Sippy: How 2020 Prepared Her to Take on Adversity & America

The first dubstep tune Sippy ever heard was Zeds Dead’s remix of “Eyes on Fire,” so dropping her debut EP (Hypogeal) on Deadbeats in 2020 should have been nothing less than a full circle moment. When COVID-snatched it right out from under her, she was compelled to look at those around her, as well as within.

Laura Patterson is a well-known Producer/DJ in her home of Sydney, Australia. She grew up playing various instruments throughout childhood and high school, before eventually going on to graduate from famed music school, ICON Collective. When she’s not producing music or playing shows, she’s previously worked as a production teacher or works on tracks in different genres for other artists. She crafted the Sippy project as an ode to the fearlessly filthy, extremely creative, and bass-forward sound she loves. Likewise, she’s sowed a similarly passionate following across continents.

As soon as I press play behind the decks, I can’t help it. I just genuinely love the music.

Several years ago, Sippy sent her first demo to the Deadbeats label and would release a first single with them “Lithos,” in 2019. Her affiliation earned her nods across the Pacific in North America, where she began making both fans and peers. Dubstep artist Bear Grillz befriended her early on and was the first to bring Sippy over to America for her first taste of the scene here, which Sippy admits is far more ravenous than at home.

Last year was lined up to provide Sippy with everything she could’ve wanted. An extended release with her home label, her first-ever North American tour alongside ZiA, and a strong surge of hype befitting her tireless work ethic. 

When the virus first arrived, however, she was forced to return home out of precaution and would later be told by management that her stay would be longterm. Soon after, the remaining of 2020’s festival and large scale live music dates were called off around the globe. All the accolades and recognition she had worked so hard for were now at a standstill.

“That honestly took a little while to come to terms with considering I had been working for so many years to get to that point,” Sippy told MP3 MAG in an April interview. “I got a taste of it, and then it got taken away.”

While COVID initially demoralized her, Sippy found redemption and salvation from both Deadbeats and more importantly, herself. In August 2020, Sippy followed through with the previously scheduled release of Hypogeal. Normally, a debut extended release with your home label would be a huge moment, but from her bubble of Australia, Sippy felt helpless to promote it the natural way: on stage. 

Sippy reached out to her management at Deadbeats for advice, who were quick to remind her that the ‘lull of COVID’ had an adverse effect on streaming and artists normal means of promoting their art. With less emphasis on the numbers, this moment provided time for “Sips” to recognize her feats as a producer alone. For Hypogeal, she did everything from writing and production, as well as sourcing all art and visuals to make the final EP. While Sippy might have missed opportunities to share this big release with the world in person, this down time proved to her that her work ethic and ability were only growing.

“I love sharing my music with other people, seeing their reaction and how it resonates with them, but that EP became actually more so for myself,” said Sippy. “I guess I was trying to prove to myself what I could do.”

With the debut EP moment and pressure now behind her, the producer was able to push herself to new depths and free of the expectations of such a milestone. Sippy began experimenting with new sounds while continuing to teach and produce nearly everyday during quarantine, in addition to doing ample livestreams with Deadbeats, Electric Hawk, etc. Meanwhile, Hypogeal’s lead track “Underside” would go on to amass over 100k streams. In March 2021, Sippy was featured as the cover artist for Spotify’s sought-after Bass Arcade playlist.

Since Australia has been mostly COVID-free for months, Sippy began picking up more bookings at home and finally, got her first call back from the States. Her first fest booking of 2021 comes in August with Hard Summer Fest, followed by appearances at Electric Zoo, illFest, and Dancefestopia. While she’s still excited to play out Hypogeal, the producer revealed to MP3 MAG that its her new music that she’s most excited about. The producer said the release will differ in style from her recent catalogue, but she’s still confident her following will resonate with it.

Remarkably, Sippy looks at the past year in hindsight as a pivotal moment in her career. She doesn’t entertain thoughts of, ‘If covid wouldn’t have happened,’ instead focusing on the positives, improvements and personal victories she gained during the “lost year.” 2020 promised Sippy some of the biggest moments of her career, if not life, but in 2021, she’s far more prepared as a person and producer to take on these challenges.

“I’m a strong believer that if you’re genuine and hard-working, at the end of the day that pushes through,” said Sippy. “I’m unapologetically myself. This is who I am [and] how I vibe. At the end of the day, I just hope that [being genuine] resonates with people.”

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TWITTER: twitter.com/sippyau

SOUNDCLOUD: soundcloud.com/sippyau