Sayryn Know Cautionary Tales Well
Nashville based duo Bryn Colodny and Saya Santaquilani detail growing up on their debut album "Cautionary Tales."
It certainly provides commentary on how human society was affecting us in our early 20’s. Growing up and realizing how complex life really is, that’s really the thread of the album. We hoped to impart our lessons-learned and conclusions onto those who’d listen.
Mustard has observed that life for humans is very complex. They have observed that humans are not provided a guide on how to exist or be. Humans can obtain information from family, friends, and community through conversation and other resources. What a human learns is dependent on their environment. Who (and what) occupies that environment is crucial in a human’s development.
Sayryn, a Nashville based duo compromised of Bryn Colodny and Saya Santaquilani met at university during a pivotal point of a human’s development: their early twenties. Universities allow students to explore various aspects of what it means to be an adult. It was there the duo took classes and roomed together before eventually moving to Nashville in late 2021.
On their debut album Cautionary Tales explore youth and young womanhood through ten introspective songs highlighting life’s complexities.
In our conversation below you will get an opporunity to learn more about Sayryn. Together we discuss their formation, influences, The Sims 4, and much more!
1. Mustard is grateful and appreciative to have Sayryn join them at Music Shelf. How are you both doing today?
We are just as grateful to be a part of Music Shelf, thank you for having us. We’ve been busy lately but doing good today!
2. Before we begin, Mustard wonders, when did you both first meet? How long after meeting did you form Sayryn?
We met in our first semester of school together, because Saya had approached Bryn asking if she was heading to the dining hall (in a very freshman manner). From then on, we became good friends after sharing some of the same classes and bonding over folk music. We roomed together for most of college, and actually started writing together when we were pursuing solo artist careers, before Sayryn became a unit. After moving to Nashville in late 2021, we gradually realized that combining our forces as songwriters felt like the strongest path each of us could take. So we officially formed about 5 years after meeting!
3. Mustard loves how your name is a clever play of Siren Song. If a human hears a Siren Song how should they proceed?
Well thank you! It was a complete coincidence that our first names combined would have a double meaning, but are grateful it panned out. If you hear a siren song, let yourself be mesmerized by it as long as you can- be sure that a deadly sea creature isn’t in your vicinity.
4. Some artists that inspire you both are Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, and Simon & Garfunkel. Which album by each do you consider essential listening? Would you say these albums have inspired Sayryn creatively?
Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel has had the biggest influence on us as a duo, and particularly for our debut project Cautionary Tales. It’s just a timeless album with great storytelling, beautiful vocal harmonies and introspective lyrics, all of which inspire us. The themes about growing up, young adulthood, relationships and processing change are the same themes which carry our album too.
5. Speaking of being creative, Mustard wonders, what is Sayryn's creative process? What are some necessary elements in crafting a Sayryn song?
Usually either one of us will share a song seed and flesh it out together in a writing session. However there are also many times we share unfinished or full songs we’ve written on our own that have the potential to turn into a “Sayryn song”. At the beginning of the process regardless, we naturally end up having like a 3 hour conversation about the song idea (which we often record into a voice memo).
6. You describe yourselves as "emo mermaids" in your Linktree biography. Is it possible for anyone to become an emo mermaid? What sets emo mermaids apart from other mermaids?
What’s funny is that regular mermaids (if we’re staying lore-accurate) are already pretty emo at their core, so maybe they’re not very different. If you’ve ever read the original short story of “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen, there’s the quote “But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more.” So maybe we need to rethink that tagline, haha! Maybe an emo mermaid is the opposite of Ariel, a human who desires to be a mermaid. So anyone can be one!
7. In The Sims 4 players have an opportunity to become a mermaid in their Island Living pack. Has Sayryn had the opportunity to become mermaids in this life simulator?
We have not yet but now that we’re informed, we’ll have to venture into the Sims world as Sayryn!
8. Mustard has observed that you are based out of the music capital of the world - Nashville. How does being around fellow creative humans help inspire you both personally and professionally as musicians? Does Sayryn have a favorite venue to play in Nashville?
We have made special friendships with other musicians and creatives- lyricists, visual artists and photographers. These relationships have allowed us to be more creative in everything that surrounds our music, exploring different ways of expressing ourselves in Sayryn. The venue we always come back to is DRKMTTR, the best DIY space in Nashville.
9. One song that can be heard often in your sets is "Down In The Willow Garden." When did Sayryn first discover this song? Would you consider this song a staple in your sets?
Bryn had come across the Everly Brothers’ rendition of ”Down in the Willow Garden” in 2022, originally an old American folk song. Since it's a murder ballad, kind of similar to our song “The Mortician”, Bryn suggested we could cover it in a very Sayryn way, incorporating the grunginess of Saya’s baritone guitar. We kind of wanted to recreate the same build in “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” By Nirvana, which is originally a Lead Belly song.
