Nad Sylvan
Nad Sylvan is a U.S. born Swedish progressive rock musician and songwriter, who is currently the vocalist in Steve Hackett’s band Genesis Revisited and has also maintained a solo career and collaborations with several other musicians.
Background
Born Hugh Erik Stewart on June 4, 1959 in West Covina, California, to tennis player Hugh Wright Stewart and Swedish socialite Agnete Sylvan, he showed a keen interest in music from his early years, with an increasing gift for singing and playing piano, keyboards, and guitars.After drifting through the progressive rock and punk rock eras he signed to “Planet Records” in 1983, releasing the disco single “Midnatt”, sung in Swedish. He then collaborated with “Hasse Carlsson and the Tectives” as second keyboardist and back up singer, for his first real touring experience in Sweden. After a name change to “One by One”, now with Christopher as the band´s lead singer, they released two singles,“Dancing Mono” and “Say You Never”. Although enjoying numerous live experiences and TV shows, no album materialised and the band eventually broke up.
Between 1989 and 1996, Stewart remained isolated in his studio, determined to find his own personal style as a musician, eventually releasing his first solo album in 1995, “The Home Recordings”, subsequently re-released in 1999 as “Blue Waters”. A close friend’s tragic suicide in 1997 led to the composition of a mini pop opera tribute, “The Life of a Housewife”, comprising 15 songs. At that time, Christopher decided to change his name to Nad Sylvan. After uploading the album onto mp3.com, interest followed from Michael B. Tretow and a collaboration began, culminating with many successful live appearances at the “Nalen” in Stockholm and the release of the CD “Sylvanite” in 2003.
In October of that year, Sylvan attended a concert of Canadian Genesis tribute band The Musical Box, touring “Selling England by the Pound” at the Royal Albert Hall. His enthusiasm for the performance led him to the Genesis website/forums where he met Bonamici, starting a successful collaboration, “Sylvan and Bonamici”, that led them to the “Unifaun” project. Meanwhile, Sylvan became star reviewer Steve Gilmore’s “Artist of the Year”, thanks to his song “Yellow Sky” from “Sylvanite”. In 2008, “Unifaun” was released by “Progress Records” and is now considered a cult album. It was repackaged in 2013 with new album artwork by Claude Martin.
After the “Unifaun” project, Sylvan was discovered by Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings, which led to the birth of the band “Agents of Mercy”. In 2009, Sylvan began touring with the band to promote “The Fading Ghosts of Twilight”. The band toured successfully around Europe and the US and released three albums through to 2011: “Dramarama”, “Power of Two”, and “The Black Forest”.
In April 2012, Sylvan caught the attention of Steve Hackett, former guitarist and songwriter of Genesis, who had enjoyed considerable solo success since leaving the band. With the creation of the "Genesis Revisited” project, Sylvan sang on the Genesis Revisited II album, followed by the Hammersmith and the Royal Albert Hall live albums released in 2013 and 2014. Sylvan also began a successful world tour at this time, with “Genesis Revisited” playing theatres and concert halls.
In October 2015, another Genesis Revisited live album/DVD was recorded at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, coinciding with the release of his solo album “Courting the Widow” by Inside Out Music, that was well received by critics and fans alike. Further success followed with “The Bride Said No”, released in May 2017, featuring contributions by virtuoso musicians.
In January 2018, Steve Hackett released his fourth live album with Sylvan as vocalist, recorded at the Birmingham Symphony Hall. Much appreciated and requested, Sylvan took part in many other projects with bands and artists in the prog world.
In July 2019, Sylvan released a new solo album, while at the same time touring with Steve Hackett for his seventh year of collaboration on the "Genesis Revisited" project.
Sylvan continued to tour globally with Genesis Revisited during 2023.
Biography
The early years (1959–1988)
Nad Sylvan was born Hugh Erik Stewart on June 4, 1959 in West Covina, California to the tennis player Hugh Wright Stewart and 19 year old Swedish socialite Agnete Sylvan. The couple settled in Sweden, but soon Hugh’s father returned to California. After the divorce of his parents, Hugh was renamed Erik Christopher by his mother and, after adopting his mother's surname too, began the evolution of his artistic name that would later become Nad Sylvan.From his earliest years Nad was involved with music. At primary school, he often sat by the piano or at the classroom’s harmonium, discovering the cross hand technique and performing songs with the dream of recording and sending his own compositions to Jimi Hendrix.
During this period he was raised by his grandparents, Astrid and Erik Sylvan, who, despite being a little strict with him, encouraged his passion for music. When, aged eleven, he left his grandparents’ house, there was a two year gap in his contact with music and that was when Christopher discovered his love for horses and riding. He reconnected with music in 1973, becoming the lead singer of his first band, the short-lived and unsuccessful “White Lightning”. In 1975 he fronted “Envoys”, touring Sweden and singing Uriah Heep covers, like “July Morning” and “Easy Living”. He was also influenced by Alice Cooper.
