“SYML – A Gatheryng in London (7th April 2025)”

11 minute read

SYML was one of my favourite Christmas presents of the past few years.

It was Christmas 2019 and I was settling into my new home, having completed a house move just a few weeks prior.

Though my selection of decorations were undeniably sparse, I’d still managed to keep up the tradition of buying a real Christmas tree, which sat pride of place in the corner of my living room, lights twinkling.

Unpacked boxes were still scattered around, and I was using one as a makeshift coffee table where a large glass of red wine was now sat.

It was Christmas Day evening and, feeling somewhat alone, I began browsing through Netflix. I wanted to find something to watch that would help soothe my mood, and this was when I stumbled upon a heartfelt new show that would soon become one of my favourites.

Not only that, but one of the latter episodes of its first season featured an incredible piece of music that stopped me right in my tracks, introducing me to the music of SYML for the very first time.

That show was Virgin River, and the song was Where’s My Love?

Being introduced to new music can be a genuine gift, whether that be through a friend, by seeing them as a support act, or in this case, by watching a television show. And the circumstances under which we first hear their music can stay with us forever, further amplifying the emotions that we attach to them.

Where’s My Love? soon became a track that I listened to daily, which led me onto buying the In My Body vinyl, and then the debut album, SYML.

My appreciation further deepened, with stand-out tracks such as Wildfire, Break Free, Animal, and Girl. But it was the closing track, Everything All at Once, that left me speechless.

“These are my burdens,

This is that dark I embrace.

Tell me I’m heavy,

As you trace the lines on my face.”

With vocals that range as broadly as the musical style of each track, SYML was a wildly unpredictable album. And to this day I still find it hard to place it within any particular genre.

That is the sign of a true artist, because true artistic expression doesn’t sit within a neat little pigeon-hole. It goes wherever it must go. It speaks from wherever the heart is at.

And as we know, the heart never stays in just one place.

I looked to see when SYML would next be playing live, but with no pending dates in the UK, it was a case of having to bide my time. Then, thanks to the pandemic that brought our lives to a screeching halt in March 2020, it would end up being another two years until I finally got to see SYML perform.

On the evening of 11^th March 2022, I took my place in the Deaf Institute; a beautiful and tiny venue on Grosvenor Street in Manchester, holding just 260 people. From the moment that SYML (real name Brian Fennell, of Washington State in the US) and his band took to the stage, I was mesmerised.

Charismatic, sensitive, humble; these three words describing exactly the impression that I formed of Brian that evening. And with such loving sentiments about his wife and children – as well as his friends, one of whom is also in the band; a childhood friend who also goes by the name of Brian – it became clear that his music is borne from an open heart, which he willingly shares with his devoted following.

The anticipation of finally hearing his songs live had me stepping excitedly from one foot to the other, but what I’d been most eager to find out was whether he could deliver his vocals live. From high to low, and powerful to delicate; SYML’s vocal style is unlike anybody else that I’ve listened to, and I couldn’t help but fear that I’d be left disappointed.

But I really shouldn’t have worried, because his voice – and his songs – are even better live than they are on record. To carry such challenging vocals in such an intimate setting, and with songs that were too quiet to cover up any imperfections; Brian’s performance was that of a true talent.

As I left the city and started driving home towards Derbyshire, I knew I’d been a part of something special that night.

Over the course of the next twelve months, SYML’s music became more prominent for me, accompanying what proved to be a difficult year in my personal life.

Lost Myself had become my soundtrack; a song that is as simple as it is complex, and with lyrics of heartbreak and hope, speaking to a pain that is universally relatable; the feeling of losing yourself somehow, while longing to be yourself again, rediscovering the person you once were, or maybe becoming the person you always wanted to be.

“I wish I was truly free,

Like a bird with no rent to pay.

No phone and no last name,

Yeah, who I’m meant to be.”

But that road can be difficult, and sometimes there’s a sense that finding your way back is hopeless.

“Breaking through the clouds,

Feels impossible now.”

But ultimately, at the end of it all, you may realise that all it takes is what’s already inside yourself. That to find yourself, you only have to look within.

“But I found myself,

Walking home.”

