If Echosmith’s ‘Cool Kids’ is the older, indie-pop-driven group assignment you did with your siblings, then lead-singer-slash-keyboard-instrumentalist Sydney Quiseng’s solo side project is what happens once you get a little adventurous on your own. Jumping off the back of her debut EP last year, PHASES—released the day she found out she was pregnant—to now, with her sophomore EP, That’s My Baby!, recorded while she was pregnant and released a mere few days out from giving birth, Sydney’s not so much finding work-life balance as she is speedrunning it. She’s paving the way for women everywhere with a simple message: you can do both, and be many things all at once—even if one of those things is “nine months pregnant in a recording booth.”
We spoke to Sydney about the making of the EP, how her life parallels Gilmore Girls, and so much more.
Your release cycles have coincided with some major life milestones recently—congratulations on both! Do you feel like there’s been a sense of serendipity in how your personal and creative timelines have aligned?
Thank you! Absolutely. Making music feels like such a great marker in time, so it’s amazing to see how life unfolds alongside it. I found out I was pregnant the day my first EP, PHASES, came out, and now I’m releasing That’s My Baby! just 12 days before my due date.
I’ve also been getting into gardening, so I decided I would plant something on the day a project comes out into the world, so I can see one day how much both me and the plant have grown since. When PHASES came out, I planted a peach rose, and I plan to plant something special when That’s My Baby! comes out.
Releasing music during such a deeply personal chapter is powerful, and it gently challenges the long-held idea that women must choose between career and motherhood. How has this season shaped the way you think about balance, creativity, and ambition?
I really wanted to release music during this time exactly because of that. I’ve had moments along the way where I thought I’d have to choose between my career and motherhood, but it’s been special to see what it feels like to pursue both and be open to what that might look like. Being pregnant has certainly forced me to slow down and prioritize my health in a new way, and I’m grateful for that. I hope I can keep finding balance as I navigate being both a mother and an artist.
You revealed your baby’s gender at an intimate show, which felt like such a special, communal moment. What has helped you build that sense of trust with your audience, and how does that closeness influence the way you show up on stage?
The fact that ‘Cool Kids’ was the song that introduced us to the world really motivates me to be candid with my fans. So many people have shared deeply personal stories with me about how they relate to that song and others, and that just makes me want to keep being honest in my lyrics, because it helps all of us to know that we’re not alone.
Your debut EP, PHASES, felt rooted in self-discovery, while That’s My Baby! radiates a more settled sense of joy—though songs like ‘Bad Habit’ and ‘When A Good Thing Ends’ feel like beautiful intersections of both worlds. What do you see as the defining thread that separates and connects these two projects?
My solo project has felt like opening up parts of my journal, and I love that you can feel that on both EPs. PHASES captured this special time in my life where I was stepping out on my own for the very first time, and That’s My Baby! reflects where I’m at now – a lot more sure of myself and where I want to go. Writing and recording has become my favorite part of being an artist, so I think you can really hear how much I love what I get to do on this series of songs.
You collaborated with a range of producers on this EP—bringing back Oscar Charles from PHASES, and working with Phil Barnes (Taylor Acorn) and Todd Lombardo (ROLE MODEL). What did that variety of creative voices bring out in the final sound of the EP?
I’ve written songs with Oscar, Phil, and Todd on my many trips to Nashville over the years, so I loved getting to complete this EP with such great collaborators. I’m a true fan of all three of them, so it was easy and fun to complete them together. ‘Coffee Shop in Kyoto’ and ‘When a Good Thing Ends’ had such a great feeling the day we made the demo and wrote the songs, so I was really excited to finish those songs with the people I wrote them with.
There’s a recurring coffee-shop motif across your work—from ‘Leftover Coffee’ on PHASES to ‘Coffee Shop in Kyoto’ on That’s My Baby! It almost feels like a character arc (very Gilmore Girls–coded): one song steeped in comparison and restlessness, the other grounded in gratitude and timing. What helped you bridge that emotional shift?
I love Gilmore Girls, so I’m obsessed with that comparison. I started drinking coffee to try to beat jet lag when I was on tour at 17 or 18. Then, when my husband and I started to travel for fun, I slowly became obsessed with finding the best local coffee shop wherever we were – whether it was Japan or Arkansas. Making coffee at home with my espresso machine has also become quite the ritual for me. I really appreciate the craft and culture of coffee, so it naturally has become a throughline in my music. ‘Leftover Coffee’ represents the grind of life that’s unavoidable at times, and ‘Coffee Shop in Kyoto’ signifies a sense of home no matter where you are.
You weave Japanese lyrics and phrases into ‘Coffee Shop in Kyoto,’ and you’ve spent a lot of time there over the years. Are there any Japanese artists or cultural influences that have found their way into your creative world?
I listen to a lot of chill, instrumental music when I’m home. I love listening to soundtracks by Joe Hisaishi (Japanese composer for most Hayao Miyazaki films). I actually walked down the aisle at my wedding to something written by him, so that music is very sentimental for me.
The way you lean into the pronunciation of “That’s my baby!” on ‘That’s My Baby! (On Main Street)’ is such a joyful moment. Are there any other lyrics on the song that feel especially meaningful—or just really fun—to perform?
“Kissing you under this full moonlight” is a fun lyric because it feels like a bridge between PHASES and That’s My Baby! I love being fully unplugged in nature with my husband, and that line reminds me of late-night beach walks under the moonlight with him.
I love how playful “It’s a real short drive when you’re loving me hard” is. We’ve done a lot of road trips in our 10-year relationship, and even the drive feels fun because we’re together.
Closing the EP with ‘Bloom’ feels intentional, like a final moment of growth and arrival. When did you know that was the right note to end the project on?
Because this EP is coming out right before I become a mom, I knew I wanted to end the project with that feeling of growing into who you’re meant to be. Usually, deciding the sequence of a project can feel daunting, but this time around, I was able to decide it months ago and not even second-guess it. This series of songs starts with a joyful, upbeat feeling and lands at a moment of clarity and confidence in where I’m standing now.
Finally, we have to sneak in a question because we’re a) obsessed with ‘Cool Kids’ like every other functioning human being and b) jealous that you got to experience that moment as part of Echosmith! What was it like performing the song with Taylor Swift on The 1989 World Tour all those years ago?
It was so fun! Taylor is so sweet and really welcomed us with open arms. Hearing 60,000 people sing your song back to you was insanely surreal. We made a lot of great memories together 🙂
What’s the song off That’s My Baby! that makes you want to plop on a cowgirl hat and line dance to it down at the dive bar? Let us know on our socials—Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook—because we’re just as obsessed with Sydney’s new EP as you are.
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