Inspired #140 - SIANON
Brighton based Sianon has been gaining lots of attention from the likes of BBC Introducing and Spotify’s New Music Friday by giving mainstream pop a makeover with her own style and vibes. Back with a new single ‘Cry Cry Cry’ - she took a moment to talk to us about the inspirations behind the track.
Who are your top three musical inspirations?
Taylor Swift - I taught myself guitar to be able to sing along to ‘You Belong With Me’ (which reminded me of my crush at the time), and then started writing my own songs in a similar way. Her songs are so relatable, I always joke that there’s a Taylor Swift song to suit every single situation you go through. She’s an incredible storyteller, definitely my biggest inspiration.
Lorde - Lorde is just amazing, her voice is incredible. I’m a big fan of her melodies and especially the album ‘Melodrama’, all of the songs have such unique, detailed lyrics. There’s a lyric that really gets me every time I hear it ‘but I still remember everything how we’d drift buying groceries’, I can literally see it in my head when I hear it haha.
ABBA - There’s nothing quite like ABBA, every one of their songs will have me up on the dance floor almost instantly. Their melodies are so catchy and nostalgic, I grew up on them so I might be a little biased but I’m instantly in a better mood when I listen to them. That in itself is so inspiring, for your songs to actually impact someones mood. Wow.
Is there a certain film that inspires you?
I’m more inspired by TV shows I’d say. Probably because TV shows are ongoing and can have more of an impact on your life. The Vampire Diaries and One Tree Hill are shows I grew up on, they ran for years and definitely shaped my music taste through their soundtracks. I discovered so many of my favourite songs this way, like the first time I ever heard ‘Wires - Athlete’ was on a big breakup scene and I cried for ages and listened to the song on repeat hahaha. This happened with so many songs and introduced me to artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Snow Patrol, Birdy, Daughter, The Boxer Rebellion, One Republic, the list goes on.
What city do you find the most inspiring?
I’m tempted to say a city I’ve never been to here, something romantic like Paris or Rome but if i’m being honest I’d say Brighton has been the most inspiring. Just because my music has always been inspired by my own experiences. Brighton has been my home for the past 3 years and it’s seen so many things, from falling in love to heartbreak to stumbling home from Pryzm with my best friends at like 4am, kebab in hand. Brighton will always have a part of me.
Who is the most inspiring person to you?
The most inspiring person to me is definitely my Gran. She’s the rock of the family and has such a big heart. She came over from Ireland at the age of 18 in the hope of a better life and really made something of herself. That inspired my move to Brighton. I’m very close to my family so the prospect of being far away from them was really daunting, but a good step for my career and therefore if my Gran could do it without the technology we have today (FaceTime, instant messaging) then I could do it too. We talk on the phone almost everyday and write each other letters. She’s always got a good old Irish saying up her sleeve.
What were your inspirations when writing the track?
The concept for the song came from my struggle with self love. It was one of those songs that kind of wrote itself because it was exactly how I felt. I went through a blank period where I’d feel nothing and then cry loads, repeat, and really struggled with self love for a while. Turns out it’s more than a bath bomb and a few lit candles. I wrote it at like 1am because I couldn’t sleep and felt like I had to get a few things off my chest. The next day I called my producer and sang it on the phone on the way to co-op. We both got really excited about it and it was finished by the following week.
How would you like to inspire people?
I’d like to inspire people in the same way my favourite artists have inspired me. To write songs that are real to me, about my own experiences. People can always relate to that because 9 times out of 10 someone else will have gone through what you’re going through. When I wrote Cry Cry Cry I felt like I was the only person in the world that felt that way and in a way that made me feel even more alone, but since releasing it I’ve had so many messages from people saying the lyrics really hit them because it was exactly how they felt. That’s my aim in all of this; to make music that matters to people.