Multi-platinum artist and producer SYML shares “The White Light of the Morning,” the latest offering from his forthcoming album, Nobody Lives Here (out April 4, 2025). Brian Fennell wrote the whispered hymn as a direct confrontation to the grief he felt after his father passed. He explains, “For months after my dad passed away, I would have these dreams where I am with him in this bright and peaceful place. The saddest part was that, in my dream, he didn’t know he had died. It felt profound and helpless. When we experience loss in any form, our brains try so hard to make sense of it, and this is another attempt.”
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Nobody Lives Here marks Fennell’s clearest and crispest writing to date. With over four billion streams, the multi-platinum artist uses the record to look at grief, loss, and mortality directly in the eye, unwavering and harmonious. Written, recorded, and produced by him, it is fueled by the keen understanding that life is a contradiction, a fleeting moment. As he accepts the presence of loss, he still welcomes others into his space with melody, lyrics, a slide guitar, or a cello’s hum, reflecting on the passage of time, the weight of expectations, and the intimate, sometimes unsettling beauty of change. On Nobody Lives Here, his music remains cinematic and visceral, taking the license to both gut and be gutted. “If the dark inspires the good, that’s a good thing to be honest about. All of these characters inside of me are fascinated by the same thing, which is: Why are humans even here and what is this ever-expanding universe that we’re floating through?” To support the record, SYML heads out this week on the sold-out Spring European How It Was It Will Never Be Again Tour, which includes the Gatheryngs, five nights of intimate performances spanning the globe (NYC, Seattle, Paris, London) to celebrate the album release. He also has the extensive fall Nobody Lives Here headline tour on sale, which includes stops in Europe, Canada, and the UK. A full list of dates can be found below.
Welsh for “simple”—Brian Fennell makes music that taps into the instincts that drive us to places of sanctuary, whether that be a place or a person. It is a way for him to explore identity and belonging and embrace vulnerability and solace in the face of change. Born and raised in Seattle, Fennell studied piano and became a self-taught producer, programmer, and guitarist. He released his self-titled debut album in 2019, which included the multi-platinum song “Where’s My Love” and the Gold Record fan favorite “Girl.” His 2023 sophomore album, The Day My Father Died, described by NPR as “euphoric,” was recorded at Studio X with renowned producer Phil Ek and features collaborations with Elbow’s Guy Garvey, Lucius, Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, and Charlotte Lawrence. His music has become the soundtrack to countless films and TV shows and was used by Lana Del Rey on the song “Paris, TX,” from her Grammy-nominated 2023 album. In 2024, he launched an imprint, FIN. Recordings, a collaboration with his label, Nettwerk Music Group, and management team, Good Harbor Music. |
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Nobody Lives Here *Let me know if you would like an advance copy 1. A100 2. Carry No Thing 3. Careful 4. Please Slow Down 5. The White Light of the Morning 6. Wake 7. Heavy Hearts 8. How It Was Will Never Be Again 9. Something Beautiful and Bright 10. Heartbreakdown 11. Nobody Lives Here SYML TOUR DATES: How It Was It Will Never Be Again Tour Special acoustic album release Gatheryngs: Nobody Lives Here Tour: 8/14 Stockholm, SE Nalen 2026 1/29 Wiesbaden, DE Schlachthof |
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