Sydnee Albertson has a saw between her legs. She balances the wooden handle by pressing her knees together, posture perfect, in a chair onstage. She is the twenty one year old sawist for an Indie band named 'Apricot Blush'
Sydnee is petite at 5'3 with a tousled mane of blonde hair framing her pretty face. She's a powerhouse of energy. Her mannerisms are enthusiastic and direct which draw you in close. She speaks openly about her sobriety and how music helps her travel a sober and happier path of life. When she isn't working, she plays gigs. Tonight's show is in an intimate venue in Clemson, South Carolina named, Pablo. I arrived in Clemson early to scout the house. It didn't list a GPS address so my plan was to park where I thought the house might be, watching for a trail of musicians. I would just follow all the kids to the stage. The deal involves parking off main street. You walk up a few blocks to a residential neighborhood until you find Pablo. Sydnee and her boyfriend, Caleb walked down to meet me so we could go together. I thought it was funny we were strolling by houses in the dark while Caleb carried a gleaming three foot saw (She didn't have a case with her). No one in the neighborhood seemed to notice or care. The show tonight had a theme. Dress like a pirate! Sydnee wore stripes and a buccaneer bandana. Caleb sported an eye patch and a sailor shirt. They blended well with the swashbuckling privateers and bodiced shipmates. In the yard, pirates and musicians carried drums and rolled carts of instruments down a steep dirt hill. A large group was waiting by the door of the basement. These kids weren't rowdy or looking for trouble. They came for the music. They love music.
Sydnee patiently answers more questions and tells me how she started out, learning on a hand saw from her Granddads tool shed. The band who most inspired her is, 'Neutral Milk Hotel'. She described her collection of saws. These are specifically designed for playing. They're thinner and easier to bend into the curved S-shape but still sharp enough to cut. She's been sliced several times during wilder shows from fans moshing into band members. She has a 26" a 30" and currently favors a 36" Charlie Blacklock because it offers the best range. She prefers the Incredibow made with polymer hair instead of horse hair which breaks too easily.
It's almost 11 p.m. and Apricot Blush is taking the stage. I stay by Caleb. He's 6'2 and built like a linebacker. If anyone can keep the mosh pit back, it's going to be him. I know I won't get trampled by hipster pirates tonight. The fans stream in, filling all the space and the basement gets hot. The lead singer, Jackson warns about closing windows because the neighbors complain and report them for noise ordinance violations. But the show must go on.
Jackson calls for a chair for Sydnee and they all test mikes and amps. Her saw can be heard clearly. It's wavering pitches soar alongside vocals like a well practiced flight pattern. She rosins the bow, gently draws and violently pulls creating distorted vibrations. As she plays, the saw becomes an appendage, sending kinetic signals -- up, up and out through Pablo's roof -- up, up, and out -- high into the dark night sky where they rise and join, forming an orbit of sound particles from musicians all over the world playing tonight. This is why we all love music.
They play for almost an hour. But the back door of the basement opens, letting in a whoosh of cool air. LED maglites shine inside. The cops are here. The neighbors don't love the music.
Check out Apricot Blush and hear how Albertson makes the saw sing. Sydnee also recorded back up vocals on their latest album called, 'Where Blew a Flower' --
