Melbourne-based singer/songwriter Bec Sykes takes us track-by-track by her dreamy, achingly tender debut album ‘Pepperpot Magic,’ a superbly intimate, softly stirring alt-folk document of uncooked human connection, trauma, heartache, and therapeutic.
for followers of Large Thief, Angie McMahon, Winten, Julia Jacklin
Stream: “Final to Know” – Bec Sykes
‘Pepperpot Magic’ is my life: It’s the unexplainable emotions that I can solely specific by music. It’s my manner of claiming that magic and artwork can occur within the suburbs.
It takes a positive hand and a gradual coronary heart to rework the light into the dramatic, and vice versa.
And on her debut album, singer/songwriter Bec Sykes embodies that deft, confident puppet master-like persona; she turns into the one pulling the strings, each of the guitar and coronary heart selection, channeling her innermost feelings into breathtakingly intimate and weak moments of uncooked human connection and visceral self-expression. A dreamy, achingly tender alt-folk triumph, Pepperpot Magic is a good looking document of catharsis and confession, reckoning and reflection: Of a physique’s journey by trauma, heartache, and therapeutic, all put by a gently dramatic, softly spellbinding soundtrack.
Known as me in my lodge room After the present
I used to be joyful to listen to your voice
Plastered, I used to be too naive
To even know
A flowery dinner for my birthday
I might’ve been pleased with Thai and cake
Who’d have guessed, we by no means went
No card, no candles, no name
I’m the final to know
You continue to need me in your life
I’m the final to know
You’re reducing it high quality
It might’ve been good to know
What occurred to you final evening
I’m the final to know
You’re reducing it high quality til I’m saying goodbye
– “Final to Know,” Bec Sykes
Launched November 6, 2024, Pepperpot Magic aches in and out as Bec Sykes spills her soul for 36 unflinchingly trustworthy minutes of musical heat and marvel. The Naarm/Melbourne singer/songwriter has established herself as one to look at over the previous 4 years by stirring performances filled with ardour and ache, opening for artists like Telenova, Jem Cassar-Daley, Mia Wray, Teenage Dads, Didirri, Josh Pyke, and Katy Steele. Sykes additionally gained Melbourne document label Pieater’s 2019 ‘Pie College’ competitors and the 2020 Josh Pyke Partnership, each of which helped open doorways and alternatives, all of which have led as much as this long-awaited longform introduction.
As Sykes herself explains, this ‘album’ in its present kind was wholly sudden. “In June final yr I went into the studio to document 4 songs with Robert Muinos – ‘Joshua’, ‘I Know What You Like’, ‘Caroline,’ and one other music that went within the bin,” she tells Atwood Journal. “I booked two days at Rob’s studio, the Rat Shack, and referred to as on a few of my favorite musicians in Naarm/Melbourne to play within the band – Matt Dixon (pedal metal guitar), Bradley Ellis (electrical guitar), Ronan Nicholson (bass) and Sam Raines (drums). We recorded the band beds dwell and ended up smashing out all of the songs on the primary day, so Rob was like ‘do you may have some other songs?‘ I went house and dug up ‘Marlene’ and ‘Paint the Home Gray,’ and completed off the lyrics for ‘Crow Tune’ and ‘Final to Know,’ and we recorded them the following day.”
“By then, to my nice shock, we had seven songs, so I used to be decided to maintain writing. I enlisted the assistance of Ronan, who helped me end ‘Six’ and co-wrote ‘Do You Dream in Color.’ It took a couple of months to write down the ultimate two. All of the songs had been written between my brother’s home in Glen Huntly, my place in Croydon South on the time, and my sister’s home in Bayswater the place my upright piano lives. The album was written at a time after I had fairly debilitating nervousness about well being and germs which knowledgeable many of the songs both straight or not directly.”
Once I was seventeen
I believed every little thing
Would begin to float as much as the sky
Ships and boats, the railway line
Would wind between the clouds
With unhealthy males screaming out
That they couldn’t get down
Inform me, I’ll imagine it
I used to be a bit of clay
That you just each carved into a woman
Your fears below the highlight
As your fingers moulded mine
Once I look down at my fingers
I can nonetheless see myself
Earlier than I requested for assist
Ooooh Marlene
It received higher higher higher higher
Ooooh Marlene
It wasn’t the life for me
Whereas Pepperpot Magic’s eleven songs could not have all come from the identical time, they unequivocally come from the identical place.
