SYML
SYML | |
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.jpg) Brian Fennell performing in Norway in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Brian Leseney Fennell |
| Born | January 16, 1983 Issaquah, Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Labels | Nettwerk |
| Website | symlmusic |
SYML is the solo venture of Brian Leseney Fennell (born January 16, 1983), an American musician from Issaquah, Washington. He was previously part of the indie band Barcelona. SYML released his eponymous debut album on May 3, 2019, through Nettwerk Records.[1]
Life and career
[edit]Brian Fennell was born on January 16, 1983, in Issaquah, Washington, and was adopted soon thereafter. From a young age, he began studying classical piano, often playing in his grandmother's retirement home.[2] He began writing his own music when he was 18 years old, his first song being used as a coping mechanism after the death of a schoolmate.[3] After high school, he attended Seattle Pacific University[4] and graduated with a degree in music education with an emphasis in percussion.[3] After years of living in and around Seattle, he returned to his hometown and resides there where he writes and produces out of a home studio.[5]
In 2005, Fennell finished his first solo album Safety Songs. By the end of that year, he formed the band Barcelona with Brian Eichelberger, Chris Bristol, and Rhett Stonelake. Their debut album Absolutes was released in 2007. Universal Records signed Barcelona in 2008 and re-released Absolutes with four new songs in 2009.[6][7]
Fennell currently performs under the solo project SYML, Welsh for "simple" and pronounced "sim-muhl", inspired by his own personal heritage from his biological parents, who are Welsh.[2] His experience grappling with his adoption and heritage are influences in his songwriting.[5]
He shared his self-titled debut album in 2019[8] with the now Platinum-certified single "Where's My Love" and the wordless EP You Knew It Was Me in November 2020. In 2021, SYML released his third body of work, titled Dim inspired by his late father's cancer diagnosis.[9] Fennell believes the word 'dim' perfectly describes mourning, a theme he continues to visit throughout his work.[9]
After his song "Where's My Love" was used on the drama TV show Teen Wolf, the song charted for 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.[10] In 2018, the song received Gold certification in Canada and Belgium,[11] and held the number one spot on Canada's CBC Top 20 chart twice.[12][13] SYML's "Wildfire" appeared in the Belgian teen drama web series wtFOCK, an adaption of the Norwegian series SKAM. "Where's My Love" was featured prominently in the trailer for the 2018 film Adrift. SYML's singles "Where's My Love", "Fear of Water" and "Body" were featured in the American supernatural drama television series Shadowhunters. In 2020, "Where's My Love" appeared in the movie Chemical Hearts.[14]
SYML collaborated with Lana Del Rey on the song "Paris, Texas", which was released on March 24, 2023, on the album Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. The song samples SYML's instrumental track "I Wanted to Leave" from his EP You Knew It Was Me.[15]
On February 3, 2023, SYML released his second album The Day My Father Died, which consists of 15 tracks. The album was produced by Phil Ek and includes collaborations with Lucius, Guy Garvey, Sara Watkins, and Charlotte Lawrence. Expanding on themes from his previous EP Dim, the album focuses on “what happens after we have lost.”[16]
In January 2025, SYML announced his third studio album, Nobody Lives Here, which was released on April 4, 2025.
