Biography
Skye was born on May 5, 1988, to Deirdre and Greg Sweetnam. She was named after the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Along with her sister, Aurora, and her brother, Cameron, Sweetnam was born and raised in the small town of Bolton, Ontario, where she studied dancing and singing from a young age. She began singing at the age of 5, performing for family members and friends only. By her early teens she had moved on to songwriting, and recorded a demo with the help of a local Bolton music school. Sweetnam was also a full-time Regional Arts Program student at Mayfield Secondary School in Caledon, Ontario, majoring in drama.
Noise from the Basement (2004–2005)
She worked with local producer and instrumentalist, James Robertson. Together, Robertson and Sweetnam worked on what would later become Noise from the Basement, her Capitol Records/EMI debut. The single "Billy S." appeared in July 2003 on the soundtrack to the movie How to Deal, and quickly took off in Canada. Two more singles were released from her debut and fared moderately on the charts. In 2004, Sweetnam went on tour over Europe and North America, as the opening act for Britney Spears on her Onyx Hotel Tour, although her performances were cut due to Spears' knee injury. In early 2005, the album was re-released with a DVD.
Various Soundtracks (2005–2007)
Skye eventually gained a bigger following with a younger crowd by doing theme songs for various television shows for children and teenagers, such as The Buzz On Maggie, Wayside, and Radio Free Roscoe, the latter of which she also guest starred on for one episode. Sweetnam then took part in five compilation albums for Disney: Radio Disney Jingle Jams, Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 8, DisneyMania 3, and DisneyRemixMania.
In 2006, Skye acted as the singing voice for Barbie in The Barbie Diaries. In 2006, she recorded the song "Boyhunter" in Simlish for the October 2006 release of The Sims 2: Pets. "Sugar Guitar" was featured in a Zellers commercial for the 2007 back to school season. It was also the 9th track featured in the Love For Nana - Only 1 Tribute CD for the Japanese comic Nana. Tim Armstrong and Sweetnam released the single "Into Action" in March 2007.
Sound Soldier (2007–2008)
On August 30, 2007, Sweetnam performed at the CD release party for dodger, her first live performance since her August 2005 Sea World gig, and her first live performance with her new band. She performed brand new material including "Boyhunter", her version of "Into Action", "Makeout Song", "Ghosts", and "Music Is My Boyfriend". All of the songs are included on her second album, Sound Soldier, which she describes as "Nine Inch Nails meets Britney Spears". The album was originally set for a spring release, but Capitol Records pushed the album back, partially due to re-structuring from its merger with Virgin Records. Their parent company EMI released the album on October 30, 2007 in Canada only, with the leading single "Human." Sweetnam was the opening act for Canadian Idol winner Kalan Porter on his 2007 tour. She then toured as part of the School Rocks Canada tour and then co-headlined a tour with Faber Drive from October - November 2007.
The album was released in Japan on February 14, 2008 as stated on her MySpace page, which also featured the bonus track "Girl Like Me".
In a recent video she posted on her Youtube page, "Skye Plays Dress Up 2.- Princess Purple", she showed previews of two new unreleased songs entitled "Heartbreak" and "Boomerang".
The music video for "Human" was nominated for a 2008 MuchMusic Video Award for Best Cinematography, but lost to Hedley's "She's So Sorry".
On April 25, 2009 Skye posted on her personal Twitter that she was at the studio. Previous to this, Skye also announced that she would be in the studio working on a new album. An unreleased song "Love Sugar Sweet" was featured in a video she posted on Youtube. On August 26, 2009 Skye posted on her twitter that she is recording vocals for a new single that will be released in Japan.
Skye provided vocals for the song "Where I Want To Be", a song on Jun Senoue's new album, The Works.
Sweetnam also recorded "Where I want to be" for Jun Senoue's album, The Works, and directed a music video for Leah Daniels' song "Northern Señorita" as well as for Ashes' song "Explode (Makes My Head)". Sweetnam also co-wrote two songs for Ashes.
2009–present: Sumo Cyco
Sweetnam began working on new music in 2009 and formed a new band, Sumo Cyco, a four-piece heavy metal and punk rock band that opened for Hollywood Undead in Toronto in April 2011. Sweetnam now went by the name Sever, which was her current alter-ego.
As of July 2012, Sumo Cyco has released six singles: "Mercy", "Limp", "Interceptor", "Danger", "Loose Cannon", and a cover of Oingo Boingo's "Who Do You Want To Be?". With each new song, Sumo Cyco would direct and put together their own music videos for their YouTube channel which, as of July 2022, has received over seven million views.
Sweetnam's song "(Let's Get Movin') Into Action" was also used in an episode of the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, in one deleted scene from Bandslam, and in the films Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach, Hotel for Dogs, and the 2010 popular film Ramona and Beezus (starring Joey King and Selena Gomez). It was also included in the soundtrack for Music from Degrassi: The Next Generation.
