Sycco’s psych-infused pop dream out now via Future Classic

July 31 2021
Photo by Madeline Randall

Sycco (pron. ‘psycho’), aka 19 yo Brisbane, Australia-based and First Nation writer/producer/artist Sasha McLeod, today shares her pop-driven, psych-infused, dance-inducing (and concisely titled) debut EP via Future Classic (Flume, G Flip, Buzzy Lee). Listen to Sycco’s First EP HERE and watch the glittering new video for “Past Life” HERE.

Powered by shimmering, hooky choruses and impressive psych-pop production – the now-signature Sycco style – the EP’s textures sound like what a lava lamp looks like: glowing, fluid, sometimes joyfully surprising in the direction it moves. Throughout the seven tracks, love is a constant but it’s not all heart-eyes and hopeful prospects. “A lot of the EP is about my angry feelings that I bottle up. I write about what I’m going through in my day to day and about love … and being scared of love.” This contrast between exultation and melancholia throughout the EP might just capture the core of Sycco: glimmering choruses that will refuse to leave your frontal lobe, and the secret, scared confessions scrawled between beats.

Of today’s release, Sycco shares, “I can’t even begin to explain how excited I am that ‘Sycco’s First EP’ is actually out there. It’s psychedelic, it’s random, it’s enthusiastic, it’s colourful – it’s everything I wanted ‘Sycco’s First EP’’ to be.” To accompany the EP’s release today, Sycco also shares a new visualizer for “Past Life”, in which she sings, “I was silent in my past life, I know / Concealed all of my feelings / Have you noticed,” in front of projections of endless possibility. 

Sycco‘s ascent only started in 2020 (mid-pandemic) but her drippy bops have already landed her in the pages of Vogue (Australia), NME, Billboard, Paper, Cool Hunting, Nylon, Paste, Ones To Watch, triple j, among others and amassed +17million streams (and counting). She’s just sold out her debut national headline tour, performed (virtually) for SXSW, partnered with Buscabulla, Tim Atlas, Oscar Scheller, landed #29 in the iconic triple j Hottest 100 (the highest ranked new artist in last year’s poll), won big at the Queensland Music Awards and picked up nominations at the AIR and NIMA Awards and performed for KCRW and triple j’s Like a Version 

It’s been a massive week for Sycco as she was announced as YouTube’s Music Foundry Class of 2021 (alongside Snail Mail and Junior Mesa among other global artists on the rise), scored not one but two separate Times Square billboards for both YouTube and as the face of Spotify’s Equal Campaign, was named as Apple Music Australia’s ‘Up Next’ Artist for August, won Australia’s prestigious Levi’s Music Prize, and is featured on the cover of Spotify’s Front Left playlist today – and she’s only just getting started.


Sycco’s First EP is out now via Future Classic, buy/stream it here.

Tracklisting
1. Best Before
2. Past Life
3. Dribble
4. Germs
5. Happy You’re Here
6. My Ways
7. Time’s Up

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