A New Era for Sydney Quiseng: Country Roots, Creative Growth, and a Baby on the Way
A New Era for Sydney Quiseng: Country Roots, Creative Growth, and a Baby on the Way
A New Era for Sydney Quiseng: Country Roots, Creative Growth, and a Baby on the WaySydney Quiseng has entered a season of transformation—personally, creatively, and musically. Known to millions as the voice of Echosmith, she’s now carving out a new lane with her country‑leaning solo project while preparing for one of the biggest milestones of her life: becoming a mother. Ahead of her intimate, baby‑shower‑themed show at The Mint, Sydney opened up about her evolving artistry, the stories behind her newest songs, her collaborations with Tyler Braden and Yam Haus, and the deep gratitude she feels for the fans who’ve grown alongside her. What emerges is a portrait of an artist embracing change with warmth, honesty, and a renewed sense of purpose.
We’re here with Sydney from Echosmith. What are you looking forward to most about your upcoming show at The Mint?
I’m really excited to finally do a themed show. I love a good theme for anything, but turning this concert into a baby shower feels especially fun and unique. I’ve definitely never been to a show with that theme—or even heard of one—so I think it’ll be a really special moment to share with the fans.
It also marks such an important time in my life. I’m due about six weeks after the show, so it feels like the perfect sendoff before I take some time to be with my baby. I wanted to celebrate this moment with everyone before stepping into motherhood.
What made you decide to take on a new name and go country?
It honestly happened really naturally. I started spending more time in Nashville after collaborating with Tyler Braden on “Try Losing One.” I went out there to shoot the music video and prep the release, and during that trip I had my very first songwriting session without any of my family members. That was wild for me, because working with my family has always been such a big part of my musical life.
But it opened up this new side of myself—just Sydney Quiseng—and I kept going back to Nashville about once a month. I was writing a lot, pulling from all my influences, and just making music I genuinely loved. It ended up leaning country, which made sense: I love the steel guitar I grew up hearing in Hawaii, the warmth and storytelling of Nashville, and the energy of playing with a band, which I’ve done my whole life.
The music I’m making as Sydney Quiseng feels like an honest reflection of where I am right now and everything I love.
Let’s talk about a few of the new songs. “When a Good Thing Ends” — what inspired it?
I wrote that song shortly after my husband and I lost a family member. It was a really hard time, and I almost canceled my writing trip to Nashville. I’m glad I didn’t, because songwriting is therapy for me. Writing about grief while I was still in it ended up being incredibly healing.
I had the phrase “when a good thing ends” saved in my phone, and when I brought it into the session, the song just poured out of us. I knew right away I wanted to finish it because it meant so much to me, and I hoped it would mean something to others too.
Since releasing it, I’ve already heard from people who are grieving someone or closing a chapter in their lives. Knowing the song is helping people—and that I’m not alone in what I felt—means everything.
Your other new song, “Coffee Shop in Kyoto,” has such a distinct vibe. What sparked that one?
I wanted to write about serendipity. My husband and I have had such a fun, unexpected love story, and I feel so lucky to live it. Setting the song in a coffee shop in Kyoto felt perfect because we love Japan—we’ve been at least 15 times… maybe 17 at this point!
Along the way I picked up some Japanese from friends, apps, and even an online class. I had this little secret dream of singing in Japanese one day, but I’d only told my husband. When we were writing the song in Nashville, we were already talking about Japan and how magical life can feel sometimes, so I said, “What if we wrote a verse in Japanese?”
It was a wild idea, but we went for it. One of my friends who grew up in Japan helped with translation and pronunciation so it would be as accurate as possible. I’m so happy with how it turned out. It’s been connecting with listeners in the U.S. and in Japan, and I can’t wait to perform it there someday.
You mentioned Tyler Braden on the song “Try Losing One.” What was it like to collaborate with Tyler, and how did that come about?
We actually share the same management, so that’s how the collaboration started. But funny enough, I didn’t meet Tyler in person until we were shooting the music video. That’s the beauty of the time we live in—you can collaborate virtually in such a cool way—but it’s still really nice to have that personal connection.
Since then, we’ve gotten to know each other, and I adore him and his wife. I’ve spent time with them in Nashville since making the video, but meeting for the first time on set for a song that was already finished—mixed, mastered, everything—was pretty wild. Tyler’s such a great guy, and I was genuinely honored to be part of the song. I already loved it before I was even on it, so saying yes was a total no‑brainer.
You also have another collaboration with Yam Haus, “Always Falling in Love.” Tell me about that one.
That collaboration started in a completely different way, which I love because it shows how unpredictable and fun music connections can be. Echosmith played The Rock Boat earlier last year, and we met Yam Haus on the ship. We instantly clicked with them and their spouses—we just had the best time hanging out.
