Oli Sykes | |
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Born | Oliver Scott Sykes 20 November 1986 Ashford, Kent, England |
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Years active | 2000–present |
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Origin | Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England |
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Member of | Bring Me the Horizon |
Oliver Scott Sykes (born 20 November 1986) is a British singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band Bring Me the Horizon. He also founded the apparel company Drop Dead Clothing, and created a graphic novel.
Sykes was born on 20 November 1986, in Ashford, Kent, England. [3] As an infant, he moved to Australia with his parents, Ian and Carol Sykes, moving between Adelaide and Perth during a period of about six years. [4] The family returned to the United Kingdom when Sykes was about eight, settling in Stocksbridge in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. As a teenager, he attended Stocksbridge High School then Barnsley College. [4]
In early 2000, while still in school, he began crafting compilation CDs and short tracks under the name Quakebeat. [5] He also played in the mock hip-hop band "Womb 2 Da Tomb" with his brother Tom Sykes and fellow Bring Me the Horizon member Matt Nicholls, [6] and in metal band "Purple Curto" with Neil Whiteley, as the drummer/vocalist under the pseudonym "Olisaurus", which he would later use when releasing solo material. [7]
In 2004, Sykes formed Bring Me the Horizon. [8] The band released their debut EP This Is What the Edge of Your Seat Was Made For in 2004, [9] then releasing their debut studio album, Count Your Blessings in 2006. [10] [11] Their second studio album, Suicide Season , was released on 29 September 2008, [12] and their third studio album There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret. on 4 October 2010. [13] They released their fourth studio album Sempiternal on 1 April 2013 which features the new member Jordan Fish and Sykes playing rhythm guitar for the album. [14] They released their fifth studio album That's the Spirit on 11 September 2015, [15] and their sixth album Amo on 25 January 2019. [16] On 27 December 2019, they released their commercial release Music to Listen To... . On 30 October 2020, they released another commercial release, Post Human: Survival Horror . [8]
Sykes has been featured in songs for the bands You Me at Six's "Bite My Tongue", [17] Architects' "Even If You Win, You're Still a Rat", Admiral's Arms' "Dawn of the New Age" and Deez Nuts' "If You Don't Know, You Know Now". [18] He is also featured on a music video of American rock band A Day to Remember's "All I Want". [18]
In 2017, Sykes featured as guest vocalist in the song "Silence Speaks" with English metalcore band While She Sleeps. [19]
Sykes was briefly featured in the music video for Charli XCX's song "Boys" along with other artists such as Brendon Urie, Denzel Curry, Charlie Puth and Stormzy. [20]
Sykes has also collaborated with DJ Skrillex as the backing vocals of a Bring Me the Horizon song "Visions" off the Bring Me the Horizon album There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret.. [21] Skrillex has also remixed a Bring Me the Horizon song "The Sadness Will Never End" off Suicide Season which the remix was featured on the Cut Up! version of the album. [22]
On 27 October 2017, Sykes performed with Linkin Park – who he claims were his first ever concert as a teenager – at Linkin Park and Friends: Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington. He performed the song "Crawling" with DJ and record producer Zedd on percussion. [23]
In addition to his vocal and songwriting contributions in Bring Me the Horizon, Sykes is also the founder and owner of the alternative clothing line Drop Dead Clothing (stylized as DROP DEAD). [24]
On 1 February 2013, Sykes launched a Kickstarter project to fund a graphic novel created by him and Drop Dead Clothing artist Ben Ashton-Bell, entitled Raised by Raptors. [25] With a £15,000 goal, the project exceeded its target within weeks of launching, attaining a final total of £39,223. [26]
In July 2018, Sykes opened a vegan restaurant/bar in Sheffield called "Church - Temple of Fun". The restaurant also has an arcade and live music. [27]
Sykes has cited Glassjaw, Pantera, Black Flag, Misfits, Linkin Park, Simple Plan, Every Time I Die, Skycamefalling, Poison the Well, Norma Jean, Slipknot and The Dillinger Escape Plan as influences. [28]
Sykes' lyrics have a strong feeling of catharsis for him. He mainly draws from personal experience and has likened the band's live performances to being therapeutic. [29] In 2006, when asked about the lyrics of Count Your Blessings, as they had been criticised for their content fixated on heartbreak or other themes that were called "shallow and meaningless", he responded "My life's never been that bad so I've not got that much to talk about". [30]
