Q&A: soyr on Polishing and Finding His Own Sound
WRITTEN BY GINGER
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Photo by Bwoah
Music has always been a part of soyr’s life ever since he started his piano lessons at 6-years-old. Other instruments that he learned throughout his years included the clarinet, saxophone, guitar and even a brief stint with the French horn. With that knowledge in his pocket, he started posting covers on TikTok in 2024 with “Cigarette Daydreams” by Cage The Elephant being his first video.
Not long after, at the Wallows concert for their Model Tour, a lightbulb formed in soyr’s mind. “Why can I not do that?” soyr recalls.
“Seeing them on stage made me realize how just how much I want to do that myself,” says soyr. And so he did. He started posting his own music on TikTok that he wrote in his dorm room at the University of Washington while still sprinkling in some covers.
Today, soyr has officially released multiple singles, including “Get Me There,” “Wait For Me,” and “Blush.” Each of them has its own unique groovy melody that blends indie pop and alternative R&B, creating a sound that is both intimate and effortlessly catchy for listeners.
Life on Jupiter had the chance to speak with him on his entire journey and what’s next. Read our full conversation with soyr below.
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LIFE ON JUPITER: Thanks for chatting with us! How did you come up with the name soyr?
SOYR: I was really inspired by what Joe Keery did with his artist name Djo, and its simplicity really spoke to me. My name is Sawyer, but with soyr, I really liked how subtle it feels, which is perfect because I want my music to speak for itself.
You’ve covered Malcolm Todd on your TikToks, and I’ve noticed some of your comments have mentioned him in your videos too - would you say he is your biggest influence in music? What other musicians are your inspirations?
SOYR: Malcolm Todd is definitely my biggest influence, but recently I’ve been taking influences from a ton of different artists as well. Notable ones include Dijon, Steve Lacy, Dominic Fike, Clairo, Jack Murnin, Jackson Marshall, Troy Javelona, and Lucaa.
Guide us through your process. How does a song come to you?
SOYR: The chord progression is the first step to it all, followed by the lyrics, whether it’d be on my notes app or my notebook. From there, I do my best to produce it on Logic Pro and let the song evolve with how it feels emotionally.
I’m sure your talents with all the instruments must help you tremendously in the process as well.
SOYR: I wish I could play all the instruments that are in the songs. I do have a MIDI keyboard that helps with the instruments within the singles, but the drums are something I’d love to learn and get my own set someday.
Not to make you choose between your singles, but which one is your personal favorite?
SOYR: I think “Blush” is my favorite single because I was able to achieve a more personal and emotional writing component in the process compared to the past, and upon its completion, I felt super proud of it. The song was inspired by Dijon’s sound in “Devotion,” and the entire process took three months.
It may not have the trendiest sound, but to me, it is beautiful in its own way.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it?
SOYR: I would describe it as capturing the feeling of being young and always transitioning from one thing to another. It’s a lot of falling in love and falling out of love–never polished, but all the hard-hitting feelings are there.
What is your biggest “small win” so far?
SOYR: Seeing the growth of “Get Me There.” I actually produced, mixed and mastered it in about three days. The verse and chorus were actually free-styled when I was in the moment.
It’s definitely been a wonderful journey just being able to release my passion and music to the world, but seeing the numbers climb up for “Get Me There” showed me just how many people are actually interested in seeing my work.
It made me realize what I was capable of on the more technical aspects of creating streaming music, but fundamentally, that I had all the tools I needed: making art.
What is coming up next for you?
SOYR: I’ve got a music video for my song “Get Me There” coming out in a few weeks, and in the process of making “Wait For Me,” I decided I wanted to make an album that will be dropping in the coming months.