Sydney Stevenson
Canadian singer-songwriter Sydney Stevenson has a gift for turning life’s uncertainties into heartfelt, relatable songs. Blending intimate folk storytelling with warm pop melodies, her music captures the beauty of self-discovery, friendship, and learning to trust the journey.
Her new single, “Up to Fate (The Tarot Card Song),” is inspired by tarot rituals shared with friends in London and reminds us that not every answer needs to come right away. We caught up with Sydney to talk about the story behind the song, her creative process, moving from Toronto to London, and why sometimes the best thing we can do is simply leave it up to fate.
Photo credit: Alfred Wales
Congratulations on your new single, "Up to Fate (The Tarot Card Song)"! Can you tell us the story behind this song?
Thank you so much! I moved to London 5 years ago and really struggled at first finding my way in a big city and new country. In my third year I moved in with a really amazing group of friends. One of my (now best friends) would read our tarot cards at least once a week and it became a real ritual amongst us as a way to talk about things we were going through, life, love, and everything in between. I knew I wanted to write a song that centered this feeling of friendship, figuring things out in your 20s, and finding love. "Up to Fate" is really about those moments where you're sitting around with your friends trying to make sense of life, wondering if you're on the right path, and realizing that maybe you don't need to have all the answers yet.
You mention that tarot cards inspired the track. Have tarot readings played an important role in your personal life?
Tarot cards have been a tradition now for the last few years I’ve lived in London, where I’ll sit around with friends and we’ll chat it out over a reading and some good tarot guidance. Of course the ‘tarot cards’ as my friends say give to you the energy you give them, and you have to “take what resonates with you” which is one of the lines in the song. I think the writing process all came together for me when I knew I wanted to tie it all together with the lyrics of ‘up to fate’ because really so much of your 20s is finding yourself, but it is also trusting the process.
I think that’s why things like tarot and manifestation have become such a big part of conversations lately. There’s something really human about wanting a little bit of guidance or a reminder that you’re moving in the right direction. The cards become less about knowing exactly what’s going to happen and more about reflecting, trusting your intuition, and being open to whatever fate has in store.
The song explores trusting the journey rather than trying to control everything. Has this always been your mindset, or is it something you've learned over time?
I am someone that likes to pretend I can control things, the way my brain works I try to calm myself by pretending that I have control so it's definitely something I learned over time and am still learning. But, really what I learned from moving to a new city, being away from family, meeting new friends, and really jumping into the deep end is that we are all just learning to trust the process. Life always reminds you that you actually can't control anything, and I think that’s also where the lyric “manifest that s**t into your life” comes from. I feel like it is a cheeky way of understanding that we have to be intentional but also open to the things that come our way.
Moving from Toronto to London is a big life change. How has living in the UK influenced you both personally and creatively?
Moving from Toronto to London was definitely a big life change, but honestly, one of the best things I did when I got here was start going to open mics. It was partly because I wanted to share my music, but also because I wanted to meet people and find a community. It really helped me to step out of my comfort zone and really take a leap. What I love about the open mic scene in London, and especially North London is that a lot of people will play half or semi-finished pieces of work as a way to try them out and I feel like that creative honesty and rawness really inspired me to write more and not worry if it was complete or perfect before trying it out in a room full of strangers. I originally moved here to do my master’s and then I got a job working in the humanitarian sector while also pursuing my music. This also challenged me so much as a person and I feel it pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I think that's where a lot of the best creative moments come from.
Your music blends folk storytelling with catchy pop melodies. How would you describe your sound to someone discovering your music for the first time?
I feel that my music encapsulates folk storytelling and instrumental vibes with organic pop production. If you like artists like Gracie Abrams, Noah Kahan, or Lizzy McAlpine, I hope you'll find something familiar in my music. It has that folk backbone with witty, intimate songwriting, while still leaning into a warm, pop sound.
Many listeners may relate to the themes of self-discovery and resilience in your songs. What inspires you to write so honestly about your experiences?
For me, music has always been a way of making sense of my own experiences. I feel that when I am really honest to myself it is reflected in the music and lyrics. I actually sang this song in its original draft form at an open mic last year and it resonated so much with the crowd. After several people came up to say that they also felt the same way and resonated with the themes of learning to leave things up to fate I felt super inspired to record this one. I'm so excited that it's finally getting to be out in the world!
Which artists have shaped you the most as a songwriter?
Definitely Noah Kahan is one of my main inspirations for songwriting. I’ve been following him as an artist since 2018 and have always been grasped by the vulnerability and relatability of his lyrics and how it really feels like a pen to paper journal entry that comes to life not only in the incredible lyrics of his songs but also the way they build musically. The music deeply represents the feelings being expressed in the poetry of his writing, and I have always strived to create that kind of emotion and connection with my music. I also grew up listening to Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and a lot of classic rock which I feel has been influenced by songwriting. Their storytelling, honesty, and timeless melodies have really shaped the way I approach writing. This kind of honesty and creativity is what I strive for in my writing.
The production on "Up to Fate" feels warm and intimate while still sounding uplifting. What was it like collaborating with your production team on this release?