Between 1976 and 1979 Prog Rock became his realm. He could play every kind of keyboard without putting aside his deep fondness for singing. His band, “Avenue”, was influenced by Genesis, Yes, Gentle Giant and Camel. Punk rock arrived also on the scene at this time and in 1980 he formed the “Chris Stewart Band”, writing music in the style of Gino Vannelli and Al Jarreau. His interest in various musical genres expanded considerably. He enriched his collection of keyboards with a Yamaha electric Grand Piano and a Roland Jupiter-4.
In 1983 Chris signed to Planet Records and released a Disco single, “Midnatt”, sung in Swedish. He then joined “Hasse Carlson and the Tectives”, touring Sweden for a year with a repertoire in Swedish. When Hasse left the band, the remaining members changed the name to “One by One” and with Chris as lead singer, released two singles: “Dancing Mono” and “Say You Never”. No album could be released at that time because the record company had put the band on hold. In Spring 1987 the offer to support two Lionel Richie shows in Stockholm and Gothenburg arrived. However, as the band hadn’t played together for some time, the experience proved disappointing.
1989–2003
From 1989 to 1996 Chris confined himself to his studio, searching for his own style and musical identity and focusing on writing songs. The idea of changing his name from Chris Stewart into something less serious and more captivating came after the release of his first complete album in 1995, “The Home Recordings”, subsequently re-titled “Blue Waters “ and re-released in 1999 as an mp3 album. At this time, Chris was drawn to male artists with female names like Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson and started to consider the name Nadine. However, he performed a number of successful shows under the name “Sylvan”.A pivotal transformation in his career came when one of his friends, known as “The Housewife” committed suicide at the age of 36. Reflecting on the brevity of life, Chris composed a mini pop opera to celebrate him, eventually producing fifteen songs and releasing an album, “The Life of a Housewife”.
Chris started searching for a record company, paying visits to Stockholm and London. That’s when he definitively found the perfect name. While thinking about Nadine, he was asked for his first name and answered “Nad, full name, Nad Sylvan”. Though on that occasion he didn’t earn a record deal, a new era began with this identity. He was contacted by Abba’s audio engineer Michael B. Tretow, who was determined to collaborate with him on some project. Part of their joint venture ended up as a commercial for Swedish corporate “Ericsson”.
In 1999 Nad, considering the internet as the perfect platform for an unsigned artist, uploaded “Housewife” on mp3.com. Meanwhile, one of Nad’s friends, “Pärtan”, and Conny Bloom from “Electric Boys”, were appearing on stage at the “Nalen” in Stockholm. One night Nad was asked to join them on stage to perform “Keep on Running”. It was a great success, with the audience giving Nad a standing ovation, and he became a regular guest on Sunday nights. In 2001 Nad felt inspired to create some heavy music and found himself working on “Sylvanite”, his third album, which surfaced in 2003 on mp3.com.
Unifaun and Agents of Mercy
has been Nad Sylvan’s favourite band since 1975. He first saw the band in Stockholm in 1977 on the “Wind & Wuthering” tour, the last one Steve Hackett performed with them. Years later, while browsing an Internet forum, Nad discovered that the Canadian Genesis tribute band The Musical Box was on tour with “Selling England By The Pound”. He attended the concert at the Royal Albert Hall, in October 2003, and was captivated by the accuracy in reproducing an exact replica of the 30 years old show, complete with stage props, costumes and lights.Again, while browsing an internet forum, Nad met Bonamici, author of a song in perfect Genesis style. Under the name “Sylvan and Bonamici” the two musicians started to produce songs, in the spirit of Genesis, but with their own distinctive stamp, and uploaded them to SoundClick.
Meanwhile Nad, thanks to his song “Yellow Sky” from “Sylvanite”, became Steve Gilmore’s “Artist of the Year”. Gilmore had also praised Bonamici’s work and when he found out that he and Nad were working together, he offered to promote them.
The project was challenging requiring four years in the making. Eventually, Nad Sylvan and Bonamici signed to Progress Records releasing “Unifaun” in 2008, subsequently re-releasing it in 2013, with new artwork by Claude Martin. This is now considered a cult album.
The “Unifaun” album had been out for two months when Nad was contacted by another Swedish Prog guru Roine Stolt from The Flower Kings and they formed "Agents of Mercy”. Sadly, in the midst of recording their debut album, Nad’s mother died in February 2009, leaving him with the greatest sorrow of his life. He proceeded to finish a song that had been playing in his head for more than 10 years and understood then that it had a very special purpose all along. Nad went on to perform “Long Way from Home” at his mother’s funeral.
In September/October 2009, “Agents of Mercy” went on the road with a tour around Europe and the US to promote “The Fading Ghosts Of Twilight”. This was part of the great transformation in Nad’s career, that had started with the “Unifaun” chapter. After the tour he recorded three studio albums with “Agents Of Mercy”, toured Europe and the US a few times and made another trip to “RoSfest” in Gettysburg in 2012.
Because of the difficulties caused by the band’s members being scattered across different parts of the world, “Agents of Mercy” ended that year.