In April and May 2014, Sumo Cyco toured Ireland and the UK after their performances at Indie Week Ireland. Then, on June 10, 2014, they released their debut album, Lost in Cyco City, in Canada.
On March 10, 2015, Sumo Cyco announced that they had signed with TKO (The Kirby Organization) Booking Agency, known for its representation of hard rock and metal acts, for worldwide representation.
Sumo Cyco released their second album Opus Mar in 2017.
In January 2020, the band announced that they had signed a deal with Napalm Records. They released their third album Initiation through Napalm Records in 2021.
Smoke + Mirrors
Skye Sweetnam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hard to know what to believe
Still I thought I tried for a while
Turning round and giving up is not my style
On my own on my own way
Bottled up is where my fears go, my fears go
I will never show my fear
Smoke and mirrors
You must try hard, don't give in
Keep it up and you win
Don't let them know they get to you
Put on a brave face and you'll get through
On your own, on your own way
Bottled up is where your fears go, your fears go
You will never show your fear
They'll tear you up until your tears show, your tears show
Smoke and mirrors
This journey of ours never ends
We will always pretend
Fighting not to let them win
And they're falling into our illusion
On our own on our own way
Bottled up is where out fears go, our fears go
We will never show our fear
They'll tear us up until our tears show, our tears show
Smoke and mirrors
Its about smoke and mirrors
Skye Sweetnam's song Smoke + Mirrors is about navigating through life and the constant struggle to remain authentic and true to oneself. The lyrics suggest that while it can be difficult to discern what is real and what is not, it's important to keep trying and not succumb to the pressure of conforming to society's expectations. The opening lines "For someone so young and naive / Hard to know what to believe" encapsulate the struggle of growing up and trying to figure out one's identity in a world full of conflicting messages.
The chorus of the song, "Bottled up is where my fears go, my fears go / I will never show my fear / They'll tear me up until my tears show, my tears show / Smoke and mirrors," suggests that many people hide their fears and insecurities behind a façade of strength and confidence, but eventually, the truth will reveal itself, just like how smoke and mirrors can only deceive for so long.
Towards the end of the song, the lyrics "This journey of ours never ends / We will always pretend / Fighting not to let them win / And they're falling into our illusion" signify that the journey of life is a continuous one, and that people must keep fighting to maintain their true selves. The "illusion" here refers to the false image that people sometimes project to protect themselves from judgment and criticism, but ultimately, it's a defense mechanism that isn't sustainable in the long run.
Overall, Smoke + Mirrors is a powerful and relatable song that speaks to the universal struggle of trying to remain true to oneself amidst the pressures of society.
Line by Line Meaning
For someone so young and naive
Despite my lack of experience, I can still struggle with feeling unsure of what to believe.
Hard to know what to believe
It's difficult to know who or what to trust in this confusing and complicated world.
Still I thought I tried for a while
Even though I haven't figured everything out, I've done my best to navigate this uncertainty.
Turning round and giving up is not my style
I refuse to let anything defeat me, no matter how difficult the challenge may be.
On my own on my own way
Although I may face obstacles, I'll always try to do things on my own terms.
Bottled up is where my fears go, my fears go
I keep my fears hidden away deep inside, trying to ignore their existence.
I will never show my fear
I'll never let anyone see how scared I truly am, even if it means suffering in silence.
They'll tear me up until my tears show, my tears show
Others may try to bring out my vulnerability or weakness, but I won't let them break me down.
Smoke and mirrors
I'm aware that many things in life can be manipulated or obscured, and I must be vigilant against deception.
You must try hard, don't give in
It's crucial to keep pushing yourself and never give up, even when the odds seem stacked against you.
Keep it up and you win
Persistence and determination are key to achieving success and overcoming obstacles.
Don't let them know they get to you
It's important to never reveal any vulnerabilities or weaknesses to those who would use them against you.
Put on a brave face and you'll get through
Even if things are tough or scary, projecting a confident and fearless attitude can help you conquer your fears.
This journey of ours never ends
Life is a perpetual journey, full of challenges and opportunities for growth and self-discovery.
We will always pretend
There will always be social pressures to put on a facade or pretend to be someone you're not.
Fighting not to let them win
It's crucial to resist the forces that would try to change or manipulate you into someone you're not.
And they're falling into our illusion
Those who try to control or deceive us may end up getting lost in the very lies they create.
Bottled up is where our fears go, our fears go
All of us hide our fears away at times, keeping them locked up inside and hidden from others.
We will never show our fear
Like everyone else, we'll do our best to never let others see how vulnerable or afraid we truly are.
They'll tear us up until our tears show, our tears show
Despite our attempts to hide our fears and weaknesses, others may still try to exploit or expose them.
Smoke and mirrors
In the end, much of what we see and experience in life may be little more than deceit and illusions, requiring caution and critical thinking to navigate successfully.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES ROBERTSON, SKYE SWEETNAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind