Sydney Miller prepares to take out the 'Trash' on dark, biting alt-pop single

Melbourne sonic experimentalist, Sydney Miller returns with a fiesta, adrenalising dark-pop track in ‘Trash’, which follows on from the release of the single, ‘Chains’ back in March.

The single is about reiterating to an ex-lover (or friend) that you are officially done with your relationship with them, despite their attempts to reconnect.

Sydney Miller once again explores the limits of sonic experimentation, blending with alt-pop on ‘Trash’ - a darker, biting ode to cutting ties in a relationship that is beyond over. Squelchy, pulsing, and filled with audio easter eggs in true Sydney Miller fashion (keep an ear out for the use of rubbish as percussive pieces), Sydney also adds vocal ferocity in a somewhat alluring way. ‘Trash’ is one hell of a dark pop kiss-off to garbage exes.

Speaking on the track, Sydney explores the motives behind the creation of ‘Trash’.

“Trash was a really fun track for me to write. I was able to push myself lyrically and contextually to a pretty audacious place that I hadn’t explored yet. It’s definitely more tongue in cheek than I anticipated - it certainly moved past my own actual feelings but it was exciting to build a narrative that could really motivate listeners to close the door on toxic situations for good. Like I really would love them to sing along and be like “you’re so right!! I don’t go back through my trash!!”

In typical Sydney Miller style, you can expect sounds of kicking metal cans and plastic bags littered through the instrumental of the track. The fruition of this enigmatic production technique and intrinsically colourful sound can be attributed to Sydney Miller’s unique creative approach, which she has retained since her very first release back in 2020.

“I always gather a collection of object recordings specific to the song I’m writing before I begin fleshing out the production. I accumulate audio samples that cover a range of textures, rhythms, harmonic/melodic qualities... to somewhat replace traditional instrumental sounds you would expect in a song - like drums, synth lines.

“After that, I’ll piece different things together until I figure out a beat or phrase I like. Then I’ll fill the gaps with synths, kick, and whatever else I feel like is missing. I’ll usually layer these with samples too though!”

This new release from Sydney exudes a newfound confidence in almost every aspect of her music making. Her relentless vocal performance, the authenticity and succinctness of her undaunted lyrics, and the precision in her production, come together to exhibit an almost anthemic and undeniably catchy track - whilst still exhibiting the quirkiness and vibrance of her existing discography.

This may be attributed to her recent experience writing and producing overseas. In November last year, Sydney received the opportunity to travel to Bali to collaborate with an impressive array of artists from worldwide, via the International Artist Habitat - with support from the VMDO. 2024 will not only see the release of more solo work, but also collaborative releases with international artists and producers including Alien Child, Lindon Carter (Carter and the Capitals), Jeremy Parkin (Jeremy Parkin, Local Boy), Leo Sudden, and Kiwat Kennell.

“I’m really excited for 2024 to share this new wave of Sydney Miller music. Thanks to IAH and the VMDO, I had the opportunity to collaborate with incredibly talented artists from around the globe. Not only was I able to co-write and feature on tracks of genres I typically wouldn’t, but I learned so much from my collaborators. I walked away with an abundance of new skills, and a newfound confidence. This definitely shines through in Trash, despite it being a solo release.”

‘Trash’ is out now on all streaming platforms.