The main character of the French feature film A Taste of Ink is an admirer of Oliver Sykes and Bring Me the Horizon. He is a post-hardcore singer and wears as a tribute to Oliver Sykes a Michael Jordan black jersey. [31] The French title Compte tes blessures is inspired by the first album of the band Count Your Blessings . [32]
Since the age of 12, Sykes has suffered from a form of night terrors known as sleep paralysis, which is the inability to move or speak while falling asleep, or upon waking. [33]
Sykes became a vegetarian in 2003 at age 16 after watching a documentary about animal cruelty online: "When I saw how animals are tortured on factory farms, I couldn't justify being a part of that cruelty." He went on to become one of the faces for PETA, eventually designing charity T-shirts with the slogan "Meat Sucks" via his Drop Dead Clothing line. [34] He turned vegetarian at age 16 before turning vegan 15 years later. [35] His passion for veganism can be seen in his venture 'Church', an arcade bar with a fully vegan menu, opened in 2018 and based in Sheffield's Kelham Island. [36]
Sykes is an outspoken atheist, stating "I don't believe in God. I was asked to believe in him when I was in a shitty place. I couldn't understand why I needed a god or, in my opinion, something that doesn't exist." [28] In an interview with Radio.com in 2013, he also stated "In my opinion, I don't think believing in God is a victimless crime. It's not that I'm right and everyone else is wrong. If it was just people believing in God had no effect on the world, then it wouldn't matter. Then you can believe in what you want, if you want an imaginary friend that lives in the clouds that's fine. But it's the fact that it does have an effect on other people and other things and the whole world is in turmoil mainly because of religion, at least a massive part of it." [37] [38]
After receiving the Album of the Year award at the first Alternative Press Music Awards in 2014, Sykes revealed a history of addiction and abuse of the drug ketamine. Addressing the crowd, he said "My band wanted to kill me, my parents wanted to kill me, my fucking brother wanted to kill me," and also admitted, "I went to rehab for a month, and you guys were sending me texts and e-mails. When I got out of that rehab, I didn't want to scream anymore, I wanted to sing from the fucking rooftops." [39] [40]
On 12 July 2015 in Tuscany, Italy, Sykes married model and tattoo artist Hannah Pixie Snowdon. [41] In 2016, Sykes announced that he and Snowdon had separated. [42] In May 2019, Sykes alleged that their relationship ended due to Snowdon's infidelity, and referred to her as his "ex-wife". [43] Snowdon had admitted to being unfaithful, but alleges abuse and infidelity from Sykes as well. [44] The band's 2019 single, "Medicine" was written about the pair's relationship. [45]
On 22 July 2017, Sykes married Brazilian model Alissa Salls. [46]
In March 2021, Sykes shared a photo on Instagram confirming he stayed in Brazil with his wife for the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic to that point, that he had acquired a CPF number, [47] and had bought a house in the city of Taubaté, countryside of the state of São Paulo, where he was living with her. [48] In March 2023, Sykes got his Brazilian National Migration Registry card as a permanent resident of the country. [49]
This article's "criticism" or "controversy" section may compromise the article's neutrality .(September 2024) |
In 2007, a female fan accused Sykes of urinating on her and accused him and his bandmates of assaulting her. He was put on trial and pleaded not guilty. [50] The fan took a photo of her face, which appeared to be covered in blood. An employee of venue Rock City in Nottingham, England said: "After the gig, two girls tried to get on the tour bus. Later on, the singer, Oliver Sykes, tried it on with one of the girls. When she said no, he called her a dyke and first pissed on her before him and the rest of the band threw her and her friend off the bus. Once off the bus, someone within the band threw an empty bottle of Jagermeister at the girl's head". Sykes strongly denied the allegations. According to record label Visible Noise Records, "numerous versions of the alleged incident have been posted online". [51] Charges against Sykes were dropped due to a lack of evidence. [52]