“I used to be by no means planning to make a full size album; it kinda crept up on me,” Sykes admits. “I knew I wished to work with Rob as a result of the opposite information he’d made sounded a bit bizarre. Once I advised him this, he took it as a praise. I’m a recovering double vocal addict, and once we began monitoring vocals I used to be like ‘I WANT TO SOUND LIKE ENYA,’ however Rob was like, ‘I feel this music ought to have single observe vocals with no BVs.’ There was a little bit of push and pull, however in the end as soon as I heard the vocal recordings, I realised Rob had captured my voice so nicely that quite a lot of the time it didn’t want a double to fatten it up. Rob was actually eager to document issues dwell, which I used to be tentative about at first. I hadn’t performed with a band that a lot and didn’t have quite a lot of confidence in my timing. It was a extremely empowering expertise to document the songs dwell. ‘Paint the Home Gray,’ ‘Sculpture,’ and ‘Joan of Arc’ all have dwell vocals, which I by no means thought I’d do.”
Sykes candidly describes Pepperpot Magic as light, grounded, and pensive. For her, this album is a defining introduction not simply to her artistry, however to her very humanity.
“On the document, the vocals and lyrics are on the forefront and the instrumentation is restrained,” she displays. “I really feel like I’m lastly making the music that I’ve at all times wished to make. Within the recordings I’m singing softly which makes the tracks really feel actually intimate. We tracked the vocals with out headphones, so I felt much less inhibited and I used to be singing the best way I might sing at house. It’s much less of a efficiency and extra like I’m sharing my secrets and techniques with a good friend.”
The album’s title takes its identify from a now-defunct fairy/occult store in Sykes’ hometown suburban Naarm/Melbourne.
“Years in the past, my sister was on name when her greatest good friend was going into labour,” she recollects. “At 4 AM, her cellphone rang, and in her disoriented state she picked up and answered, ‘Good afternoon, Pepperpot Magic.’ This was the identify of the fairy/occult store in Boronia (my hometown, an outer suburb of Melbourne) that she labored at within the ‘90s (my sister is 20 years older than me).”
“As quickly as I heard that story, I knew it was the identify of the album. The songs are about breaking apart with a scientist and abandoning my Christian upbringing, so ‘Pepperpot Magic’ feels becoming in a playful, rebellious form of manner. ‘Pepperpot Magic’ is my life. It’s the unexplainable emotions that I can solely specific by music. It’s my manner of claiming that magic and artwork can occur within the suburbs.”
Highlights abound on the journey from “Marlene” to “Paint the Home Gray” as Sykes brings her delicate contact to moments of wrestle and strife, self-discovery and interpersonal connection.
“I really like ‘I Know What You Like,’” the artist smiles. “The band nailed the groove and the textures and it has simply the correct quantity of creepiness. It’s actually satisfying to me that the music captures the unsettled feeling I felt after I wrote it. Once I write songs, I’m at all times making an attempt to seize a selected feeling but it surely doesn’t at all times translate so nicely.”
“‘Six’ can be a favorite. Rob recorded the nylon string guitar utilizing a pair of headphones because the mic, which was a spotlight of recording.”
As for her lyrics, Sykes has a number of standouts – every of which captures a unique facet of her expressive storytelling skills:
“I used to be a bit of clay that you simply each carved into a woman / your fears below the highlight as your fingers moulded mine“
“1 / 4 tab of LSD / I don’t wanna climb that household tree / no that’s not the life for me“
“With you I’d paint the home gray / spend a day deciding on the shade“
“Sitting on the bar with my seatbelt on“
Finally, Pepperpot Magic is the sort of album that we’ll cherish for years to come back, because of its tender contact, its emotional depth, its folks heat, and its brutal, aching magnificence.
Sykes hopes her music brings calm and luxury to those that want it most.
“A lot of the songs had been written as a self-soothing mechanism, so I hope additionally they convey consolation to those that pay attention,” Sykes shares. “The document not solely looks like an accomplishment for me as an artist, but in addition for me personally. It’s taken quite a lot of child steps with my nervousness to get to the purpose of having the ability to document and launch music. I actually wrestle making selections, and I’ve needed to make a LOT prior to now yr or so. I’ve turn into a professional. Making this album has been an excellent problem for my perfectionism.”
