Hot on the heels of a stellar collaboration with The Vaccines' Freddie Cowan, Bristol's emerging talent SIG SALI steps into 2025 with the dazzling new single 'Bad Man Horror'.
The track, which arrives as the first taste of his upcoming EP 'Chaos In My Mind', perfectly captures his knack for merging nocturnal synthwave textures with raw indie rock energy. With intricate synth arrangements and vocoder-kissed melodies weaving through punchy 808 beats, SIG SALI continues to carve out his own distinctive sonic territory.
We caught up with the producer-songwriter to dive into the story behind his unique sound and discover the influences that shaped his musical journey.
What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
It was actually the drums. When I was a kid, I used to set up bags of nappies and pretend they were a drum kit. Eventually, I got a proper kit and just went to town on it. But it didn’t take long before I switched to guitar – mostly because I realised guitarists got way more attention!
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
There’s VHS footage of me as a six-year-old standing on a wall in the garden, singing Westlife songs at the top of my lungs. At home, my parents played loads of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and AC/DC, so that stuff was always on in the background. Then, in school, it was all about Oasis – we all had the haircut. I was also really into indie bands like The Libertines, Courteeners, and The Twang. And yeah, I had a proper emo phase too, listening to Blink-182 and My Chemical Romance.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I can’t remember the exact first one, but I do remember buying a ton of CDs when I got my first car. I had a mix of stuff – Take That, Snow Patrol, and Bruce Springsteen were definitely in there!
What’s one song you wish you’d written yourself?
Oh, there are so many! Every time I hear a song I love, I’m like, “Right, I wanna write something like this!” Then I end up going down a rabbit hole trying to figure out how to do it. But if I had to pick one, I’d go with A Little Respect by Erasure. Such a tune.
Do you have any habits or rituals when writing new music?
Yeah, I’ve got some bad habits. I can’t just sit down and write whenever – I’ve got to be in the right headspace for it. I need to feel good about myself, like I’m coming from a place of confidence. Even then, I’ll record a cool idea, feel on top of the world, and then either completely overdo it until I ruin it, or just leave it unfinished for months – or even years.
Recently, I’ve made a new rule for myself: I only write in short bursts – just a couple of hours at a time – and stop when the idea’s in a good place. Then I come back to it later with a fresh perspective. It’s been helping a lot.
Who are your favorite artists right now?
I’m really into Synthwave at the moment, Electric Youth vibes and all that. I just throw on playlists and let it roll. I’ve also been finding loads of cool new artists on TikTok – some absolute gems like Ollie Wride, Rachel Croft, and Ryan Hall.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
It’s gotta be Taylor Swift. If you get the Swifties on side, you’re set for life.
What’s the most rewarding part of being a musician?
For me, it’s that buzz you get when you record a new idea. It’s so freeing. Weirdly, it’s not about finishing the song – by the time it’s done and ready to release, I’ve usually heard it so much I’m over it. But in the middle of creating something new? That’s where the magic is. A single melody or chord progression can completely change your mood, like you go from doubting everything to thinking, “Yeah, this is the one!”
And the most frustrating part?
Oh, where do I start? The costs? The lack of income? The fact that you’re competing with a billion other people trying to be seen and heard? The industry itself can be so frustrating – the way people act, how other artists treat you. I gave up on it a long time ago. Now, I just do it because I enjoy sharing my work with people, hoping it's something that resonates with them.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received as a musician?
Freddie, who co-produced the EP, pushed me so hard to finish it. He kept sending mixes back and telling me to just keep working on them. I was completely exhausted, but he said something that really stuck with me: “If you give it everything you’ve got – if you know you’ve poured all your energy into it and walk away knowing you couldn’t have worked any harder – then the numbers won't matter.”
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Stream 'Bad Man Horror' across all streaming platforms now