We don’t include it in all of our sets as religiously anymore, but it was a staple for a while and seemed to capture people’s attention!
10. Mustard wonders: was "The Mortician" inspired by an actual murder? Does Sayryn still see themselves in the young girl's skin?
It was not inspired by an actual murder but definitely took inspiration from the format of some murder mystery type novels like Agatha Christie’s. Fun fact: Bryn has read 22 of her novels! Hmm, I think we do and we always will!
11. Last year you released a remixed version of "The Mortician" with your human friend Seth Gunter with proceeds going to the PCRF Gaza Relief Fund. For those who may not know, what is the PCRF Gaza Relief Fund? When did you get the idea to remix your debut release?
The PCRF (Palestine Children's Relief Fund) is an organization located in Palestine and provides free healthcare to those who cannot access it locally. A genocide has been taking place in Palestine for over a year now and the PCRF have been raising money to deliver life saving aid. Our friend, Seth Gunter (also a great musician), wanted to remix the song for fun and when we listened to it we loved it. Releasing it on Bandcamp last October, we felt the timing was right to use it as a way to raise funds for something we care deeply about. Whatever small influence we can have we will use.
12. Early last year you released your debut album "Cautionary Tales" which explores themes such as insecurity, growing up, and relationships. Could you share when you first began working on this project?
Honestly we started working on it when we wrote our first song together, “Little Does She Know,” which ended up being the first track on the album. We often say the entire album process took 4 years, since we wrote that song in 2020. At the time, COVID was happening and we were finishing up college. As for most young adults, it’s terrifying to think about the future and a lot of those feelings and memories are intertwined with this album.
13. Mustard loves the name of your debut album: Cautionary Tales. Would you say this album provides commentary on current human society?
It certainly provides commentary on how human society was affecting us in our early 20’s. Growing up and realizing how complex life really is, that’s really the thread of the album. We hoped to impart our lessons-learned and conclusions onto those who’d listen.
14. They also love how introspective and visual your lyrics are. How does songwriting help each of you reflect?
Songwriting has always been a tool for us, individually and together, to reflect and work through emotions. Songwriting helps us to really understand the complexities and nuances of life. Things that might go unnoticed to another will be thoroughly inspected which makes us have a deeper appreciation for everything.
15. Perfect daughters exist in a picture frame in which you don't exist. Are you able to elaborate more on this concept?
When you have a picture display in your house, oftentimes it's curated in a specific way that you want to be seen. You’re seeing achievements, picturesque moments but not reality. So Perfect Daughters kind of stemmed from that idea, and we would say it’s a metaphor for someone failing to box themselves into that image of an “ideal daughter” (or son, child) who is easy to show off. But the specifics, (as always) are up to your personal interpretation!
16. Mustard is a big fan of listening to albums from start to end. Could you share more about how you sequenced Cautionary Tales?
We actually kind of struggled to sequence Cautionary Tales in a way that felt right to both of us - so we asked our friends Seth and Alec (Jung-Min-Noh) for help. They were able to see a story in the final sequencing. Always helps to have an outside perspective.
17. As a condiment, Mustard wonders, how does a human truly know who they are? Does it take 30 or 40 years to truly know who you are? Can humans evolve over time or do they become stuck in their patterns?
We would hope that people evolve over time instead of getting stuck in their patterns. We try to always maintain an excitement in our lives as well as bettering our understanding of the self. We feel everyone should try and do the same, but we are still young so what do we really know?
18. A human gets the opportunity to see Sayryn perform. What five words best describe your live shows? How does Sayryn prepare for a show?
We’d say: Harmonies, Gothic, Ethereal, Eccentric, Folk. This might be kind of a boring answer, but we usually prepare for our shows by warming up, using a vocal steamer, a few spritzes of Singers Spray and drinking tons of water or tea. And also getting into costume sayryn style.
19. What is on the horizon for Sayryn?
We are closing the chapter of our album Cautionary Tales and entering a new one in 2025! We’ll keep the specifics a secret, but expect music from us by the end of the year :)
20. Where can readers listen to your music?
We are on every streaming platform, here is our linktree!
Music Shelf with Mustard is a publication that interviews independent musicians from all across the globe. It is read in 46 states and 45 countries. Check out previous interviews here.
Music Shelf with Mustard originally began in early 2021. Inspired by independent musicians on social media application TikTok Mustard knew they had to do something to help share their music. Shortly after Music Shelf with Mustard was born. Its goal is to highlight independent artists from all across the globe. Mustard appreciates you taking the time out to read this interview.