At some point someone said, “We should write together,” and you always hope that actually happens, but schedules can be tough, especially when you live in different states. But Lars and I made it happen when he came to L.A. for a writing trip. We wrote the song on a rainy day at my house, and it turned into this beautiful love song.
We’re both married, so we were able to draw from our own relationships and talk about how special it is to do life with your person. I think the song really captures that feeling—either appreciating the love you have or longing for a love that makes you feel that way.
Let’s talk about some of the newer Echosmith songs. “Feminine Rage” — what inspired that one?
We wrote that one in L.A., and it was definitely a different kind of song for us. I don’t usually talk about that topic in Echosmith music, but we were tossing around ideas and talking about how sometimes there is this feminine rage, and sometimes you just have to let it out.
It was actually really fun writing it in a room full of boys and explaining what that feeling is like. The song turned out super fun, and it’s a blast to play live. We even opened our set with it for a while. It pushed me in a new direction creatively, which I really enjoyed.
And the other new song, “Jaded”—what’s the story behind that one?
“Jaded” definitely lives up to its name. It’s about that jaded feeling you get toward life or toward a friendship that’s ended. That’s what we were specifically writing about—friendship breakups. They can be really hard and often unexpected. Even if nothing dramatic happened and you just grew apart, it still hurts to move forward and grieve that loss.
The song can absolutely apply to romantic relationships too, but for us it was about friends drifting apart. That happens a lot as you get older—your job changes, you move, your life shifts—and you grow in different directions. That’s the heart of the song.
“Cool Kids” has 660 million plays on Spotify. What does a number like that even mean to you?
That’s incredible. I didn’t even know that was the number—I’m hearing it for the first time right now. It just makes me so grateful. I was actually talking to my dad about this earlier: this little song we wrote has reached so many people, and it’s mind‑blowing to think about how many ears it’s touched.
Whether someone heard it in a grocery store, on the radio, or has had it in their personal library for ten years, it’s so special to know something we created in our childhood home traveled across the world. And it’s still connecting with people.
I relate to it differently now than I did at 15 when we wrote it. I’ve found more confidence since then, but I still have insecurities and awkward moments. Playing it live is always meaningful because I get to share that feeling with so many people—whether they’re relating to it today or remembering how much it meant to them in high school.
It’s been a decade since Jamie left Echosmith. Does he ever express missing it at all?
We haven’t talked about that directly, but what’s been really cool is that we’ve still worked together since then. That’s the beauty of letting your musical relationships evolve—you can continue collaborating, even if it looks different than before.
We worked a lot together on our most recent album. We wrote together, he was heavily involved in the production, and honestly, we have the most fun in the studio. We’ll get these uncontrollable laugh attacks while trying to record group vocals. Those moments are such beautiful snapshots of who we are as siblings and the relationship we’ve built over the years.
Is there any new music on the horizon for you?
Absolutely. I’ve been writing nonstop. I used to go through phases—writing intensely, then taking breaks—but now I’ve fallen in love with writing as an art form, almost like keeping a journal. I’ve been writing consistently for the past couple of years, and it’s been really grounding.
There’s a lot of music flowing out of me right now, especially as I’m pregnant and stepping into this new chapter of life. There’s so much fresh inspiration. I have plenty of songs in progress and quite a few that are already finished.
I haven’t announced anything yet, but I can say that some kind of project will be coming out before I have this baby, which is wild. So yes—more music is coming very soon, and I’m excited to keep the momentum going into whatever comes next.
Do you have any messages for your fans who are reading this?
I’m just incredibly grateful for everyone who’s been on this journey with us. My life and my brother’s life have changed so much over the years, and whether someone has been part of the Echosmith family since the very beginning or joined somewhere along the way, I’m thankful for every single person who listens to our music, shares it with a friend, or spends their hard‑earned money to come to a show.
I’m really looking forward to spending Monday with everyone in person—nothing replaces that. The internet is great, but there’s nothing like giving real hugs to the people who care about our music. I’m so grateful and so excited.
And Monday is also the gender reveal for everyone, which will be such a fun part of the show. It’s definitely something I want to capture on video because I know I’ll look back on that moment years from now and feel so thankful that I got to share it with everyone.
In Conclusion
As Sydney Quiseng steps into a new chapter—artistically and personally—she’s doing it with the same sincerity, curiosity, and heart that have defined her from the beginning. Her forthcoming EP That’s My Baby! arrives February 20, offering a deeply personal snapshot of this transformative moment in her life. But before the music officially drops, fans will have the rare chance to celebrate with her in person at The Mint in Los Angeles on January 19, where she’ll host a one‑of‑a‑kind baby‑shower‑themed show filled with new songs, big feelings, and a gender reveal she’ll remember forever.
It’s a moment of joy, vulnerability, and connection—exactly the kind of space Sydney creates so naturally. And if this new era is any indication, she’s only just beginning to share the stories that will define who she is next.
(Interview by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)
