Sylvee is set to release her third EP, Tender, on June 5, 2026
Featuring previously released singles “Ice Grit,” “Before I Met You,” and “Hell of a Man”, Tender marks a defining moment in Sylvee’s artistic evolution. Tender is a record that feels like Sylvee at her core. Her ability to write cross-genre (Country, Pop, Drum & Bass, Folk, Rock, Alternative) is a testament to her skill and experience, but this project “has been the most fulfilling and natural to explore” says Sylvee.
The six tracks are a dusty, cinematic kind of country-pop that feels like highway lights bleeding into rain on the windshield, or sitting outside long after everyone else has gone to bed because your thoughts are too loud to sleep through.
There’s heartbreak here, but not just romantic heartbreak. There’s the ache of trying to understand your own mind. The tension between tenderness and survival, and the weight of generational strength. Some songs smoulder. Some unravel slowly. Some feel like confessions you weren’t supposed to overhear. There’s a rawness to the project that feels lived-in rather than polished. Imperfect vocals kept for emotion, home-recorded moments left intact, and stories told exactly as they happened.
From the restless pull of “Ice Grit” to the vulnerable spiralling of “What I’m Talking About,” and the weathered warmth of “Grace Over Hurt,” the EP moves like a series of late-night thoughts you can’t outrun. A record more interested in honesty than perfection. Tender feels rooted in modern country storytelling, but there’s an understated intimacy running through it that gives the project its own space: raw around the edges, feminine without fragility, and deeply human.
It’s the kind of record that belongs on long drives, quiet nights, heartbreak playlists and healing playlists all at once. Equal parts grit and vulnerability, chaos and comfort.
“Ice Grit,” released in June 2025, introduced this new chapter with drive and vulnerability, landing editorial and curated playlist support. “Before I Met You” (November 2025) expanded her reach surpassing 55.9K+ streams also earning further editorial and curated playlist support, including placement on Air New Zealand’s “Runway Tracks”. With the third single “Hell of a Man” (April 2026) following, those singles are continuing to build and resonate strongly with audiences for their honesty and emotional depth.
The final three tracks on Tender reveal the true heart of the EP.
“What I’m Talking About” is a strikingly candid reflection on navigating previously undiagnosed ADHD during a pivotal life transition. Written primarily by Sylvee and brought to life with long-time collaborator Joel Jones, the track captures the internal chaos behind a composed exterior. With lyrics like “I know I look like I know what I’m doing / But I don’t”, the song offers a rare and relatable window into neurodivergence, self-doubt, and the struggle to keep up.
This song feels like trying to hold yourself together in a room full of people while your mind is running in ten different directions at once. It captures the quiet panic of overthinking every interaction, struggling to focus, masking confusion and feeling disconnected from everyone around you, all while looking “fine” on the outside. Driven by conversational lyrics and emotionally charged country-pop production, the track turns neurodivergence and anxiety into something deeply human and relatable. It fits naturally within introspective country-pop, alternative country, mental health-focused playlists, indie singer-songwriter spaces and emotionally vulnerable modern folk-pop.
“Grace Over Hurt” stands as one of the EP’s most emotional moments, a tribute to Sylvee’s mother. Written by Sylvee and produced with Aaron Clarke (Mountain Boy), the track embodies themes of compassion, resilience, and generational strength. The song carries an added layer of meaning: Sylvee recorded the vocals at home while pregnant, even capturing a moment speaking to her baby in the womb. “It felt right to leave that in,” she shares. “This song is about my mum, and I’m about to begin my own journey into motherhood.”
It’s the kind of song that makes you think about the people who shaped you and choosing softness in a hard world. It feels deeply rooted and timeless, combining heartfelt Americana textures with emotional country storytelling. The song belongs in Americana, acoustic country, reflective folk-country and emotionally grounded storytelling playlists that focus on healing, family and human connection.
Closing the EP is “In the End,” a reflective and cinematic track written during a studio session with Joel Jones, inspired by the rugged, emotional landscape of Yellowstone. The song explores the journey from youthful idealism to hard-earned understanding, ultimately landing on a simple but powerful truth: “In the end, all you needed was the love.”
This is the song that plays after the dust settles. When you’ve lived enough to know life doesn’t turn out the way you imagined, but somehow that’s not the tragedy you thought it would be. “In the End” feels expansive, weathered and cinematic, blending western-inspired country with reflective storytelling about anger, mistakes, survival and love. It’s the soundtrack to long drives, open landscapes and moments where everything finally starts making sense. The track fits naturally within Americana, modern western, cinematic country, reflective road-trip playlists and emotionally driven singer-songwriter spaces.
During the writing process of this EP, Sylvee immersed herself in country influences, listening almost exclusively to artists such as Joshua Slone, Morgan Wallen, Ernest, Ella Langley, Lacey Kaye Booth and Kacey Musgraves, a deep dive that helped shape the sound and storytelling style.
“When I started writing in this genre back in 2023, Hell of a Man was one of the first songs I wrote” says Sylvee. “I remember telling Joel (Jones) that I wanted to write a country project, and he was enthusiastically all for it”.
The majority of the tracks also feature Tom Broome and Neil Watson, both touring musicians for Tami Neilson, adding an authentic country texture with live drums and pedal steel.
At a time where polished perfection feels increasingly disconnected from real life, Sylvee offers something deeply human. A body of work that’s about surviving hard seasons without losing softness. With Tender, Sylvee isn’t just stepping further into country music, she’s carving out a space within the genre that feels entirely her own.