Sir Sly – Material Boy

By starrymag | December 24, 2020

By: Maddie Ruby

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound and how did it influence “Material Boy?”

Landon: We call it Sly-fi. That’s mostly just a cheeky joke, but take from what it what you will. “Material Boy” lands on the more electronic, synth-heavy side of our sound, but there was something really naturally exciting about the sound of Jason’s lead line and Landon really pushing his voice to a powerful place in the chorus that made it still feel like “us.”

 

Q) As we know, this song means a lot to each of you. What do you want the song to mean for your fans?

Landon: I pushed to write hopeful lyrics in a way that was natural to me. “Material Boy” (even though it has moments of sadness) is supposed to be a song about optimism and peace despite the world being full of unknowns.

 

Q) Do you think this single will always be at the top for the band personally compared to other songs?

Hayden: That’s like a parent trying to pick a favorite child—near impossible. I think Material Boy is special, and merited being the first release from the album, because of its natural energy. It is meaningful, but it’s also simple and upbeat. When those elements coalesce, it’s usually heading towards being a very special song.

 

Q) What was most rewarding about piecing “Material Boy” together?

Landon: It was rewarding to make a song that felt 100% uplifting but still true to who we are as a band. That doesn’t happen all that often, as I think we are all drawn a bit more to moody, or dark music. But the stars aligned with “Material Boy” where we got that rare best of both worlds.

 

Q) What feedback have you gotten from the song so far?

Hayden: There’s been a ton of great feedback from fans and musician peers alike…but two that stick out to me are that my Mom loves it and it’s getting some exciting airplay in Italy, a place we’ve never been before.

 

Q) What was the inspiration for the music video?

Landon: I texted Kevin (my good friend and insanely talented director) saying that I wanted to make a video of me being force fed money. We hopped on a call and started talking about what to build around that core concept. The video was created to be a vague representation of materialism vs. spirituality. A lot of the back and forth between nature and the shots in the house are aimed at exploring the difference between isolation and connection, freedom and feeling trapped. It’s intentionally vague in a lot of places because that’s how life feels. Often times things don’t take on meaning until you look back and ascribe meaning to them.

 

Q) What was your favorite part of filming the music video?

Landon: Getting to go camping with Kevin and getting to know our cinematographer Adrian while on the trip. After months of staying inside due to COVID, it was awesome to have a small group go out and enjoy time outdoors.

 

Q) Do you have a line in the song that means the most to you?

Landon: “Deeply American, which is to say I’m deeply ashamed.” I like that it is aggressive, but also sympathetic and aimed at a sense of belonging. There’s a lot going on in our country right now, socially and politically. So, it felt really good to get a lyric down that summed up my feelings on the matter.

 

Q) What artists are you currently listening to?

Hayden: I’m enjoying the newest Fleet Foxes release, revisiting that first Girls record Lust for Life and into this new band called Young Jesus. Lots of guitar music for me lately…I went through a huge electronic phase at the beginning of lockdown in March and I’ve completely ended up on the opposite end of the spectrum now.

 

Q) Who would you want to collaborate with?

Hayden: There’s nothing quite like making music with Landon and Jason and collaborations don’t always go the way you envision them….but it would be really fun to imagine joining a producer like Nigel Godrich in the studio or someone totally experimental like Wayne Coyne.

 

Q) What is next for Sir Sly?

Landon: An album, slated for spring 2021! Officially announcing that soon. We also have another song coming out in December.

 

Q) Is there anything you want to say to your fans?

Landon: Thanks for following this band through our eight years and tracking with us as we change sounds or directions. That freedom to follow whatever sound is inspiring and to never feel boxed in is the best part of being in Sir Sly.