Name: Sydney Roth
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Current city: Portland, Oregon
Age: 25
Past bands: Orca Team, The Caldonias
Current bands: Psychic Feline
Dayjob: Hairdresser/Cashier
Sydney Roth is known in Portland for both her hairdressing and drumming styles. People have been getting pretty excited about Psychic Feline here in Portland in the last year, for good reason. Labelmates with Sad Horse, the two bands are currently my dream house show. Sydney’s minimalist drumming has been consistently engaging and fun in all the projects I’ve seen her in, and her tendency to keep it simple ties the music together perfectly. Psychic Feline recently released a 7 inch on PDX’s Water Wing Records.
What is going on in your head as you play live?
When I play live I pretty much think about anything. I might fixate on the audience or a spot on the ceiling. I think about how my hands hurt or what my bandmates are doing. If I find myself thinking way outside of the song I will generally fuck up when I realize that I’ve spaced out too much. I don’t count at all. I think about parts ahead of time though. There are always times where it feels so good [that] I can’t even believe it.
By Lisa Schonberg
Top illustration by Kelly Abeln
Portrait by Josh Orion Kermiet