Working with the production team was so inspiring and fun for this project. Nina Sundstrom is the producer of this song and we also worked together on my single ‘Nostalgia’ that was released last year as well. Nina is an incredible artist and producer and is able to effortlessly capture the emotions of the song and lyrics. I feel that when we work together I am able to speak in those ‘emotions’ to help capture the sentiment of how I want the song to feel rather than describing it in strictly musical terms (which ends up creating lots of laughs on occasion). This is such a cathartic way to record music and it encapsulates what the lyrics mean into sound. I really wanted it to feel like you are grappling with all of the things you do in your 20s like love, life, wondering what your path holds and all of these sorts of questions in the verse. Then it moves to the chorus where you are trying to convince yourself to believe all of these things: ‘at least that's what I’ll leave up to fate.’ When the song heads to the bridge and outro I really wanted it to feel hopeful and like you are able to take the advice the tarot cards, the fates, or the signs are giving you and really just be in the moment. It was such a comfortable and freeing environment to be able to express this to Nina and work together to bring this out in the sound. The track is also mixed by Sophie Ackroyd and mastered by Izzy McPhee, who are both based in London and did an incredible job of bringing together this song and its feelings and emotions into the completion of this track.
And another fun thing is that in the outro of the song you can hear some talking/chanting/shouting and that’s actually me and my roomies I recorded chatting/doing tarot cards/laughing and wanted to include it in the song as a way to really capture the energy of being together with friends & navigating life.
The visuals surrounding this era are beautiful and full of symbolism. How involved were you in creating the artwork and overall aesthetic?
I wanted every visual to feel like an extension of the music and environment that inspired this song. I was very hands-on with the visuals and knew I wanted to have certain symbolism in the artwork but It was also important to me that my friends and community be part of building that world with me because they're such a big part of what this song represents. It was very serendipitous because one of my best friends Sarah Plenge is an incredible photographer based out of California. She happened to have a layover right around the time I was thinking about the artwork for this song - we basically had 24 hours together in London and we did an impromptu photoshoot with a point and shoot film camera in the garden. We had one roll of film to use and it involved all of my roommates, and of course the tarot cards, props, etcetera and it really came together through this communal version all while laughing and catching up which felt very on point and meaningful to capture the vibe of this song and what its meaning.
Looking back at the person you were a few years ago, what do you think she would say if she heard "Up to Fate" today?
I love this question so much because on birthdays I always ask friends and family what advice they would give to themselves 10 years ago, so I feel like it is now getting turned back to me. I really feel like in between the questions that this song poses, and the emotions of uncertainty expressed in the verses, the chorus really shares the tarot card wisdom I would give to my younger self. ‘Strong things take time’ and ‘take what resonates’ as well as the hook ‘at least that's what I’ll leave up to fate.’ All of these things I think my younger self needed to hear but I think she would be very excited to hear some of that wisdom is setting in as I try to put it into practice.
Is there a lyric from the song that feels especially meaningful to you? Why does it resonate so deeply?
I think the lyric, "strong things take time, don't leave it all behind," means a lot to me. It actually came from a tarot reading I had during a pretty big turning point in my life and career. The cards were basically telling me to stop trying to rush everything and to trust that the lessons would come when they were meant to.
What I loved, though, was the conversation that came after. We were all chatting in the kitchen about how everyone's always saying, "leave behind what doesn't serve you," but we started wondering what if some of those things are actually worth carrying with you? Even the hard experiences or super challenging chapters can teach you something. I’ve definitely carried this piece of wisdom with me. So this lyric is my little reminder that not everything has to be left behind.
What do you hope listeners will take away after hearing "Up to Fate (The Tarot Card Song)"?
I hope listeners of this song will relate to the feelings and ups and downs of truly learning to trust the process, but also I hope they take away the importance of friendship in every stage of your life. This song is really about accepting that not everything is within your control and that's okay - it's almost like a loving advice letter to myself to lean into what the tarot cards say. So much of this song was inspired by the people around me who reminded me to keep going and trust that things would unfold the way they were meant to, so I also hope listeners think about those people in their lives and the friendships and guidance that really make the biggest impact at different stages, both beautiful and challenging, in life.
What is the hardest part about being an artist? And what is the best part?
I think that the hardest part about being an artist is avoiding thinking from the perspective of people who are listening to your music and focus solely on the story you want to tell. I feel it's quite easy to write a song and then think about how people will hear the lyrics but I think there is so much beauty in the interpretation of the original inspiration.
Music has always been my biggest outlet. I was talking to my mom the other day who said if I had a bad day in high school I would go play my guitar and sing upstairs - but I would also do the same when I had a great day. I think it's such a beautiful outlet for all emotions. The best part about being an artist is having an outlet for all feelings, happy, sad, nostalgic, and all of the in between. I feel so lucky to have songwriting and playing music as a way to express myself throughout my life and also as a way to bring people together.
What's one thing about you that your audience might be surprised to learn?
I am a die hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan (ice hockey) - go Leafs go!! Since the UK is 5 hours ahead of Toronto, I’ve woken up in the middle of the night to watch games live, especially for the playoffs.
Finally, what can we look forward to next? More singles, an EP, live shows... or maybe something completely unexpected?
I’m so excited for the next steps of this journey. Definitely look out for more music to be released later this fall! I also have a gig in London on August 5th in Hackney and I’ll be playing lots of originals (and some unreleased!) as well as song bops to sing along to.
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