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| SYML | 2019 |
| The Day My Father Died | 2023 |
| Nobody Lives Here | 2025 |
Live albums
[edit]| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Sacred Spaces[17] | 2021 |
| Live at Hangar 30 | 2024 |
EPs
[edit]| Title | Year | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Hurt for Me | 2016 | [18] |
| Where's My Love | 2017 | [1] |
| Hurt for Me (Piano & Strings) | [19] | |
| In My Body | 2018 | [20] |
| You Knew It Was Me | 2020 | [21] |
| Dim | 2021 | [22] |
| Ancient Call | [23] | |
| How I Got Home | 2023 | |
| Infinity | 2024 |
Singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Alt [24] |
US Adult Alt [25] | ||||
| "Mr. Sandman" | 2017 | — | — | non-album single | |
| "Where's My Love" | 35[26] | — | SYML | ||
| "Clean Eyes" | 2018 | 29[30] | — | ||
| "The Bird" | 2019 | — | — | ||
| "Symmetry" | — | — | non-album singles | ||
| "Take Me Apart" | — | — | |||
| "Flags" | 2020 | — | — | Wondering How It Ends | |
| "True" | 2021 | — | — | non-album single | |
| "Stay Close" | — | — | DIM | ||
| "Sweet Home" | 2022 | — | — | non-album singles | |
| "You and I" (featuring Charlotte Lawrence) |
— | — | |||
| "Have a Little Faith in Me" | — | — | |||
| "Lost Myself" (solo or featuring Guy Garvey) |
— | — | |||
| "Howling" (featuring Lucius) |
— | — | |||
| "Better Part of Me" (featuring Sara Watkins) |
— | — | |||
| "I Wanted to Leave" (Sitar Version)(featuring Rishab Rikhiram Sharma) |
— | — | |||
| "Chariot" | 2023 | — | 39[31] | The Day My Father Died | |
| "Believer" | — | — | |||
| "Mother" | — | — | |||
| "Tragic Magic (Dream Version)" |
— | — | |||
| "All of Us" | — | — | How I Got Home | ||
| "My Best Self" (with Elsa y Elmar) |
— | — | non-album singles | ||
| "The Walker" | 2024 | — | — | ||
| "Oblivion" | — | — | Infinity | ||
| "How It Was It Will Never Be Again" | 2025 | — | — | Nobody Lives Here | |
| "A100" | — | — | |||
| "Careful" | — | — | |||
| "Heartbreakdown" | — | — | |||
| "Carry No Thing" | — | — | |||
| "The White Light of the Morning" | — | — | |||
Guest appearances
[edit]| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Paris, Texas"[32] | 2023 | Lana Del Rey | Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "SYML". www.symlmusic.com. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
- ^ a b Fennell, Brian (April 28, 2021). "On Grieving Someone Before They're Gone".
- ^ a b FaceCulture (2017-12-21), SYML interview (part 1), retrieved 2018-07-12
- ^ "Barcelona band has MI roots". Mercer Island Reporter. 2008-11-24. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
- ^ a b "Simplicity, Sad Songs, & How Shazam Inadvertently Launched His Solo Career: A Q&A With SYML". Ones to Watch. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
- ^ "Barcelona band has MI roots". Mercer Island Reporter. 2008-11-24. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ Cargo Live at Whitney Peak Hotel | Barcelona | Episode 110 | PBS, retrieved 2023-10-13
- ^ Clarke, Kayla (2019-05-09). "Review: Washington artist SYML releases gripping, self-titled debut album". WDIV. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
- ^ a b Wonderland Staff (2021-04-16). "SYML Talks Us Through His Grief Inspired EP "DIM"". Wonderland. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
- ^ "Syml Where's My Love Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
- ^ "SYML and SAM FELDT Collaborate on "Where's My Love"". www.nettwerk.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
- ^ "CBC Music Top 20, March 15: Janelle Monae, Big Little Lions debut and SYML is new at No. 1". CBC Music. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
- ^ "CBC Music Top 20, March 29: Natalie Prass and Megan Bonnell debut but James Bay has the highest new entry". CBC Music. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
- ^ Sorren, Martha. "Every Devastating Song From "Chemical Hearts"". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
- ^ Lana Del Rey (Ft. SYML) – Paris, Texas, retrieved 2023-10-13
- ^ Jason (2022-10-21). "SYML's Sophomore Album The Day My Father Died Due February 3". Nettwerk Music Group. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
- ^ "SYML release of his new live album 'Sacred Spaces' with an extensive European tour". FrontView Magazine. October 19, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ Hurt for Me, 9 September 2016, retrieved 2018-07-11
- ^ Hurt for Me (Piano & Strings), 4 August 2017, retrieved 2018-07-11
- ^ In My Body, 12 January 2018, retrieved 2018-07-11
- ^ S Y M L on Instagram: “My first wordless EP, You Knew It Was Me, comes out everywhere on Friday, but you can hear it early by ordering a signed milky translucent…”
- ^ "SYML Talks Us Through His Grief Inspired EP "DIM"". Wonderland. 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
- ^ Ancient Call, 2021-07-30, retrieved 2021-10-02
- ^ "SYML Chart History – Alternative Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ "SYML Chart History – Adult Alternative Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ "SYML Chart History – Alternative Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ "American certifications – SYML". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ "British certifications – SYML – Where's My Love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ "SYML Chart History – Alternative Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ "Adult Alternative Airplay: Week of April 29, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ Daly, Rhian (March 23, 2023). "A who's who guide to Lana Del Rey's 'Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd'". The Forty-Five. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
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