisma
65
Commercial & Critical Success
Awards >>>
- Grammy Nomination 2022 - Free Love - Best Dance/Electronic Album
