The soulfully sonic group S.Y.S. is one of the latest female-fronted acts on the Cleveland music scene. Local artists DJ Red-I and Sadhu founded the group to bring to life their vision of an all-queer, Black-women band. Together, the two musicians are eager to create genre-defying sounds alongside their newest member, A.M. The Queen.

S.Y.S.– which stands for “Save Yourself”– is a mantra near and dear to Sadhu, the band’s main lyricist. The name was pulled from the words of her favorite spiritual advisor, Queen Amun Ra, who Sadhu fondly referred to as her “pastor.”

S.Y.S. embodies the undeniable fact that women – especially queer and Black women – have been an integral part of music history.