During a tour in 2008, Bring Me the Horizon and the British metalcore band Architects filmed two videos. The first showed a fight between Sykes and Architects' lead singer Sam Carter, [53] while the second showed an ambulance with Sykes supposedly inside. [54] The videos were uploaded to YouTube, leading to outrage from many Bring Me the Horizon fans, and resulting in hate mail and death threats being sent to Carter. However, it was later revealed that the videos were a stunt staged by both bands, and that they are in fact good friends. Sykes said, "All-day events can get boring very fast so we conjured up the first idiotic thing we could think of and made it as unbelievable as possible." [55]
In June 2013, Sykes and Bring Me the Horizon were sued by the parents of a 12-year-old girl due to injuries received in the mosh pit while watching the band's performance during the Warped Tour 2013. This led to Sykes announcing via Twitter that legally he was no longer able to start any form of moshing activities during his concerts. [56] However, Sykes later stated that the suit had been dropped and that moshing was not going to be banned. [57]
Sykes was accused of domestic violence by his former wife Hannah Pixie Snowdon on Instagram in 2016, alleging that Sykes "slapped and spat" on her. Snowdon also alleged that she "wasn't the first girl this entire pattern happened to." [44]
Year | Song | Album/EP | Artist |
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2009 | "Dawn of the New Age" | Stories Are Told | Admiral's Arms |
2010 | "If You Don't Know, Now You Know" | This One's For You | Deez Nuts |
2011 | "Bite My Tongue" | Sinners Never Sleep | You Me at Six |
2012 | "Even If You Win, You're Still a Rat" | Daybreaker | Architects |
2017 | "Silence Speaks" | You Are We | While She Sleeps |
2021 | "No More Friends" | Episodes: Season 1 | Olivia O'Brien |
"Obliterate" | Where the Body Goes | Lotus Eater | |
"Salt" | Salt | Daine | |
"Knife Party" | Party at the Cemetery | Poorstacy | |
"Dummy" | Hellraisers, Pt. 2 | Cheat Codes | |
"VAMP1R" | Kiss of Death | IC3PEAK | |
2022 | "Believe the Hype" | Non-album single | Alice Longyu Gao |
"Bad Life" | How to Let Go | Sigrid | |
2023 | "Happier" | TBA | Yungblud |
"Werewolf" | Pink Tape | Lil Uzi Vert | |
"CODE MISTAKE" | Non-album single | CORPSE |
Year | Song | Artist | Director | Type | Link |
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2011 | "All I Want" | A Day to Remember | Drew Russ | Performance | Video on YouTube |
"Bite My Tongue" | You Me at Six | Tim Mattia | Video on YouTube | ||
2017 | "Silence Speaks" | While She Sleeps | Tom Welsh and Taylor Fawcett | Video on YouTube | |
"Boys" | Charli XCX | Charli XCX and Sarah McColgan | Cameo | Video on YouTube | |
2021 | "Salt" | daine | Hiball | Performance | Video on YouTube |
2022 | "Maybe" | Machine Gun Kelly | Marc Klasfeld | Performance | Video on YouTube |
"Fallout" | Masked Wolf | Unknown | Video on YouTube | ||
"Bad Life" | Sigrid | Raja Virdi | Video on YouTube |
Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank | Ref. |
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Alternative Press | Best Vocalist | 2013 | 3 | [58] |
Bring Me the Horizon are a British rock band, formed in Sheffield in 2004. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Oli Sykes, drummer Matt Nicholls, guitarist Lee Malia and bassist Matt Kean. They are signed to RCA Records globally and Columbia Records exclusively in the United States.
Suicide Season is the second studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. It was released on 29 September 2008 in the United Kingdom and Europe through Visible Noise. The band signed a licensing deal with Epitaph Records on 11 September 2008, with the label releasing the album on 18 November 2008 in the United States.
There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret. is the third studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. It was released on 4 October 2010 by Visible Noise. The album was produced by Fredrik Nordström and Henrick Udd at IF Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden, with additional work at Sunset Lodge Studios in Los Angeles, California. It features guest vocals from Canadian singer Lights, British singer Josh Franceschi, and American vocalist Josh Scogin.
"It Never Ends" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by Fredrik Nordström and Henrick Udd, it was featured on the band's 2010 third studio album There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret. The song was released as the lead single from the album on 20 August 2010, and was the band's first song to chart when it reached number 103 on the UK Singles Chart, number 3 on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart and number 11 on the UK Independent Singles Chart.
Matthew Kean is a British musician, best known as the bassist of the rock band Bring Me the Horizon. He has been credited on all seven of the band's studio releases.
