SYKAMORE (aka Jordan Ostrom) is a recording artist and songwriter based in Calgary, Alberta who is poised to be one of Canada’s breakout country music stars of 2018. On January 5 SYKAMORE will release her second collection, a six-song EP entitled Self + Medicine through Road Angel Entertainment/Warner Music Canada. The EP is preceded by two singles “Houseboat” and more recently “Better Half,” which has garnered strong radio support since its release earlier this year. The video for “Better Half” directed by Brock Mitchell was released on December 29, 2017 to end her fruitful year with a bang.
Described by longtime Calgary music journalist Mike Bell as having “a voice that can melt a heart at a hundred paces,” SYKAMORE has used that voice to rack up an impressive amount of industry accolades and awards to date, including the ATB All-Albertan Songwriting Contest (1st place), Project Wild (2nd place), and the Canadian Country Music Association’s annual Discovery Program. Self-taught with a keen focus and sharp solo writing chops, SYKAMORE also recently signed on with Nashville-based Home Team Publishing after catching the ear of one of the company’s founders, Rhett Akins.
“SYKAMORE. That name grabbed my attention as I was scrolling through Twitter,” Akins says. “I had to check it out. I loved her music and style immediately. I’m excited we are able to bring her to Nashville to start the next chapter of her songwriting journey.” Home Team is co-owned by Akins, his son Thomas Rhett and Virginia Davis with partners Roc Nation and Warner Chappell Music Publishing.
“My goal with this EP was to challenge myself as a writer and show how much more focused my approach to the craft has become. This record contains my stories and journeys from the last three years, each song is a Polaroid of a moment,” said SYKAMORE. “Self + Medicine is my way of sharing who I’ve become since Petal in 2013. I’m incredibly proud and excited to share it on January 5th.”
Born in Carseland, Alberta SYKAMORE has spent much of the past two years travelling across Canada appearing at prominent summer festivals including the ultra-cool Interstellar Rodeo, Boots & Hearts and Cavendish and sharing bills with Canadian music heavyweights and JUNO winners such as Paul Brandt, Tebey, MacKenzie Porter, Lindi Ortega, and Adam Cohen. After attracting significant attention with her contest winning song “Heaven In the Pines,” SYKAMORE’s songs have been featured on the hit CBC TV show Heartland, and she was a nominee for the coveted CCMA Discovery Award in 2015.
With the release of Self + Medicine, SYKAMORE proves she is more than ready to take on Canada and the world.