My second live experience of SYML took place on 19^th April 2023 in the grand setting of KOKO in Camden, London. This 1500 capacity venue boasted a higher production show, with Brian and fellow bandmates dressed all in white against a background of a moon-like image. KOKO’s large disco-ball gently rotated from the ceiling high above, with its reflections of light adding to the ambience.

This tour coincided with the release of their new album, The Day My Father Died, which featured a stunning collection of songs including Believer, Chariot, and my personal favourite, You and I. It also included a new version of Lost Myself, which, almost musically identical to the original, featured an alternative second verse performed by Guy Garvey of the band, Elbow.

And it was to my delight that the gig began with You and I, which sounded every bit as good as it does on the album. The set also featured Believer, Howling, Girl, and Where’s My Love? But the best moment for me, as you can probably imagine, came early on in the set when I got to hear Lost Myself for the very first time.

It was an incredible evening, proving that the previous year’s gig had been no fluke. But the venues were getting bigger, their sound was becoming more accomplished, and with guest appearances such as Guy Garvey, along with their music appearing in more successful TV shows ⁽¹⁾, I couldn’t help but wonder if my days of seeing SYML in such small venues would soon be coming to an end.

It’s something that I call The Fan Paradox. It’s when you discover a new band or artist at a time when they’re not so well known, and you feel like you’re a part of a beautiful secret. On one hand you know that they deserve success and you wish for them to get it, but at the same time there’s another part of you that fears them achieving that.

Because on the other hand, you know that success brings more fans, which means bigger venues, and larger crowds. And the acquisition of success becomes the very thing that takes them away from you; and from being somebody that you once interacted with ⁽²⁾, to being somebody that makes an appearance; moving them from being within touching distance, to becoming an indefinable speck on the horizon.

I had no idea what would come next, and it would be another two years until I got to find out.

Gatheryngs Tour – Omeara, London – 7^th April 2025

To coincide with the release of third SYML studio album, Nobody Lives Here; a string of low-key small-venue European shows were announced.

Only one UK date was scheduled, at Omeara, a 320-capacity venue located beneath the railway arches in London’s Southwark district, just a stone’s throw away from London Bridge. ⁽³⁾ 

Though SYML may not have a widespread mainstream audience, the current fanbase is loyal, dedicated, and passionate. As such, tickets were destined to be in high-demand.

On the day that the tickets went on general sale, the purchasing experience went a little something like this:

9.59am – Already logged onto ticketing app, hitting refresh, refresh, refresh…

10.00am – Refresh, refresh, tickets now on sale, add one ticket to basket, click to buy…

10.01am – Frantically enter personal details, input credit card information, hit confirm purchase and… CONGRATULATIONS! Ticket purchase confirmed!

10.03am – SYML Omeara, London SOLD OUT!

I’d been seriously lucky to get a ticket, and when the day of the gig came around, I felt blessed. Because it was one of those days where everything seemed to fall into place perfectly, like it was somehow meant-to-be ⁽⁴⁾.

The two-and-a-half-hour drive to London had unfolded without event. The motorway was clear, I immediately found a parking space at Stanmore, and the tube was ready to depart upon arrival.

Additionally, it was a warm and sunny day in early spring; the weather rousing extra celebrations given the long winter we’d endured, in which the cold, grey, and wet blanket had finally been lifted off of England.

Outside the venue, I stood in the sunshine chatting to an older couple, the three of us leaning against the walls of the archway. As trains passed by on the railway bridge above, the volume of the rumbling increased and the walls vibrated, resembling the intensity of a crowd at some large-scale concert, which added to the excitement.

I’ve been to a lot of different venues in my life, but something about Omeara was different, unique, mysterious. With low lighting, aged décor, and apparent rough textures, it was like being in part of a cave system, or a crypt, hidden beneath a castle of medieval times ⁽⁵⁾.

I moved straight down to the front, finding myself a spot just two people deep at the front of the room, placing me within 4 feet of the stage. And I couldn’t get over how small the stage was, making me feel as though I was peering into the music room of a dolls house. It was tiny and cramped, yet undeniably beautiful.

The evening was opened by Neomi, from the Netherlands, whose voice was stunning. But what was even more stunning is in how open and honest she was about her life, and of the events that inspired the songs of which she sang ⁽⁶⁾. Many of her lyrics proved to be painfully relatable, providing a reassuring hug and a heartfelt start to the evening, and setting the mood nicely for the arrival of SYML.

