About Sylkie Monoff...
Singer, songwriter, producer SYLKIE MONOFF may have been born in Germany, but her heart and soul have always had a strong connection to the USA. Influenced by performers such as Emmylou Harris, James Taylor and Neil Young, as a teen SYLKIE performed throughout Germany with regional country-rock bands. She recorded and released her first record for Teldec (EastWest). After marginal success, she decided to sharpen her writing skills and therefore focused on producing songs in her 8-track studio. Shortly thereafter, she was accepted to attend the Pop Music Program at the prestigious Hamburg Musikhochschule.
After completing her studies in Hamburg, SYLKIE single-handedly landed a recording contract with BMG Ariola (Sony BMG). Her debut EP consisted of 3 original compositions. This was followed by the recording of her album HARBOR IN THE NIGHT (1993). She not only composed 10 of the 11 songs, but also co-produced the album. The
first single DON’T landed in the German airplay charts and two more singles followed. In the late 1990s, SYLKIE’s composition ALL THE PLACES was recorded by the British duo BND and charted in the German Top 100 sales charts. It was released world-wide and went gold.
SYLKIE has toured throughout Europe and parts of the US, playing support to artists such as Ian Matthews (Plainsong) and Supercharge. She has performed with Julian Dawson, Grammy winner Albert Lee and rock’n’roll legend Spencer Davies. For about 10 years, she spent part of the year in Nashville performing, recording and co-writing with various acknowledged staff writers, such as Curtis Lance (Don’t happen twice, Kenny Chesney), Gilles Godard (Patty Loveless, Tracy Byrd, Ricky Skaggs, Blackhawk), Grammy winner Don Rollins (It’s 5 o’clock somewhere/Alan Jackson+Jimmy Buffett), Charley Stefl (The Fool, LeeAnn Womack) and Brent Baxter (Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum). Some of her songs have been added to the Warner and Universal Music publishing catalogs.
In 2009/2010, SYLKIE released her CD “GENUINE”, a project she is especially proud of. She composed all 13 songs and also produced the album, which features some of Nashville’s top session players, such as drummer legend Eddie Bayers and first-call guitarist Brent Mason. She said: “This time, my main goal was to work with people who are truly close to me. I wanted the album to sound like friends making music together and having a good time. And that’s what it was all the way! Nashville is like home. Finally, I can be musically who I really am and it feels so right.”
The critically acclaimed album “GENUINE” climbed to the top positions of various European country radio charts (#1 in Austria, #2 in Norway and Top 20 in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Italy, Sweden and more). „GENUINE“ as well charted in the American Roots Music Report's True Country and Roots Country Charts. With her first US radio single „STEAL YOUR CROWN“ holding strong on the #1 position of the IMN Country Charts
in 2012 for an entire 13 weeks, SYLKIE won the IMN Country Award as „Best International Artist“ with nominations
in four categories.
In 2018, SYLKIE launched a digital record label, SYWA Nashville, partnering with one of Germany’s music industry veterans, former EMI and Chlodwig Musik/BMG president Walter Puetz. The re-released album "Harbor In The Night" landed in the Top 50 of the Apple Music Country Album Charts in Germany. Apart from this and several other international projects on SYWA, SYLKIE has released three more singles, "Like Rain", "The Puzzle" and the current "Still Believe In You", which is on this year's Grammy® Ballots in the two categories "Best Country Song" and "Best Country Solo Performance". On top of this, she is nominated for the IMN Award 2022 "Comeback Artist Of The Year".
In addition to her diverse musical work, SYLKIE conducts music business workshops and is a well-respected vocal coach.
After completing her studies in Hamburg, SYLKIE single-handedly landed a recording contract with BMG Ariola (Sony BMG). Her debut EP consisted of 3 original compositions. This was followed by the recording of her album HARBOR IN THE NIGHT (1993). She not only composed 10 of the 11 songs, but also co-produced the album. The
first single DON’T landed in the German airplay charts and two more singles followed. In the late 1990s, SYLKIE’s composition ALL THE PLACES was recorded by the British duo BND and charted in the German Top 100 sales charts. It was released world-wide and went gold.
SYLKIE has toured throughout Europe and parts of the US, playing support to artists such as Ian Matthews (Plainsong) and Supercharge. She has performed with Julian Dawson, Grammy winner Albert Lee and rock’n’roll legend Spencer Davies. For about 10 years, she spent part of the year in Nashville performing, recording and co-writing with various acknowledged staff writers, such as Curtis Lance (Don’t happen twice, Kenny Chesney), Gilles Godard (Patty Loveless, Tracy Byrd, Ricky Skaggs, Blackhawk), Grammy winner Don Rollins (It’s 5 o’clock somewhere/Alan Jackson+Jimmy Buffett), Charley Stefl (The Fool, LeeAnn Womack) and Brent Baxter (Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum). Some of her songs have been added to the Warner and Universal Music publishing catalogs.
In 2009/2010, SYLKIE released her CD “GENUINE”, a project she is especially proud of. She composed all 13 songs and also produced the album, which features some of Nashville’s top session players, such as drummer legend Eddie Bayers and first-call guitarist Brent Mason. She said: “This time, my main goal was to work with people who are truly close to me. I wanted the album to sound like friends making music together and having a good time. And that’s what it was all the way! Nashville is like home. Finally, I can be musically who I really am and it feels so right.”
The critically acclaimed album “GENUINE” climbed to the top positions of various European country radio charts (#1 in Austria, #2 in Norway and Top 20 in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Italy, Sweden and more). „GENUINE“ as well charted in the American Roots Music Report's True Country and Roots Country Charts. With her first US radio single „STEAL YOUR CROWN“ holding strong on the #1 position of the IMN Country Charts
in 2012 for an entire 13 weeks, SYLKIE won the IMN Country Award as „Best International Artist“ with nominations
in four categories.
In 2018, SYLKIE launched a digital record label, SYWA Nashville, partnering with one of Germany’s music industry veterans, former EMI and Chlodwig Musik/BMG president Walter Puetz. The re-released album "Harbor In The Night" landed in the Top 50 of the Apple Music Country Album Charts in Germany. Apart from this and several other international projects on SYWA, SYLKIE has released three more singles, "Like Rain", "The Puzzle" and the current "Still Believe In You", which is on this year's Grammy® Ballots in the two categories "Best Country Song" and "Best Country Solo Performance". On top of this, she is nominated for the IMN Award 2022 "Comeback Artist Of The Year".
In addition to her diverse musical work, SYLKIE conducts music business workshops and is a well-respected vocal coach.