He doesn’t speak Welsh and has only set foot in Wales once, but American singer-songwriter Brian Fennel—better known by his stage name SYML—has just dropped his third studio album under this distinctly Welsh alias.
SYML, meaning “simple” in Welsh, is a name Fennel chose as a tribute to his birth heritage. Though raised in Seattle and previously part of the indie band Barcelona, Fennel has always known he was adopted. At 18, he received his adoption records and discovered his birth parents were second-generation Welsh immigrants.
“In choosing a Welsh name, that was a bit of an honoring,” Fennel shared. “It’s saying, ‘this is where I come from,’ even if I don’t know all the details.”
His latest album, Nobody Lives Here, continues his exploration of identity, weaving themes of adoption, grief, and mortality into his signature cinematic and melancholic sound. For Fennel, songwriting has become a deeper form of expression than everyday conversation. “It’s becoming easier for me to write songs that dig deep compared to speaking about [my feelings] to even my partner or my kids,” he explained. “It is therapeutic to be able to pour it out.”
Fennel was adopted just three days after birth. His adoption file included a handwritten letter from his birth mother—a note that remains one of the most emotional pieces of his past. “I think one of the most gutting things was the blank spaces where my name was meant to go,” he recalled.
Despite never meeting his birth parents, Fennel embraced his Welsh lineage the moment he learned about it. “It was the first moment I was like, ‘I have a bit of a country of origin.’ I got a Welsh flag, Googled Welsh people, even got a tattoo that says echen, meaning family or tribe.”
He officially introduced the SYML persona in 2019 with his self-titled debut album. Since then, his music has resonated deeply with fans around the world. His current tour includes stops in New York, Seattle, Paris, and London, showcasing his global reach and intimate storytelling.
In 2019, Fennel made his first and only visit to Wales to perform at Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff. “I had this comical moment when I got out of the touring van and thought I should kiss the ground like I’d returned home,” he laughed. “Instead, it was just a car park—but the audience was amazing.”
During that show, he answered questions from the audience, including the inevitable one about his Welsh stage name. “I raised a white flag right away—‘I’m not Welsh, I’m not going to pretend to be’—but I explained why the name matters to me, and people really got it.”
Though he still doesn’t know many details about his birth family—like exactly where in Wales they were from—Fennel is gradually opening himself up to learning more. “Back in the ’80s, many adoptions in the U.S. were closed. Even today, I’d need my birth parents’ consent to access more records, and that’s never sat well with me.”
Part of him continues to shy away from the unknown. “I’ve always left books unfinished or avoided final episodes because I didn’t want to know the ending,” he said. “I think I guard myself, and I’m sure that comes from being adopted.”
Becoming a father to three children—ages 10, 8, and 3—has deepened his gratitude for both his adoptive parents and his birth parents. “When my son was born, he was the first blood relative I’d ever met. That filled so many voids I didn’t even know I had.”
Now, as a father and an artist, he’s finally ready to uncover more. “The longer I wait, the smaller the chances I’ll get those answers,” he said. “But I think I’m ready to dig in.”
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