Conversations with Sam Stokes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Stokes.

Hi Sam, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As a musical artist, it’s hard to say when the story started versus when you realized what was ticking inside of you.

My parents are both musicians, so my mom was singing on stage pregnant with me 3 days before I was born and then 3 days after I was born. She’s a badass.

Music has always been in my life, but I remember when I was a teenager trying to sit at the piano to write a song and I felt as though I had nothing to say. I felt as though I had been so blessed by such a wonderful life growing up, there was nothing I could offer the world to give people comfort or perspective.

So I quit music (multiple times) and it kept finding me. Pounding on my door, waking me in the middle of the night, dragging me to some random stage in the streets of Europe somewhere.

The pandemic was very challenging in many ways, I experienced very traumatic loss multiple times, and yet I also believe it was the first time I let my soul fully express itself and navigate the decisions in my life.

It’s only in the past year that all of the training, coaching, mentoring, sessions, rehearsals, and practicing alone at home have come together fully in the music I’m sharing.

In September, I had the privilege of performing a residency in Hollywood at the Three of Clubs. Starting in October we’re going to expand on this idea by hosting the “Underground Lounge” on Tuesday nights from 9:30-11:30pm at the Three of Clubs.

Three artists will perform all original, all unreleased works during the Underground Lounge. It’s raw, it’s authentic, it is completely of this moment.

Can highly recommend this event to anyone who has missed good music the past 20 years.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One day I was walking through a forest – I saw a leaf fall to the woodsy floor. I picked it up, turned it over and kept walking.

I kept walking and walking through the forest, but I was forever changed after I took my first step from that leaf.

My journey as an artist has been many things, it has taken me to Europe, helped me learn languages, helped me learn new instruments, new poetry, new love languages, and yet it has always asked me to pause.

To stop, take a look around and really notice the trees.

Notice every individual leaf on those trees. Watch them as they fall and how the light reflects through them as they dance to the ground.

And it is in those moments of stopping I have found clarity. Found the next step to move in the next direction.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a singer / songwriter / producer / guitarist – most of my artistry is an intense capturing of that moment in time.

While working on my own music or collaborating with another artist, I’m a big believer that as an artist, the most important thing we can do is send our egos for a walk.

Literally ask the ego to leave the room and to come together to serve whatever is coming through the artist in that moment.

This is a process that is quite strange and sometimes uncomfortable the first few times you do it. I have worked on it intensely over the past few years and what’s shocking about it is how the moment you surrender the ego, is the exact moment everything can flow through you.

So for example, you might sit down for a session for 3-4 hours and you play all the instruments, you perform all the vocals, the lyrics, everything.

Then the next day you listen to what you just created and you ask yourself who did that? What elf came in the middle of the night and played all those parts?

And the absolutely crazy moment – that has happened to me multiple times – is when I try to learn the guitar part or some solo or even the lyrics and I can’t do it the next day. Sometimes I need a week to learn a solo I played perfectly on the record. And the lyrics sometimes make sense only a few weeks after the recording.

That still blows my mind every time.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Seeing people flourish.

The moment when something clicks and they choose to honor their highest self and everything starts working in their favor.

That brings me indescribable joy.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.samstokesofficial.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam.stokes.the.fire/

Image Credits
Judy Lin Photography (for main photo) Judy Lin Photography (Hotel Cafe photos) Manu Waldenmeier (Nabu Wine – purple-ish photos) Walden Photography (Three of Clubs photos)