At around 9pm, SYML took to the stage, with Brian sitting directly in front of me, stage right.

With the night having been billed as an intimate acoustic evening, I’d half-expected it to be a solo show. Yet despite the confines of such a small stage, SYML was to be a four-piece this evening, sharing the space with Brian Eichelberger ⁽⁷⁾, Kyle Moore, and Zawadi Morrow.

The stage was beautifully prepared with flowers scattered, and there was a small table lamp that provided a warmth at the centre of the stage. Though the lighting rig would change colours many times throughout the show, the table lamp remained consistent, unchanged, as though it were the heart of the set.

Brian would later explain that he likes to write songs that combine both warm and cold, alluding to these elements in a climatic sense. But I sensed that it ran deeper than that, perhaps extending to darkness and light, love and heartbreak, joy and sorrow.

One of Brian’s trademarks is a fisherman’s beanie, which he wears almost always, and is usually black, grey, or white. But tonight, dressed in a simple white hoodie, he opts for orange, which provides noticeable contrast, further demonstrating the use of warm and cold in his work.

The setlist is varied, including songs from the new album, as well as long-time favourites such as Clean Eyes, which is played early in the set. And it is much to my delight that You and I is included, as well as that personal favourite, Lost Myself.

SYML has always been a pro at interacting with his audience, which is the main reason why I believe he’s suited to smaller venues. He’ll open up and share himself with his following, with invitations extended to the audience to ask questions.

When answers are given, they seem considered, genuine, vulnerable.

By the time Where’s My Love? is performed, Brian is in full-flow with the crowd, sharing that it was the first song he ever wrote, before he made his breakthrough. Where’s My Love? was written alone, on piano, in his bedroom; and he wrote it only for himself, never expecting anything to come of it.

Sometimes you just have to do what matters to you, and you hope that somewhere along the way people will connect with it. But if not, then that’s okay. – SYML at Omeara ⁽⁸⁾

Though the song is usually played on guitar, tonight he returns to the piano, which brings alive the story of how he first wrote it.

A member of the audience asks whether Brian prefers playing guitar or the piano, the answer of which is telling.

“The guitar is a happier sound, but the piano is like whisky.”

Something about that statement really grabs my attention, and when he continues, it underlines his introspection.

“The piano is something that you play with wine, beer, or whisky.” Brian is quiet for a moment, then continues. “Yeah, I prefer the piano.”

SYML lost his father two years ago – hence the name of his second album, which he wrote while in a place of grief. And he says that maybe he is still grieving.

Though Brian’s words suggest a gradual move forwards and away from immediate grief, the story behind his third album holds relatable meaning.

The title – Nobody Lives Here – appears to be inspired by loss, longing, and perhaps loneliness. Brian explained to the audience, using the example of how people may intentionally drive by an old house, a place in which they once lived, a place they used to call home ⁽⁹⁾. But now, that place is empty, yet still it reminds them of what happened when they were there.

The explanation is taken no further, and I’m left wondering if this is a literal example, or whether its metaphorical. Are the memories of the old house joyous, or hurtful? Does it conjure warm feelings, or crushing pain? Could it be about lost love? Or does loneliness in the present evoke a need to return to the past?

The story is left ambiguous enough to leave things open to interpretation, and I think that’s the point.

The best art doesn’t provide answers; it presents better questions.

But once again I find myself connecting with his words, relating to the story of the old house. I’ve done this myself, returning to places from the past, sometimes with a need to find answers to questions I’ve not yet asked, or with a longing to connect with somewhere, with something, that once brought joy.

I am lost in these thoughts as SYML start moving into their next song, when I’m suddenly attuned to the magic of the moment. With the band only a matter of feet away from me, and with Brian leaning on his guitar as those heartfelt words are shared, I feel like I am sat in a recording studio with them.

And for just a few seconds, it’s as though the band are playing just for me.

This is the moment in which the claim of this being an intimate evening is earned. It’s the moment in which I felt perhaps the strongest sense of connectedness that I’ve ever felt at a gig.

I’ve been to many gigs in my life, small gigs, intimate gigs; but SYML at Omeara was the very definition of that word.

Shortly before the Gatheryng at Omeara, the official Nobody Lives Here tour was announced. Only three dates have been confirmed for the UK so far, and I quickly secured a ticket for Manchester.

