SIRENS OF LESBOS
A night of global music at Sidney & Matilda
19 June | 20:00 | Sidney & Matilda
Spanning borders, genres and eras, Sirens Of Lesbos have pinpointed a sound that is unlike any other. The Swiss collective, which is led by sisters Jasmina and Nabyla Serag, has so far released two albums featuring high-profile artists such as American rapper JID and Grammy winner and P-Funk legend Bootsy Collins.
The band, whose members hail from diverse backgrounds including Sudan, Eritrea, and Sri Lanka, amongst others, showcased their latest album 'Peace' at the London Jazz Café last autumn. Since then, they've gained prominence as a noteworthy newcomer in the English concert promoter scene.
Please Note
This event is part of ‘a night of global music at Sidney & Matilda’.
Full schedule for the evening:
7pm, The Gallery - Soumik Datta/The Green Room Collective
8pm, The Warehouse - SBC Theatre
9.30pm, The Gallery - Sirens of Lesbos
To gain entry to the whole night, you can purchase a combi-ticket.
About Sirens of Lesbos
The band’s journey up to this point has been somewhat unconventional. Made up of producers Melvyn Buss and Arci Friede, vocalists – and sisters – Jasmina and Nabyla Serag, and art director Denise Häberli, to resemble something like a non-dysfunctional family, the group emerged out of Switzerland’s music scene. Back in 2013, Jasmina, Melvyn and Arci first found recognition via a self-imposed challenge to write an Ibiza hit. They succeeded – Long Days, Hot Nights, which received remixes from Claptone and Fred Falke – was at the centre of a major label bidding war, and they signed with Sony.
“It was like two drunken teenagers getting married in a Las Vegas chapel... once we sobered up, we both realised that we were not meant for each other,” Friede says of inking the deal. Realising they wanted to make music that truly reflected their passions, and their deep love of music, they decided to carve out their own path, away from the music industry’s inner sanctum. The other two members came on board, and the quintet was born.
Having not been classically-trained, the band’s methods have always relied on intuition and a natural feel for what sounds good. Their sound soaks up influences from a wide breadth of listening, securing a reputation for their groove-laden sounds that span hip hop, R&B, disco and more. Fans of the Sirens Of Lesbos project include Fraser T. Smith, who follows them on Instagram, Don Letts (who described the band as a “firm favourite”), 1Xtra’s Jamz Supernova, Mixmag, Spotify’s ultra-smooth Butter playlist, Complex and many more. Then there’s JID, Earthgang and J. Cole super-producer Christo, who reached out to the band a few years back.
Peace is their second full-length, following their 2020 debut Sol, which was hailed by Loud and Quiet as a “dynamic debut [that] presents endless promise and potential in Sirens Of Lesbos’ artistry” and has racked up tens of millions of streams. It comes at a moment of worldwide strife; of political upheaval, climate disaster and financial hardship, capturing moods and moments in time, discussions they’ve had and books they’ve read, using symbolic language in the lyrics. It casts a critical gaze over society and asks questions, “in a way that speaks to everyone,” they say. “Or everyone in our bubble, at least!”
The band are no strangers to collaboration, having previously worked with Atlanta rap star JID on Like Some Dream and Theodor Black on Palm Trees. Their second LP sees them on a similarly collaborative path, tapping Flatbush Zombies’ Erick the Architect, Washington DC’s dreamcastmoe, poet-cum-singer Joshua Idehen and Treasure Bloom. Not to mention bonafide bass legend Bootsy Collins. “Songs of his are songs that have been some of my earliest memories of listening to music, so that’s crazy to me that he’s featured,” says Jasmina Serag. While Christo offers his co-production hand on Run Run Run and Everything.
The group’s inspirations reflect a vivid cultural experience, and they cite influences from novelist Aldous Huxley to Wu-Tang Clan to Fleetwood Mac. In the run-up to the album’s creation, the band listened to a rich variety of artists including Outkast, Tyler, The Creator, Talking Heads and lesser-known mellow grime artist KwolleM.
Album single Sweet Harmony took shape after they heard The Beloved’s track of the same name. They gave the kitschy track a ‘90s feel and played around with the vocals, breaking things down into a drum ‘n’ bass section at one point. It’s in a similar vein to 2021 single I See Stars, a vocal rework of Supersempfft's 1980 track – and the German synth pioneers gave the band the nod of approval. Bowie adds some East Coast bounce to the record, After The Beep taps into the lineage of hip hop and My Bruddas In Arms takes its cues from neo-soul, in yet another example of the group’s versatility.
These moments of ecstasy and effervescent dancefloor joy provide a unifying call to arms amid mass political upheaval. The band wrote Sweet Harmony’s lyrics in the early days of Trump’s presidency, stunned that a despot like him could lead the quote-unquote Free World. “He’s a demagogue, he used the same ruthless tactics and spread the same hateful logic like some of the worst figures in history – it felt like World War III was around the corner,” they say.
Yet Peace isn’t all about division and disarray. It’s also about finding yourself amid chaos; of making diamonds out of rubble and finding joy and love in small moments. “Some of thelyrics are empowering – they’re about taking the time and having the courage to do so,” the band say. “And just being yourself and living your life.”
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£12 | £8 | £4
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Doors open - 20:00
Please note this is subject to change
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Sidney and Matilda
Rivelin Works, Sidney St
Sheffield S1 4RH -
14+
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Please note: this event will take place in The Gallery and is therefore not wheelchair accessible.
The Gallery has a stepped entrance, there are a total of 5 black steps with white contrasted step-edges.
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Sidney & Matilda is wheelchair accessible on the ground floor.
Their Gallery and Basement spaces are not wheelchair accessible.
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Wednesday 19th June, 2024 20:00 - 22:30
Tickets £12/£8/£4