Indie/alternative/rock musician Sam Baird wrote and records his own material. Sam’s music career really started with the release of his debut EP, No One Can See You Now. Released to a small, but overwhelmingly positive response, he quickly followed up the release with two more singles, Put on Those Glasses, and, We Blow Everything Away But Ourselves.
Sam’s passion for music started at a young age, being introduced to bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, at around age 9. These bands would become the backbone for Sam’s early musical exploration.
How has your musical background helped shaped your sound?
John Frusciante has always been a big influence of mine (since I was 8 or 9). I fell in love with his guitar playing and I think it comes through in the solo in my latest song, Feelings of Dying Alone. Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys and David Bowie have also had quite a big impact. I feel that the guitar tone and vocal tone I have achieved is very much owed to those three artists. A less obvious band would be King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. Whilst that psychedelic swampy sound might not be hugely prevalent in this particular release, I still consider it an important part of my sound.
Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?
It varies greatly from song to song. I let each song grow organically and rarely sit down and tell myself “I’m gonna write some lyrics now.” With Feelings of Dying Alone, for example, I was just singing nonsense to myself whilst making lunch (I think) until something stood out. I quickly wrote it down in my notes and came back to it later with an acoustic guitar in hand. I then figured out a chord progression and just let myself feel the song you know? I didn’t choose where the crescendos were, I let the song naturally progress. The final instrumentation was also put together quite naturally in the studio. Recording parts until it all fit together.
What are or were some of the challenges for you in producing or performing while keeping true to your vision of your music.
I personally found that I ran into a few challenges when I went in to record my debut album (yet to be released). It’s different than recording a single or an EP. When you record a single, you want it to catch peoples attention and sound huge, and an EP (to me) is a collection of singles really. But when I recorded the album, I had to constantly remind myself that these songs are part of a journey through a wider story, they don’t all need to be the biggest songs if anything that detracts from the songs that should be big.
To me, the album needed to have a sense of progression and not just be a compilation of unrelated singles, and I hope that comes across to everyone when it’s finally out.
Who are three musicians you think the world needs to hear right now?
Weird Milk – Awesome, old school, Indie Pop/Rock legends
Hot Teeth – Swampy Blues goodness in a Psychedelic box
Puma Blue – Indie Jazz smoothness… need I say more?
Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, which do you prefer?
The creative energy in a studio is frankly amazing! But there is a lot more tedium involved as well. While playing live is just pure energy. The nerves before and during soundcheck, the exhilaration of getting up on stage, and the party you get to have while playing music! What’s not to love?
Any “strange tales” or things that may have happened during a show that seemed too weird to be true?
Haven’t played enough shows to come across something worth talking about
Do you find that social media and keeping up with your fans has become overwhelming? Or do you rely heavily on others to take care of that for the band? Which platform would you say that you enjoy engaging with the most?
It’s incredibly overwhelming! I don’t know how people do it all day every day! I’ve recently opened up a Facebook and Twitter account and trying to do those on top of Instagram is so much work. I wish I had someone to do that for me and I could just dip in and out when I needed to. That being said, I do like responding to comments and messages, that part is actually quite nice and full of positivity, and I haven’t amassed an army of haters to ruin it for me.
I find Instagram the most enjoyable because I find it the easiest to use I think? Also, it’s where most of my audience is.
What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?
“General vibe – California Rocket Fuel”
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you in the near future?
I have my debut album coming out later this year! It was delayed because of Covid-19, but me and the awesome guys at SOL Studios have been working on it remotely and it should be coming very soon!!!
Famous last words?
“I’m going to the bathroom to read” – not mine, but gold
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