Sempiternal is the fourth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. It was released on 1 April 2013 worldwide through RCA Records, a subsidiary label of Sony Music, and 2 April 2013 in the United States and Canada through Epitaph Records. It is the first album to feature former Worship keyboardist Jordan Fish and the first with guitarist Lee Malia playing both lead and rhythm parts.
"Shadow Moses" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Written by vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it was produced by Terry Date and featured on the band's 2013 fourth studio album Sempiternal. The song was released as the lead single from the album on 11 January 2013, reaching number 82 on the UK Singles Chart and number 2 on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart.
"Sleepwalking" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Written by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it was produced by Terry Date and appeared on the band's fourth studio album Sempiternal, released in 2013. The song was released as the second single from the album on 1 March 2013, reaching number three on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart.
"Drown" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon released on 21 October 2014. Originally released as a stand-alone single, a remixed version features on the band's fifth studio album That's the Spirit and was released as the lead single. The track, musically, marks a shift away from the band's previously established metalcore sound. Rather, it was described by critics as a pop-punk-leaning emo and rock song, being the later showcased as arena rock. It is available to play in the music video game Guitar Hero Live, added on 12 January 2016.
That's the Spirit is the fifth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. The album was released on 11 September 2015, and marks a departure from the group's metalcore roots, in favour of a less aggressive alternative rock and metal style.
"Can You Feel My Heart" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Written by vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it was produced by Terry Date and featured on the band's 2013 fourth studio album Sempiternal. The song was also released as the fourth and final single from the album on 8 October 2013, reaching number five on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart.
"Antivist" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Written by vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it was produced by Terry Date and featured on the band's 2013 fourth studio album Sempiternal. Although it was not released as a single, the song is considered to be one of the band's most popular tracks, and it continues to be performed live on a regular basis.
Jordan Keith Attwood Fish is a British musician. He was the keyboardist and producer of the rock band Bring Me the Horizon from 2012 until his departure in 2023. Fish appeared on five studio releases with the band, Sempiternal (2013), That's the Spirit (2015), Amo (2019), Post Human: Survival Horror (2020) and Post Human: Nex Gen (2024). Before joining the group, he was in the bands Proxies and Worship from 2010 to 2013.
"Mantra" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it is featured on the group's 2019 sixth studio album Amo. The track was released as the lead single from the album on 21 August 2018, topping the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart and spending three weeks at that spot.
Amo is the sixth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Originally scheduled for release on 11 January 2019, it was released on 25 January 2019. The album was announced on 22 August 2018, a day after the release of the lead single "Mantra". It was produced by vocalist Oli Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, and was written and recorded primarily in Los Angeles.
"In the Dark" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it is featured on the group's 2019 sixth studio album Amo. The track was released as the seventh and final single from the album on 21 October 2019.
"Medicine" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it is featured on the group's 2019 sixth studio album Amo. The track was released as the third single from the album on 3 January 2019.
"Ludens" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, it was released as the fifth single of the soundtrack Death Stranding: Timefall on 6 November 2019, and was featured as the first single from the group's 2020 commercial release Post Human: Survival Horror.
Post Human: Survival Horror is a commercial release by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. It was released on 30 October 2020 and is intended to be the first in a series of four projects to be released by the band under the Post Human name. The release was produced by frontman Oli Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, with additional production from composer Mick Gordon. Stylistically, the release marks return to the heavier and more aggressive metalcore sound of the band's earlier material.
"Maybe" is a song by American musician Machine Gun Kelly. It was released on March 16, 2022, as the fourth single from his sixth studio album Mainstream Sellout. The song features performances from members of the British rock band Bring Me the Horizon.
Dupstep wizard Skrillex contributing vocals to 'Visions'.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)Bring Me The Horizon's super star singer Oliver Sykes and newest member Jordan Fish discuss the band's big success with their single "Can You Feel My Heart" as well as controversial topics like religion versus atheism, being friends with Skrillex, and the surprising number of girls that fans of the metal band.
SAM CARTER KICKING THE FU*K OUT OF OLI SYKES! HELL YES!!!!
finally, there is a god! check it out!!!!
According to some tweets by Oli Sykes, Bring Me The Horizon are being sued by a 12-year-old girl's parents because she was injured in a mosh pit during the band's performance ...