Sykamore wows with natural talent

Times Reporter    

 

Soulful, that was the word that came to mind when I first heard local musician Sykamore on Canada Day. Jordan Ostrom, 24, is a rising star in the music industry. Her strong lyrics coupled with amazing vocals makes you want to sit back, close your eyes and enjoy the sounds the singer is belting out.  

Thanks to a connection with Pulse band member Paul Sonsteby, Ostrom was invited to play at the celebrations. 

“He is such a fan and he’s so great that in a way I wasn’t surprised because he is very willing to help me out whenever I need it and he’s pretty reliable. I was very grateful for sure,” said Carseland native Ostrom. 

Last summer she released her 10 track album Petal, and hopes to release her next one either late this year, or early 2015. Ostrom wrote all the tracks herself, which are a mix of country, folk and almost a pop feel that you can instantly connect to. 

Ostrom had always planned to use the name Sykamore if she went solo, though originally she had planned to use the proper spelling of the tree name. 

“I like the name because it’s indicative of the tree, and I like to think my music is organic, grown-from-the-ground, strong, all the same traits you would associate with the sycamore tree. I also like that ‘Amore’ is part of it; so in a way, the name could associate with being love sick,” said Ostrom. 

Trying to decide who lends influence and inspiration to her sound is tough for the artist. She listens to many different genres including rock, classical, R&B and of course country, but she also looks up to songwriting heavyweights like Patty Griffin, Jackson Browne and T Bone Burnett. These days Ostrom said she is really enjoying Eric Church’s The Outsiders and Nickel Creek’s new record A Dotted Line. 

“My favourite kind of music is authentic, it’s not necessarily one genre as long as you can tell it’s from the heart and very organic that’s my favourite kind,” said Ostrom. 

She has been singing for as long as she can remember, and when she was 19 she taught herself how to play guitar.  

“I think for a long time I kept fooling myself because I just kept thinking I would just have to do it as a hobby and sort of make my peace with that,” said Ostrom. 

“The thing that motivates me every day is that I know that I don’t want to do anything else and so if I tried to do anything else I know I’d feel unfulfilled.”  

At this point she is focusing solely on her music, making it a full time venture. She has enough happening with her career that she is staying busy and doesn’t have a lot of expenses to worry about, but does hope to be more successful in the future. This year a big part of her focus is working with her manager Neil MacGonigill, who managed Jann Arden for 13 years, to help spread her name and her sound. 

Ostrom will be heading to Nashville in September where she plans to cut her next record. She has a single coming out called ‘When I’m With You;’ the date isn’t definitive yet, but check out her Facebook page, Sykamore, to find out when the release date is and to keep on top of all of the cool stuff that she is up to. Two of her tracks from the Petal album, Oklahoma and Slow Dancing, can be found on the website www.sykamoreproject.com.