We’re looking forward to introducing you to Rebecca Sykes. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Rebecca, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Lately, I have been trying to build new healthy habits for myself each morning. I am naturally a very routine person but as a freelance musician, there is very little consistency and stability. So, the only way I stay sane is by creating routine for myself as much as possible.
I like my mornings to be slow and calm, but productive. I will typically write for ~20 mins, make breakfast, and get some kind of exercise in for ~1 hour.
Of course there are days – weeks even – when this routine simply doesn’t happen but I try my best to get back into it when I can!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hellooo! I am an alternative singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer born and raised in San Diego, CA.
At the ripe age of 10, I took great inspiration from Squidward and learned how to play the clarinet. What started as a joke, quickly came to be a passion, and one that I took very seriously. I played clarinet consistently for 7 years and absolutely loved it.
Throughout middle/high school, my love for music was growing by the minute and I started exploring other instruments. Just within a few years, I learned how to play the piano, drums, guitar, and bass. I couldn’t get enough!
The band that changed it all for me was The Beatles. When I was 13, my mom took me to see The Beatles “Love” show in Las Vegas, and something in my brain shifted tremendously. I was absorbed by this intense passion for music that I had never experienced before then. I remember listening to the CD of the soundtrack on repeat until I had the 1 1/2 hour track list memorized. You could say I became obsessed with The Beatles.
One day I was browsing the internet and saw an ad for the video game “Rockband” – The Beatles Version! My parents somehow caved in and bought it for me… little did we know, this would change the trajectory of my entire life. I would spend hours and hours after school learning the drum parts to The Beatles discography. I realized that drumming was becoming a significant passion of mine so I started taking private lessons with Rick Stojak. Within a years time, I knew that drumming was something I could see myself pursuing as a career.
Once I graduated high school, I started studying music in college. Covid shortly made it’s grand entrance and classes became virtual. I began to feel lost and was unsure about the direction I wanted to take. I took advantage of all the time I was spending at home and I bought some cheap drum microphones and started learning how to record. I ended up doing hundreds of drum collaborations with musicians across the world via Instagram. I have since had the opportunity to travel to New York and Italy to record and I hope to expand that list!!
I later earned a certificate in The Recording Arts at Studio West in Rancho Bernardo where I learned everything about the audio engineering world. After working as an audio engineer for a few years in various local studios, I now have a home studio that I produce out of and record drums remotely for clients around the world!
My debut 4-song EP, “face to face”, is currently in the works and will hopefully be out in the world by the end of this year. Writing/singing and recording my original music is something I never envisioned for myself until now. I was always so fearful and shy when it came to my voice (let’s be real.. I still am!). I have an instagram account called @singing.is.scary because it IS! All of that to say, I am incredibly proud of myself for accepting my fears and doing it anyways. As scary as it may be, it feels good.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My dad. My dad has been my number one supporter since day one. Before I could drive, he would take me to all of my weekly piano/drum lessons, band rehearsals, shows, etc.
As a child, I was about as shy as one could get. My dad always pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and try the things I wanted to try but was to afraid to begin. He always reminded me that everything works out in one way or another so it’s worth a shot. When I find myself in moments of doubt/fear/anxiety/etc., this reminder always finds it’s way to me.
He has been there through the extreme highs and lows that I have been through musically and never fails to encourage me to keep going. He makes it known that he sees my potential, and as hard as it can be for me to accept it at times, I deeply appreciate it.
Both of my parents have been nothing but supportive of me and my crazy decision to be a full time musician and I can’t thank them enough. I am eternally grateful.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I go through many phases of doubt and wonder if I am made for living the musician life. I always come back to the conclusion that I don’t have a choice. Living a creative life is the only way I am able to function as a human being. There will always be challenges and moments of stress, overwhelm, burnout, etc. but I truly can’t imagine doing anything else. Music is my one true passion and I am incredibly grateful that I am in a position to pursue it full time.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
Something I have discussed with a handful of my fellow singer/songwriter friends is the idea that there is some greater force that shows up when songwriting. It’s a real struggle to try to put into words but i’ll try my best to explain.
I am not a very spiritual person, nor am I religious. However, when I write songs, it’s almost as if some entity takes hold of my creative brain and takes off. Sometimes it’s so intense that I don’t realize what i’ve written until the song is finished and I hear it the next day. It’s the most bizarre thing. I think it is such a gift to be able to experience and channel such a strong, unknown force into my music.
On the flip side, it can be disappointing sometimes because I feel like I have to wait around for this “thing” to be present in order to write songs I feel good about. Maybe it’s all just made up but it’s fun to think about!
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
This is a hard question to answer. Not because I don’t have an answer, but because it is a hard truth. I have talked to other musicians/artists who have experienced this on many different levels, and it is very common. The deeper I get into the music industry and the more experiences I have, I can’t seem to run away from the feeling of wanting more.
When it comes to playing shows, I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to check off many local venues from my bucket list. However, each time I do, I am reminded that it is just another stage that my fellow humans create sound waves on. Don’t get me wrong, I have lots of fun each time I have gotten to play at a new venue or with a new band and I will never take it for granted. But after it is over, I can’t help but to think “what now? what’s next?”.
I think it’s healthy to constantly strive for more and want to grow, but it can be a rude awakening when you’ve checked off a lot of your bucket list items just to find that you are craving more. I try to use this feeling as fuel for motivating myself to keep climbing up the ladder!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebecca._.sykes/
