Improved Article

In 2014, Sylvie created her YouTube channel, where she would upload covers and original music, as well as more personal content about her experiences with the mental illness known as Depersonalisation Disorder, or DPD. The combination of her ethereal sound and her lyrical honesty surrounding this lesser-known disorder gained her a small but devoted fanbase, and she’s become their symbol of hope through darker times.

Since the release of her debut album ‘i feel sick.’ last September, Sylvie has been on the road, touring globally to audiences of adoring fans. She took the time to come in and speak to us after the Asian leg of her worldwide tour, ‘F@!# My Feelings’, and we asked her what you wanted to know.

 

Q&A with Sylvie

 

Hi Sylvie! Thank you for coming in today!

It feels so weird to be here, I’ve read Violet since I was 14, I never thought I’d feature in an article! Thank you for having me!

 

So how’s the tour going?

Oh my gosh, honestly it’s so incredible. I love travelling and music and meeting my fans and it’s a combination of all my favourite things… it’s just such a dream come true. I love performing to stadiums full of fans, and hearing them sing back to me really helps me to live in the moment more.

 

Has there been anything that’s been difficult about going on tour?

Yeah, there’s been a couple of things that have been really hard. You don’t really get much time to yourself, and you don’t get much rest either. I’ve gotten really run down throughout the tour. There’s been days where I’ve felt so spaced out that I feel like nothing is even real, like I’m living in a dream almost. It’s been really hard to cope with, but when I perform it kind of pulls me back down to earth and grounds me a bit, like ‘it’s real! There are people and they’re here to see me and listen to my music!’  I feel like since I share a lot about my DPD people get a lot more of a realistic look into what it’s actually like to live with it. You don’t hear much about it, and it makes me feel better knowing that I can raise awareness of such an important issue while doing what I love.

 

How do you cope with the bad days?

I’ve started on some medication recently and it really helps me to just… function basically. I’ve found that it’s really important to take time for myself whenever I can, because I need to recover a bit between shows. I’ll spend a day just watching Netflix, doing facemasks, painting my nails, stuff like that, little gestures towards yourself that just kind of say ‘Hey. I’m taking care of you.’ I try and channel my feelings into my music, and since music has always kind of been my outlet, the shows are actually really helpful and therapeutic for me. When I hear people in the audience singing along especially, it just makes me think, like, maybe I’m not as alone as I feel. I think it’s the most authentic that I’ve been.

 

So how are you feeling about the future?

I’m really excited for the rest of the tour, but also grateful that I can take a break for a while. I’m looking forward to the US especially, and I’m really excited to meet everyone while I’m away, but in a way I’m happy that I’m going to be back in London for a bit. I’ve really missed my friends and my family, and it’ll be great to relax, at least for a bit. 

 

With a brand new album currently in the works and the remainder of her tour coming up, and despite her ongoing struggles with DPD, Sylvie’s future is bright and in the making.

‘If you ever need help, it’s so important to reach out,’ she commented. ‘Sometimes life just feels too much, and even though some days it can feel like you’re not a part of the world you’re living in and that nobody cares, I promise you that you are so loved. You can carry on.’

There are still some dates available for the United States leg of Sylvie’s tour, available on her website, www.sylviemusic.com. 

 

If you have been affected by any of the issues spoken about in this article, please call the Dissociative Disorders helpline on 1-800-950-6264.

 

Changes

• Changed ‘and the rest is history’ into something more specific
• Added name of album
• Expanded on Sylvie’s interaction with the magazine
• Described how Sylvie feels when performing and how she stays grounded
• Included how she feels about the impact of her music on discussion of mental health
• Changed reported speech near end into Q and A format

I hope that the changes that I have made have helped to fit the conventions of a Q and A article, as well as effectively conveying the correct tone for the piece.