So
Sam, how did you get into music?
Well I got my first guitar when I was about
5, I’ve been playing pretty much since then. The guitar I have currently was a
Christmas present when I was 15 from my parents. My dad plays guitar as well, he
taught me when I was younger and introduced me to a lot of classic rock bands. He
was great, he taught me almost everything I know and supported me my whole
life. A lot of parents wouldn’t support a child going into the music industry,
some people don’t see it as a proper career. Mine supported me, my dad helped
me with songs and buying recording equipment.
So
what bands do you like listening to?
I listen to a variety of bands and artists
from different genres to try and broaden my music knowledge. Catfish and the bottle
men, Coldplay, ben Howard, the killers, the artic monkeys. Those are just a few
artists I like. I try and listen to a variety when I can. I listen to artists
like myself, who haven’t got the publicity to properly distribute their music. I
try and support these artists when I can because I know how hard it is when
you’re just starting out.
What
bands inspire you?
Ed Sheeran Is a big inspiration to me, I
love his music. I also like Mumford and sons and passenger, I think I have a
similar sound to these artists in particular so I like to listen to their music
a lot. I don’t actually get inspired to write songs after listening to them, I
never listen to music when I write. I find it easier to write when there are no
distractions, so I try to avoid listening to music. I do find inspiration from
them though. I often hear lines I like that give me ideas for a song, or a
certain kind of beat or feeling. Of course to start off with I made covers of
songs to go on my YouTube channel. In terms of actions Ed Sheeran is a big
inspiration to me, his new record label especially. He’s able to use what he
has to find new, amazing artists and get them publicity. So yeah Ed Sheeran in
particular has been a big inspiration to me.
Do
you have a guilty pleasure music genre?
House music and EDM. I listen to it quite a
lot actually. It’s just so different from what I play it gives me a break from
it. I spend a lot of my time writing songs and playing guitar so it gives me a
bit of variety. I try to listen to a variety of music and artists like me who
are just starting out. I want to be able to support artists who just need that
boost to find a bigger audience and get their music out there.
What
other hobbies do you have besides music?
Nothing very interesting. I enjoy playing
on my Xbox with my mates, watching TV. I’m a big fan of Game of Thrones. Me and
a few friends often meet up to watch it when it's on or binge watch episodes
together. I enjoy doing things with my friends, sometimes just chilling and
watching films together, sometimes we go out and play football at the local
football field. I spent my free time listening to music and practising guitar.
I’m quite dedicated to my music but I don’t spend all my time playing or
writing songs. I read a lot when I’m not busy with work or music.
Do
you have places or people that inspire you?
I often find myself coming up with songs on
the bus. When I was in college I had to get the bus there and back every day so
I spent the time thinking up lyrics. Sometimes I steal ideas or just a feeling
from other songs I hear or conversations around me. It depends on my mood,
sometimes I can really get into it, write a few verses at a time other times
it’s just the first line.
What
do you write your songs about?
I try to write songs that people can relate
to, not necessarily things I’ve experienced myself but things others can
understand and might have gone through themselves. I mean I’m only 19, I
haven’t experienced a lot of things that others have. I can’t relate to my
whole audience if I just write about my own experiences. Sure I write about
myself and my own experiences, I want my audience to feel like they know me, I
don’t want to be like other musicians that are kind of removed from their fans.
But there are a lot of things I can write about that I haven’t personally
experienced. I suppose it’s like being a writer, they often don’t write about
their own experiences. It’s about engaging the audience and writing songs they
will enjoy.
How
do you begin writing your songs?
I just start with one line, then move on
from there. Sometimes I get stuck on the first line, sometimes I end up with a
song. Sometimes the first line will just come to me, other times I have to
really think, imagine myself in different situations, think about things
friends have said, stuff like that to help me come up with the first line. From
there on I just work with the first line until I have a song. Most of the time
I end up changing bits of it anyway, I don’t usually get a perfect song from
the first try. Once I have the song I start coming up with a tune, working out
exactly how I want it to sound.
Any
awkward music experiences?
Once, when I was just starting out, I did a
gig at the local pub. I was really excited about it, practising all day to make
sure I knew the songs perfectly. I arrived half an hour too early, I was so
psyched to get started. I waited for about an hour and a half for people to
turn up. About ten people showed up in the end. I played anyway, and the people
that turned up seemed to enjoy it. It turned out to be a really good gig, I
just had high expectations leading up to it. And that’s not even the worst
experience I’ve had. I once did a gig, one of the biggest I had done at the
time and I was part way though the set, people were really getting into it when
one of my guitar strings snapped. It was terrible, right in the middle of a
song.
So
how did you get noticed?
Well when I started out I had a YouTube
channel and I made a few videos of me singing. After a while I was able to make
a music video with the help of my friend for my song Simon Says. I asked all my
friends to share it and people started seeing it and soon it had 20,000 views.
It was crazy. I never had that many views before that but people really liked the
music video so I started making a few more for my best songs. I did one for
Half Past 5 and then one for Wild Card Girl and that really not me noticed. I
started getting 10,000 views on all my videos and I got up to about 50,000 on
Simon Says. It gave me the boost I needed to get writing, which I did until I
had enough for an EP. I released a few EPs and then one day I got a call from
Atlantic Records saying they wanted to meet with me. I went in a few days later
and played them some of my stuff and they loved it. Since then it’s just been
about getting my music out there so people can hear it and hopefully enjoy it.
How
did you start your career once you were signed to Atlantic Records?
Well I started by creating an album, Tunnel
Vision. It’s all my best songs from before I was signed and a few afterwards. I
went on tour as the supporting act for Tom Butler, one of my favourite
musicians. That was really fun and it got me a lot of publicity. After that I
finished working on Tunnel Vision. I’m really proud to get my first album out,
it’s a big step for me, after having a few EPs on sound cloud and now I have an
album that’s being officially produced. It’s been a lot of hard work but it’s
also been lots of fun. I’m just really happy to have my music out there for
people to enjoy.
Anything
you want to say to your fans?
Yeah. I want to thank them for all the
support, especially those who have been there from the beginning, right when I
started out. You guys are the reason I play, so you can hear and hopefully
enjoy my music.
