Singer/songwriter Sydney Quiseng opens up about shedding doubt, embracing change, and stepping fully into her own artistry with ‘PHASES,’ a soul-baring solo debut rooted in reflection, resilience, and self-discovery.
Stream: ‘PHASES’ – Sydney Quiseng
“The sunset gets all the attention but sometimes the afterglow is the best part,” says Sydney Quiseng about her debut EP PHASES.
In case you’re not familiar, Quiseng is the vocalist of the band Echosmith. Quiseng (pronounced Key-Sang) was born and raised in Southern California, where she formed Echosmith with her brothers and co-wrote the triple-platinum-hit “Cool Kids,” which launched the band into touring the world and writing three albums, the third of which was released in 2023.
In 2024, Quiseng decided to step outside the comforts of being in a band with a brothers and go it alone as a solo artist. When Atwood Magazine caught up with Quiseng last fall, her hesitancy was audible with her first two singles, “Wonder” and “Guilty.”
So I shouldn’t have to say that I’m sorry
For thinking of myself for once in my life
I’m not sorry, but I’m tryin’ to put it softly
So don’t try to pin this on me
When we both know that I’m not guilty
After speaking to Quiseng recently, all those feelings of guilt and self-doubt is gone. Quiseng has truly embraced her solo journey whilst still touring with Echosmith. “I Need Findin’,” a recent single and the opening song on the EP, is Quiseng’s most personal song and also her favourite off the EP. The music video was shot in Japan, a home away from home for Quiseng, and if you listen carefully, you can hear musical influences of Japan woven into the traditional Americana backdrop of the arrangement.
I love songs that make me go quiet
Something’s got me close to crying
Someone up there knows I need findin’
I’ve been holding a grudge towards the silence
But I put myself on an island
Someone upstairs knows I need findin’
And I kinda like it
On “Leftover Coffee,” Quiseng embraces the sound she’s known for with Echosmith. Quiseng describes the song “as full of angst and a lot more confidence conceptually.” You can hear a toughness and a ‘fuck it’ attitude that weren’t present on her earlier songs. The song creates a balance on the record, and pushes it into an indie-pop direction. The production is lush and full of headbanging energy.
There’s leftover coffee
There’s friends I’m not calling
My engine’s been starting, but just barely
And that’s gotta count for something
Unfinished
A sink full of dishes
They say I’ll miss it when I’m not in it
But they’re waking up with all I’ve been wanting
And I’m still drinking leftover coffee
The EP ends with Quiseng’s newest song, “Afterglow.” I say song, but it is more of a lullaby or a prayer. It features the voice of Quiseng’s Grandfather at the beginning, who she calls her best friend. Quiseng plays a lot with the concept of time in her songs in terms of place and memory, but “Afterglow” is the most on the nose she has been. The song or prayer, however you interpret it, is backed by a gentle strum of an acoustic guitar with Quiseng’s grounded yet haunting vocals over the top. It’s a beautiful moment to end the record on. It brings you back down to what’s important.
Like a moon in the dark
You’re the bright side and it’s hard
To let that go
It’s a phase, I know
I miss you in my car
Oh, I hate this part
It’s the aftermath
It’s the aftеrglow
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:: stream/purchase PHASES here ::
:: connect with Sydney Quiseng here ::
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CATCHING UP WITH SYDNEY QUISENG
Atwood Magazine: When we spoke last autumn, you had just released “Wonder” and “Guilty.” You have now released three other singles and are about to release your debut EP. You’ve also been touring the new music. Do you feel more settled into being a solo artist?
Sydney Quiseng: I feel way more settled now. It’s amazing what time can do, because I was so nervous to stand on my own as a solo artist back in September. Now it feels really natural to be on this path. There’s something special about getting to have so many “firsts” again with this project too. I’m having the time of my life and it just feels like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Your single, “Leftover Coffee” sounds like a world away from where you were when you released “Wonder.” When we spoke in the fall last year, you were just transitioning into becoming a solo artist and it felt like you were little apprehensive. With this new song, it definitely feels like you’re fully immersed in your journey. Would you say that was fair observation?
Sydney Quiseng: That’s why I loved releasing “Wonder” first. It describes that feeling of being unsure and the growing pains of doing something new, while “Leftover Coffee” is full of angst and a lot more confidence conceptually. “Leftover Coffee” is also a very honest song that I probably wouldn’t have written years ago, since it speaks very vulnerably on the grind of life that I think we are all in right now.
When you look back at who you were when you started writing as a solo artist and who you are now, do you feel like an evolution has occurred?
Sydney Quiseng: Absolutely. “Guilty” was one of the first songs I wrote for my solo project and “Phases” for example, came much later. “Phases” is me acknowledging change and learning to be okay with it. You can appreciate who you were in the rear view while still allowing yourself to become someone new. I finally allowed myself to fully embrace this new chapter, so I’ve come a long way since I wrote “Guilty.”
Your environment has always impacted how and what you write. You shot the music video for “I Need Findin’” in Japan and I can even some Japanese influence in the music. Can you talk about the song and why you decided to use Japan as your backdrop for that song?
Sydney Quiseng: “I Need Findin’” is my favorite song on the EP because it feels the most personal. It’s about the beauty of being able to depend on someone when you feel lost. I’ve been to Japan 16 times, so it holds a very special place in my heart.
I’ve visited during seasons when I didn’t know who I was, but I always left feeling like I found myself again. Filming the music video there was so fitting because sometimes wandering around in a foreign place helps you get closer to what you’re actually looking for.
You have named this collection of songs, Phases, after your third single. In a lot of your songs, you reference both the moon and also the concept of time, in terms of place and memory. Can you talk more about this and how these ideas inform your songwriting?
Sydney Quiseng: I’ve really grown to appreciate nature in all its forms. A sunset on the ocean, a moon rise, the way a flower blooms at the perfect time – the feeling of being unplugged has been a huge inspiration for my personal growth and my music. When I slow down and immerse myself in nature, it gives me so much clarity about what’s actually going on in my head and that’s when I get most of my song ideas.
You are about to release one final song, “Afterglow,” which concludes this collection of music. You have your Grandad’s voice at the start of the track. Two questions: What’s the significance of your Grandad introducing the song? What made you decide that this song should close the record?
Sydney Quiseng: My grandpa is one of my best friends. I live in California and he lives in Arizona so we talk on the phone all the time. Subconsciously, I started to collect his voicemails so I wanted to use them for something one day. I actually didn’t tell my grandpa that I was going to have him be part of my EP, so I was able to surprise him with the final version of this song in person.
“Afterglow” is about appreciating the past while also realizing that maybe the best is yet to come. The sunset gets all the attention but sometimes the afterglow is the best part. It felt right to end Phases on a bittersweet note because that’s what life is.
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:: stream/purchase PHASES here ::
:: connect with Sydney Quiseng here ::
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© Connor Truax
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