Expertise the total document by way of our beneath stream, and peek inside Bec Sykes’ Pepperpot Magic with Atwood Journal as she takes us track-by-track by the music and lyrics of her debut album!
— —
:: stream/buy Pepperpot Magic right here ::
:: join with Bec Sykes right here ::
— —
Stream: ‘Pepperpot Magic’ – Bec Sykes
:: Inside Pepperpot Magic ::
— —
Marlene
I wrote “Marlene” after I was reflecting on my non secular upbringing. I used to be listening to Laura Jean’s ‘Teenager Once more’ lots, and in hindsight I subconsciously borrowed the primary line ‘Once I was seventeen.’ What adopted was a stream of consciousness about my deepest fears as an adolescent – the rapture occurring and the world ending, and considering I’d by no means make it to maturity. It’s additionally about inheriting nervousness and excessive cautiousness, and realising how a lot that has formed my selections (or lack thereof). The music is in the end a celebration. I made it.
Final to Know
This one might be the least cryptic music on the album. It’s about quietly giving up on a relationship after being let down too many occasions. Within the studio we received heaps finished on the primary day, so I went house that evening and furiously searched my voice memos to see if there have been some other songs we may document. I discovered the thought for “Final to Know,” wrote the remainder of the lyrics from previous diary entries, and we recorded it the following day.
I Know What You Like
I wrote this music after I was housesitting in Glen Huntly for about six months. It was my first time residing by myself and I felt tremendous inventive as a result of I didn’t have to fret about folks listening to me sing whereas I used to be making an attempt to write down. I Know What You Like is about feeling unsettled when somebody you’re in a brand new relationship with reveals their true colors, however giving them the good thing about the doubt since you’re in love with them.
Do You Dream in Color
I co-wrote this music with my bass participant, Ronan Nicholson, and the lyrics sparked from a dialog about social nervousness. I so badly wish to join with folks, however I discover it so laborious to open up. I feel the music is about feeling annoyed as an introvert in regards to the strain to be social, telling myself it’s okay to remain in my shell, but in addition feeling fairly lonely and remoted typically.
Six
My older brother John died when he was sixteen. I wrote this music as an act of empathy for my Dad. Final yr Dad needed to go to hospital (he’s high quality now) and when he was behind the ambulance the paramedic requested him what number of children he had. Already in a weak state, he burst into tears. Later he advised me that story and he mentioned he by no means is aware of what to say when folks ask him that query.
Sculpture
Sculpture was one of many final songs I wrote for the album. I discover it actually laborious to speak in regards to the bizarre issues I get anxious about. This music is about leaning in the direction of the particular person I really like and letting them see all of the yucky components of me.
Joan of Arc
My boyfriend left my guitar in an alternate tuning and this music got here out. This was the final music I wrote for the album and I feel it’s one of the trustworthy songs I’ve ever written. It’s about guilt and nervousness and forgiving myself and deciding to not be a martyr.
Joshua
I used to be seeing this man who would by no means come to my home. I used to be such a sucker, I’d at all times find yourself going to his place and I agreed to catsit for him on a number of events. One time after I taken care of his cats for like every week, he received again and requested if I wouldn’t thoughts going house to sleep in my very own mattress that evening. I wrote this music in a single sitting.
Caroline
Caroline is about being jealous of the love one other particular person obtained from somebody who didn’t deal with me very nicely. In hindsight I used to be partially in denial after I wrote this music.
Crow Tune
Crow Tune is a diary entry about falling in love with somebody who misplaced a mother or father two months into the connection. They pulled away and it felt like they dropped off the face of the earth. The music is about me making an attempt to be affected person however feeling very lovesick.
Paint the Home Gray
Paint the Home Gray is about entertaining the thought of settling down and surrendering to the suburban dream. I wrote it after my good friend introduced she was pregnant and a bunch of different mates had been getting engaged or married. Up till that time I used to be fairly judgemental of individuals in my life who appeared like they had been simply going by the motions of what society expects you to do. I really feel like not wanting children or a “regular” life was a part of my id, however I shocked myself after I realised part of me needs that sense of consolation and safety too.
— —
:: stream/buy Pepperpot Magic right here ::
:: join with Bec Sykes right here ::
— — — —
Hook up with Bec Sykes on
Fb, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram
Uncover new music on Atwood Journal
© Jeff Andersen Jnr.
Pepperpot Magic
an album by Bec Sykes
