Sykamore
{{short description|Canadian country music singer-songwriter}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Sykamore
| birth_name = Jordan Ostrom
| birth_place = Carseland, Alberta, Canada
| instrument = Vocals, guitar, piano, ukulele
| genre = {{hlist|Country|Country pop|folk-pop}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Musician|singer-songwriter}}
| years_active = 2013–present
| label = {{hlist|Music Knox Records|BMG|Road Angel|Warner Music Canada}}
| associated_acts = Rhett Akins, Thomas Rhett, Ryan Kinder
| website = {{official website|http://www.sykamoremusic.com/}}
}}
Jordan Ostrom, known professionally as Sykamore, is a country singer-songwriter from Carseland, Alberta, Canada.{{cite web |last1=Hollabaugh |first1=Lorie |title=Canadian Artist SYKAMORE Signs With Home Team Publishing |url=https://musicrow.com/2017/11/canadian-artist-sykamore-signs-with-home-team-publishing/ |website=MusicRow Magazine |date=14 November 2017 |publisher=MusicRow |access-date=28 October 2018}} She released her first EP, Self + Medicine, in January 2018. In 2015 she was nominated for the Canadian Country Music Association Discovery Award.{{cite web |last1=Bickell |first1=Dutch |title=Review – SYKAMORE |url=http://canadianbeats.ca/2018/01/23/review-sykamore/ |website=CanadianBeats |date=23 January 2018 |publisher=Canadian Beats Media |access-date=28 October 2018}} Her debut album Pinto was released in 2022.{{cite web|url= https://themusicexpress.ca/sykamores-pinto-fires-on-all-cylinders-nb/|title= Sykamore's 'Pinto' Fires On all Cylinders By Roman Mitz|date=August 28, 2022|access-date=September 2, 2022|work=The Music Express|first=Roman|last=Mitz}}
Biography
Raised on her family's ranch outside Calgary, Ostrom grew up listening to country artists such as George Strait, The Dixie Chicks, and Alan Jackson.{{cite web |title=Meet Alberta-born country singer Sykamore (Q&A) |url=https://www.queensofcountry.net/home/meet-alberta-born-country-singer-sykamore-qa |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028112259/https://www.queensofcountry.net/home/meet-alberta-born-country-singer-sykamore-qa |url-status=usurped |archive-date=28 October 2018 |website=Queens of Country |access-date=28 October 2018}}
At the onset of her musical career, she made the decision to perform under a stage name. She stated "My real name is not a secret but I decided to take on another name mostly because I feel that my real name is not that memorable...I started thinking about titles that would reflect my music and I was thinking about how I would describe it and it was all very rootsy and tenacious and organic and it all lent itself to this sort of tree flavour and I thought, well maybe there's a tree name that would help us with titling this thing. And, honestly, sycamore was one of the first that I looked at and thought it was cool."{{cite web |last1=Barber |first1=Jim |title=Calgary's Sykamore Releases Self + Medicine EP |url=http://www.musiclifemagazine.net/calgarys-sykamore-releases-self-medicine-ep/ |website=MusicLifeMagazine.net |date=8 January 2018 |access-date=28 October 2018}}
Sykamore received first prize in the ATB Financial All-Albertan Songwriting contest, with her original song, "Heaven in the Pines."{{cite web |title=SYKAMORE BIO |url=http://projectwildcountry.com/2016-artists/sykamore/ |website=Project Wild |access-date=28 October 2018}} Her song I Can Make You Happy was featured on Season 8 of the Canadian television series Heartland. In 2015 she was nominated for the Canadian Country Music Association Discovery Award.
In 2017, Sykamore signed with Home Team Publishing in Nashville after being discovered on Twitter by Rhett Akins, one of the company's co-founders along with his son Thomas Rhett. Reflecting on how he discovered Sykamore, Akins was quoted as saying, "I read her name, I was curious...I saw her face, I was intrigued...I heard her voice, I was done." On 19 June 2019 it was announced that Sykamore had signed a record deal with Music Knox Records, a joint venture between producer Michael Knox and Broken Bow Records/BMG. Sykamore was the first artist to sign with the label partnership. In an article in Music Row Magazine, Knox was quoted as saying, "We couldn’t be prouder to have her as our first signing. When I first heard Sykamore, her voice grabbed my attention immediately. Being a song guy, when I found out that she was a writer on everything I was hearing, it was a no brainer for me."{{cite web |last1=Nicholson |first1=Jessica |title=Music Knox Records Makes Initial Artist Signing With Sykamore |url=https://musicrow.com/2019/06/music-knox-records-makes-initial-artist-signing-with-sykamore/ |website=Music Row Magazine |date=19 June 2019 |access-date=20 June 2019}}
On 3 April 2020 Sykamore released California King on Music Knox Records/Wheelhouse Records/BMG. Writing in American Songwriter, journalist Joe Vitagliano described the EP as "a five song breeze which is as relatable and funny as it is intimate and personal."{{cite web |last1=Vitagliano |first1=Joe |title=Sykamore: Canadian Songwriter, Meets Nashville Royalty, and Creates a 'California King' |url=https://americansongwriter.com/sykamore-rhett-atkins-california-king-album/ |website=American Songwriter |date=4 April 2020 |access-date=5 April 2020}} Parade Magazine published an article about the first track on the collection, "Record High," where Laura B. Whitmore wrote, "Free-spirited and dance-inducing, “Record High," the new single by Nashville artist Sykamore, is a tune to lift your mood and prepare you to take on the world. With a twangy twist of country and pop, "Record High" is a soaring, morning shower sing-along anthem to take on the day."{{cite web |last1=Whitmore |first1=Laura B. |title=Need an Uplifting Song to Sing in the Shower? Sykamore's 'Record High' Could Be It! |url=https://parade.com/1018826/laurawhitmore/sykamore-record-high/ |website=Parade Magazine |date=3 April 2020 |publisher=AMG/Parade |access-date=5 April 2020}} In various interviews promoting the release, including one with the Calgary Herald, Sykamore hinted a full length album, that will include the songs from the EP, was on the horizon.{{cite web |last1=Volmers |first1=Eric |title=Alberta expat Sykamore makes waves in Nashville with major-label debut, California King |url=https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/music/alberta-expat-sykamore-makes-waves-in-nashville-with-major-label-debut-california-king/ |website=Calgary Herald |publisher=Postmedia |access-date=5 April 2020}}
