Rising Stars: Meet Sam Small

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

Hi Sam, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Some of my earliest memories are of spending hours at the upright piano in my childhood home, eyes closed, head down, imagining a crowd hanging on my every move. While the concertgoers in my head were having a transcendent experience with each random cluster of notes I played, my parents were not. It eventually became unbearable and they signed me up for piano lessons. As a teenager, I switched to guitar, but really there was never a point where it felt like music wasn’t both part of my identity and what I wanted to do. My interest in writing came later and started with mere dabbling and a habit of not finishing things. It took a solid dose of novel heartbreak and interest in Bukowski to force myself to face a blank piece of paper with a pen and not do anything else until I had produced a finished song. My tastes in poetry and literature have evolved along with my own trials and tribulations but I still maintain the work ethic of always finishing what I start. Writing aside, I spent a long time playing as a solo act, but now am lucky enough to have a wonderful band that transports my songs into a different and far more complex dimension.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been far from a smooth road. I’ve done everything from working manual labor to working on pot farms to selling guitars to selling my blood to try to get by, all while struggling to find my voice and improve my writing and playing. I eventually found my way into being a touring and session guitar player, which both gave me some financial security and introduced me to some of my best friends.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m pretty evenly split down the middle between being a songwriter and a guitar player. As a songwriter, I specialize in writing for my own voice, which, in turn, sets me apart. I draw from a vast pool of influences and lyrics are massively important to me. I strive to write lyrics that are interesting on their own without the music and sometimes, I pull my lyrics directly or indirectly from poems I’ve written. As a guitarist, I strive to be as versatile as possible but am always looking to achieve something that feels and sounds organic. I never want to play something that feels rushed or straight out of the box. I want it all to come from my connection to the instrument. I’m currently most proud of the new music I am currently working on with my band. The songs are some of my favorite writing yet and the band never ceases to blow my mind.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
The question of luck always seems to come down to personal philosophy. Where one person says luck, somebody else says divine intervention. I’m not a religious person so I lean towards luck, though there are some things in my life that have been eerily coincidental giving me a cast of things I’d like to believe but am ultimately not sure if I do. As to whether on not I currently feel lucky to be where I am, I would have to say yes.

Contact Info:

• Email: samuelsmallmusic@gmail.com
• Website: https://samsmall.bandcamp.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samsmallsamsmall/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samsmallsamsmall
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu6ilhiyM6Xte3rbROx7Dyg

Image Credits:
Stacie Burrows Karman Kruschke