Given my original fan-paradox fears of the shows and the audiences getting bigger, I was delighted to discover that the Manchester gig is to be at Academy 2; a 900-capacity venue that’s nestled away on the first floor of the student union building.

Though I’m sure I’m not the only fan that feels this way about the gigs, I cannot help but feel a little bit selfish in hoping that the venues and the crowds remain small.

But then, maybe that’s exactly what SYML want too.

Epilogue

After SYML left the stage and the show was over, I moved towards the edge of the stage, eyeing up a setlist that was taped to the floor.

Being typically British, I waited patiently for a roadie to emerge so that I could politely ask for it. But before I even got a chance to do this, a woman from the crowd clambered up onto the stage and started peeling up all the setlists, one that she kept for herself, the others which she handed out to her friends. ⁽¹⁰⁾

The woman looked at me and could see what was going through my mind, and so she stopped and picked up one of the flowers from the stage, and then turned around and handed it to me.

“Here you go” she said, smiling. And then she jumped down off the stage and started hugging her friends.

Following a trip to the merch stand, I left Omeara with a smile on my face, clutching a new t shirt, a signed limited-edition vinyl, and a bright orange flower.

A flower that sits on the shelf in my office, right above where I’m writing this article.

FOOTNOTES

⁽¹⁾ Including Girl, which was featured on hit Netflix series, Maid.

⁽²⁾ One of the most enjoyable moments at a SYML gig is when Brian invites questions from the crowd, which he answers candidly and honestly. No question seems to be off limits, and it’s this very type of interaction that allows a connection to be made between the artist and the crowd, defining the term ‘intimate gig’.

⁽³⁾ Well, if you have a really small stone and a very strong arm.

⁽⁴⁾ It makes me think of the lyrics to the Feeder song, My Perfect Day. “Cos sometimes you feel it, you know how it is. Wake up in the morning, everything fits.”

⁽⁵⁾ Imagine my shock when I found out that it wasn’t even a decade old, having only been opened back in 2016; an interesting fact that was shared with us by SYML himself during the performance.

⁽⁶⁾ Though I had a mildly embarrassing moment that came out of confusion. While Neomi was talking about SYML, how she knew him, and how incredible his music is, she mentioned a live show that took place in London two years ago. I believed that she was talking about the SYML gig itself, and then she asked if anybody had been there. With memories of the KOKO gig at the front of my mind, which took place two years ago to the very month (April 2023), I stood in the crowd nodding. Neomi noticed me nodding and then asked me if I was there. I said “Yes, at KOKO?” to which she responded “No, I never played at KOKO.” There was an awkward silence, a giggle or two in the crowd, and we both smiled at each other awkwardly. Thankfully the room was too dark for anybody to notice me blushing.

⁽⁷⁾ The childhood friend, mentioned earlier.

⁽⁸⁾ These are words that I can deeply relate to as it’s exactly the way that I feel about my writing. It’s not about numbers, it’s about connection. And I’d rather have just one person who connects deeply with what I write, than to have a thousand casual followers. I don’t write for popularity. I write to reach the individual.

⁽⁹⁾ Though Brian made a point of saying this isn’t something he’d done himself.

⁽¹⁰⁾ A pretty ballsy move indeed, though it turns out they’d travelled over from America for the show, so I figure they deserved it more than me anyway.

Are you a fan of SYML already? If so, what are your favourite SYML tracks? Have you seen SYML live, and if so, where do you see him, and what was your experience? And by any chance, are you the lady that took the setlists from the stage and gave me the flower?

Have you maybe only heard one or two of his tracks? Or is this article the first you’ve ever heard of him? What are your thoughts and opinions on what you’ve just read? Do you have anything to share that you feel that myself and other readers would appreciate knowing? Please feel free to leave a comment below and I’d love to begin a conversation with you.

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And just for clarity, no, I am not on commission for any SYML albums or tickets sold. This article is written purely as a fan and with a deep appreciation for SYML’s music. I hope you get a chance to enjoy him too.

Copyright note – I’ve tried to restrict the use of images to photos that I’ve taken myself, and to universal photos of album/cover art that are widely available on the internet. If any copyright infringements have occurred, this has been unintentional.

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