On 2 May 2020, Sykamore contributed an article to Variety about the effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on her career and personal life. "I decided to release new music during this weird time — though it was a scary decision to make. Trying to promote a five-song EP during the biggest economic upset in 100 years is uncharted territory. In some respects, the term 'the show must go on' has taken on a whole new meaning. We are living in a 'new normal' — one that involves a lot of 'making the best of it.'" She continued, "I’ve uncovered a surprising truth: the world is smaller. This virus has forced us as a planet to completely unite...I used to see life in five-year plans. Nowadays, it’s in days — even hours. I go for walks, I promote my ‘California King’ EP on Instagram live, and I make turkey chili. I find things I CAN do in a sea of things I have no control over."{{cite web |last1=Ostrom |first1=Jordan |title=Corona Chronicles: Arianna Huffington Raises Money for First Responders, Stars Use TV and Movies as Escapism and Other Personal Stories |url=https://variety.com/2020/biz/news/coronavirus-hollywood-ariana-huffington-penny-dreadful-1234595989/ |website=Variety |date=2 May 2020 |access-date=4 May 2020}}
Sykamore wrote and sang with Ryan Kinder on "Doing Fine" from his planned collaborations album called Ontology. The track was released digitally on 16 October 2020. Critic Robert Oermann wrote in Music Row Magazine, "This is a fiery male-female duet performance that builds in intensity as it unspools. One person can’t move on if the other person doesn’t hurt as badly. I have always liked this guy’s singing, and he’s just as potent with a harmony partner. Sykamore was discovered and brought to Nashville by Rhett Akins. She’s a winner, and this is definitely worth your spins."{{cite web |last1=Oermann |first1=Robert K. |title=DISClaimer Singles Reviews: Lee Brice, Miranda Lambert, Jaden Hamilton, And More |url=https://musicrow.com/2020/10/disclaimer-singles-reviews-lee-brice-miranda-lambert-jaden-hamilton-and-more/ |website=MusicRow.com |date=22 October 2020 |publisher=Music Row Magazine |access-date=4 December 2020}} A music video for the song premiered on CMT 1 December 2020.{{cite web |last1=CMT.com Staff |title=Ryan Kinder and Sykamore Are "Doing Fine," Unless… |url=http://www.cmt.com/news/1827953/ryan-kinder-feat-sykamore-doing-fine/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128011527/http://www.cmt.com/news/1827953/ryan-kinder-feat-sykamore-doing-fine/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 January 2021 |website=CMT.com |publisher=CMT |access-date=4 December 2020}}
On 4 December 2020, Sykamore released her version of the holiday song "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve."{{cite web |last1=Remz |first1=Jeffrey B. |title=Sykamore wonders "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" |url=https://www.countrystandardtime.com/news/newsitem.asp?xid=11495 |website=Country Standard Time |access-date=4 December 2020}}
In August 2022, Sykamore independently released her debut album Pinto.{{cite web|url=https://canadianbeats.ca/2022/08/16/sykamore-releases-her-debut-album-pinto/?amp=1|title=Sykamore releases her debut album, Pinto|first=Nanci|last=Dagg|work=Canadian Beats Media|date=August 16, 2022|access-date=August 21, 2022}} The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2023 Country Music Alberta Awards.
Discography
=Studio albums=
=Extended plays=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| style="width:20em;"| Title
! style="width:25em;"| Details |
|---|
| scope="row"| Self Help + Medicine
|
|
| scope="row"| California King
|
|
| scope="row"| Through the Static
|
|
=Singles=
==Promotional singles==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| style="width:18em;"| Title
! Year |
|---|
| scope="row"| "Record High"
| rowspan="2"| 2020 |
| scope="row"| "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" |
| scope="row"| "Cheap Thrills"
| rowspan="3"| 2021 |
| scope="row"| "Stay Broke" |
| scope="row"| "Go Easy on Me" |
| scope="row"| "Just 4 July"
| 2022 |
| scope="row"| "Emotional"
| 2024 |
==As featured artist==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| style="width:18em;"| Title
! Year |
|---|
| scope="row"| "Doing Fine" {{small|(Ryan Kinder featuring Sykamore)}} | 2020 |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" | |||||
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated Work | Result | {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023
| Country Music Alberta | Album of the Year | Pinto | {{nom}} | {{Cite web|url=https://frontporchmusic.ca/cmab-awards-nominees-winners/|title=Nominees Announced for the 2023 CMAB Awards: Celebrating the Best in Alberta Country Music!|website=Front Porch Music|first=Logan|last=Miller|date=February 7, 2023|access-date=February 9, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://frontporchmusic.ca/cmab-awards-nominees-winners/|title=The 2023 CMAB Awards: Winners And Show Highlights|work=Front Porch Music|date=April 3, 2022|first=Logan|last=Miller|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407182946/https://frontporchmusic.ca/cmab-awards-nominees-winners/|archive-date=April 7, 2023}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.sykamoremusic.com}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:People from Wheatland County, Alberta
Category:Canadian women country singers