Jack Samson is one of the hottest new artists on our radar right now. The LA native is gearing up for a big year of music, film and live shows all around, and we're excited to more from the buzzworthy artist. On September 19, Samson will be taking over the stage at The Sayers Club, for an intriguing show that will stop you dead in your tracks.
Channeling artists such as David Bowie and Andre 3000, Jack's music can be best described as "conceptual, emotional, and raw," which he will bring to life during his set that evening. Over the past two years Jack has been working primarily with producer Cameron “Cambo” Bartolini (Doja Cat).
Jack and Cambo have collaborated on more than 90 songs – including a 10-song album titled, Siiigns set for release in the Fall, 2019. One of the songs from the album, “Slow 3,” was released on UMG’s NOW That’s What I Call Music! 69 where Jack was named as a Now What’s Next artist to watch. A few weeks following the artist showcase, Jack will head to Canada to act in the lead role in Tom DeLonge's upcoming Sci-Fi film, "Strange Times."
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We had the pleasure of catching up with Jack Samson as we head into this upcoming show next week.
Congratulations on your upcoming single and video release! Can you share any details regarding? What was the inspiration behind it and how does it represent your sound as a whole?
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Thank you. "Boyfriend" is the first single off my upcoming project SIIIGNS. The whole project is about transition, the state of purgatory in between two chapters of life whether that be emotionally or physically (which is why it needed to be released in the fall). The concept of "Boyfriend" lives in between morals as it comes from the perspective of someone in a relationship that wants to cheat. Weighing each side in the verses was something that I was really excited about, because I think that in music it is much easier to pick one side of an opinion or story and just share that, but as humans it's typically not that easy. So I thought it would cool to paint a story around a "bad guy" that could easily be written off but instead you see his vulnerability and maybe it changes your perspective on the decisions you make that you feel bad about. You can learn from everything and go through certain things for a reason. Oh also shout out to my little brother Bo who directed the video with me. He's a little genius and we'll be doing a lot of shit together in the future.
Living in the greater LA area, what are your favorite venues to play? We hear that you have a show coming up next week ...can you share the details?
I've only performed at a few venues and out of those none are particularly notable. I'm playing at The Sayers Club on September 19 and showing the video for "Boyfriend" too so that should be fun.
When creating songs, what inspirations and aspirations did you have in mind? What was the backing behind the story you wanted to portray?
I find inspiration all the time. Then from there, what I do with it usually goes as follows. I feel some sort of mood and try to match it with the right chord progression. At this stage I know exactly what the song will be about. Then I'll hum and mumble melodies until some word or phrase comes out that feels unique or a good jumping off point. Usually I'll leave the song there to marinate and live a little. Soon enough, something will happen in my life that feels like the mood I've created and then I can step back into it with a new perspective and create an exaggerated story around it.
On a personal note, which song that you've written would you say is your favorite, or the one that speaks the most to you?
There's a reason the album is called SIIIGNS. For a while the album was called "The Fall" for the same reasons, however it was limiting my process. I had just graduated high school and was figuring out how to pursue my dream while maintaining a life that I was already comfortable in. When I wrote SIIIGNS it felt like I had tapped into both worlds. The nostaligia of loving now (the doo wop undertones and harmonies) as well the raw emotion needed to propel you forward (the grungey guitar).
When writing music who were the key players aside from yourself? Also what musical duties did you hold as well?
Cameron "Cambo" Bartolini has been my partner on everything the last two years. He stuck with me even when I would say nonsense such as "this synth needs to feel more like a sunset". We built everything together. He's also just a really special guy.
Did you self-produce or use an outside studio? Can you walk us through the process of either?
Well a lot of my writing comes from being alone in my room. With SIIIGNS, I would take songs that are just me and my guitar or piano and bring them to "Lineage Studios" in Hollywood where Cambo works. We'd discuss where the song lives emotionally and how we can build the tracks around it to give it life. Every song had it's own unique trial and error process, but the foundation was always just how much love we were putting in it.
With the show coming up at The Sayers Club on 9/19, do you have any surprises up your sleeve for the evening?
I don't know if it's a surprise, but I'm excited for people to hear these songs for the first time the way they're intended to be heard, live and loud.
Show Details:
Jack Samson at The Sayers Club
Date: Thursday, September 19th
Time: 9PM
Address: 1645 Wilcox Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90028
Find Tickets Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sayers-presents-jack-samson-tickets-69148732721
