Fresh from dropping her latest indie-pop gem, ‘Sylvia,’ we sat down with RSC to dive into the track and what’s shaping her sound.
Hailing from Virginia, the singer-songwriter channels her love for nature into her music, finding peace and creativity in the natural world.
After a tough period of depression, RSC returned home, where the calming presence of trees and sunlight helped her reconnect and heal.
“Sylvia” explores the uncertainty of life, drawing from Sylvia Plath’s allegory of the fig tree—caught between choices, frozen by indecision.
With her sound shifting toward indie-pop and rock, RSC’s journey is one of self-discovery and resilience, rooted in nature’s grounding force.
We chatted with her about her creative process, the meaning behind “Sylvia,” and the power of building a community through music.
Happy: What are you up to today?
RSC: I actually just finished a session with my producer! I’ve been in New York all week, checking out live shows, spending time with loved ones, and working through a new track.
This one really comes from a place of being sick of my own phone addiction hahaha, how it feels almost like I’m not myself, like I don’t let my other interests and passions flourish because I’m scrolling away most of the day.
I’m excited about it, I think it came out really well. Since we just finished up, I’m on my way to get some good food, which is my usual lil treat to myself after a long day in the studio.
Happy: Can you tell us a little bit about where you live, and what you love about it?
RSC: Yeah! I was born and raised in Virginia, and I think living here almost my entire life (minus a brief stint in NYC) has really ingrained in me a love for the natural world.
I feel so so at peace and comforted when I’m around a ton of trees. When I was going through the worst of my depression about 2 years ago, I had to move back home, and I can’t tell you how much it helped to just sit outside and watch the sun filtering through the leaves.
Like my brain felt like it was on fire and my body was on high alert all the time, but sitting outside felt like someone was blowing cool air over everything and just reminding me that good things still exist, and that the things I was stressing over maybe didn’t matter as much as they seemed to.
Happy: Can you tell us about your latest track Sylvia? What’s the inspiration behind it?
RSC: Sylvia was written about a year ago, and it started with a lot of questions I was asking myself about my life.
The core one being of course, am I brave enough to actually go after the life I want to live?
You know because, I was on this pretty practical path, I got my Bachelor’s degree at 20 years old, I went right into working in Marketing/ PR, then I moved to NYC for my big girl job in advertising and I just… I absolutely hated it.
I hated the kind of work I was doing, I was not at all cut out for the work hard/play hard culture, and it just really started to all unfold for me.
I realized I would have to make the leap from a regular job to the creative path I’d always wanted, I just didn’t know how or which path to take, since I paint and act as well, and I didn’t have any connections to the entertainment industry at all.
It all seemed so uncertain and I was afraid I’d mess something up or miss something I’d never be able to get back, so I wrote Sylvia around that, using Sylvia Plath’s allegory about the possible paths in life being like a fig tree (where she’s starving but can’t choose a fig so she stands there undecided and one by one they rot and become unchoosable).
At its core, it’s a song about hope and resilience.
Happy: What does your songwriting process look like? Do you have any particular routines or rituals you follow?
RSC: Sometimes it’s a legit purge, like I’ll get this huge wave of emotion or thoughts and I can only ride out the storm by writing through, and sometimes I’ll actually sit down and be like, okay what am I inspired by today, or what have I been thinking about a lot lately.
I have so many notes in my phone it’s actually nuts, because sometimes even a small sentence or a fun mixture of
words will pop up in my brain and I’ll have to write it down right away or I’ll forget it in like 5 minutes.
And when I go through periods where nothing’s coming, I just focus on other stuff and trust something will come along when the time is right.
Happy: How has your love for nature shaped your music and the themes you explore in your songs?
RSC: Hmmm, I think maybe at least in the writing, I definitely use a lot of natural imagery and symbolism.
I’ll write about decay, or dragging myself through mud when I’m desperate, or being in love with someone who is more like a summer storm than the summer sun.
Really the best way I know how to describe feelings or people is through a natural filter.
Happy: You talk about building a community through your music. What does that look like for you, both on and off stage?
RSC: GOD yes, my absolute dream is to build community. I grew up homeschooled and I’m neurodivergent, so I was always a bit weirder than other kids, and they made sure I knew it.
As I got older, I found little pockets of weird (which to me just equates to unapologetically themselves) folks, but because people move and circumstances change, I haven’t been able to really build community.
If my art can inspire people to be more themselves and they come to a live show a few years down the road or they meet other people online who resonate, and they find companionship and safety in that??
How beautiful that would be.
Happy: What can fans expect from you next? Are there any new projects or collaborations on the horizon?
RSC: I actually have a ton in the pipeline. I’m terrible about releasing because I get so bent out of shape about promotion, angsting about the details like visuals and music videos and whatnot.
Up to this point, I’ve made all my album covers myself, I’ve filmed and edited the music videos or visuals for socials with no budget, just me, my family, or friends, so yeah I get a bit anxious about how it’ll be received.
But I’m releasing a new single in about 3 weeks that will be titled “Ghost” and I’m really excited about the concept I’ve got for the visuals side of it.
Happy: How do you feel your sound has evolved since your earlier releases?
RSC: Definitely my sound has gotten a little more indie pop/ indie rock since now I use a lot of electric and bass guitar in my music, whereas before it was a bit more digital.
But I expect my sound to continue to evolve as I make more music because I’m so heavily inspired by contemporary R&B and blues. It’s a fun journey to be on for sure.
Happy: What advice would you give to emerging artists looking to find their own voice in the music scene?
RSC: Where I’m at currently is just finding the confidence to really let myself explore, so that’s what’s forefront on my mind.
Sing in your room or in your closet and just feel it out. But also, know that “failing” or not being perfect is actually a huge part of the process, and it’s a good thing.
When you find something you don’t like it’s just as good as finding something you do like.
Also, find someone to collaborate with, or a team of like minded creatives to help your ideas come to life.
Happy: What makes you happy?
RSC: I think I’m figuring that out still, honestly. I know tasty drinks and spending time with friends who are smart, funny, and empathetic makes me happy.
I know taking care of my physical health makes me better mentally. I know envisioning new projects gives me purpose.
I know caring and giving aid to others brings me fulfillment. But there’s so much in the inbetween and the unknown I have yet to explore and delve into and that I think is beautiful in and of itself.
We are constantly becoming, constantly reimagining ourselves, and I think we just have to remember we have the power to see it as work or we have the power to see it as fun.
Reframing your perspective makes a huge difference, I think.
Check out RSC’s “Sylivia” here.
