Samia (May 2019)
At times, the future is a personification of fear. Samia understands this far better than others, having a past entangled and confusing while living in a present only starting to find clarity. The idea of the days ahead should seem brutal. Yet, truthful expression has become the answer for Samia. It subdues the fear and multiplies the positivity beginning to take form in every sunrise.
Samia has learned to embrace all she is and isn’t, all her successes and failures, to better exist with peace. She proudly displays who she exists as and all the aspects that create her as an individual. The fear of judgment is irrelevant as joy and happiness are on a level higher than ever before. This all due to her finally finding her artistic voice, ultimately creating endless sonic horizons of honesty.
The future is no longer a fear, but instead, a beautiful and hopeful opportunity. For Samia, it is a page without dry ink, all while having the pen in her hand. She has taken her artistic loves and allowed them to become her daily joy, to become her drive and the reason her heart can remain fulfilled. And in doing so, she invites all to do the same, to allow joy in through passion and to finally quell the anxieties of tomorrow.
Our first question as always, how’s your day going and how have you been?
My day is going well so far. I’ve been dealing with a myriad of minor health issues and trying to get to the bottom of it; most recently I’ve discovered that I’m allergic to my dogs…besides that, I’m good.
To really begin, you talk a lot of not regretting the past, but, that also asks what your best childhood memory has been and why it sticks out to you?
I spent entire summers on the beach with my best friend Samantha. We were both pretty inherently creative so spent most of our time making up imaginary worlds and swimming in them. That feeling of being so physically exhausted and hungry after a day in the ocean is probably my favorite feeling ever.
And with that early time in your life, when did you get the first realization you wanted to go into an artistic career and pursue it seriously?
I’ve been singing my whole life. I fell in love with poetry in the sixth grade because I had an incredible teacher and quickly realized that songwriting was a great way to marry my two passions.
As well, what location is your favorite in the world and of what importance do you hold within it?
Any beach! All beaches. I really just love being in the ocean anywhere. Unless it’s full of jellyfish…then it’s more fear than fun.
In your experience, what has been the most gratifying moments of being an artist and what emotions mean the most to you through the process?
Seeing people singing, dancing and crying in the audience makes the whole thing seem a little less narcissistic. I love talking to people after a show. Someone wrote me a letter recently and pointed out a connection between one of my songs and a totally separate music video. The connection was intentional but I really had no idea anyone would be paying close enough attention to pick up on it. Really crazy to read that.
When you do create your new work though, do you find there to be a difference in approach and ideology compared to your original artistic vision?
I’m not sure if this is particular to youth, but I change drastically every year, which used to mean that I hated everything I did after it existed in the world for more than six months. I’m learning now, though, that grew out of something doesn’t make it less potent for other people. There is a difference in approach and ideology every time I write a new song but hopefully the consistent through line in my work is honesty.
As you’ve been creating currently and gearing up for a new set of output, what has been your biggest inspirations and creative ignitor?
My friends! Deeply inspired by the musicians and songwriters I know.
And in your eyes, what is the largest goal and message you hope you accomplish and share with the art you’re building and developing?
Desperation is not shameful, it’s very cool. It’s like a cocktail of passion and sadness, two of the most artistically important feelings, in my opinion. I’d like for my shows to offer an environment in which we are not afraid of those feelings.
One aspect to some of your recent work has also been your increase in live shows and translating yourself to that setting. Do you feel a large difference between the live and recorded energy of a song and what is the core difference to you if there is one?
I’ve been playing live since I moved to New York when was fifteen. It’s the most comfortable aspect of all this for me because it’s so familiar. Part of the reason I got into music was for the opportunity to perform. I’m still not entirely comfortable recording music…there’s something about the shared live experience with an audience that I haven’t been able to replicate on a record. That process is becoming a lot of fun, though, because I’m really just now discovering the possibilities.
But also part of shows is the difficulty in being on tour constantly and all the baggage that comes with it. How have you learned to maintain your creative energy while living more so on the road and being caught up in a hustle and bustle style?
I feel most creative when I’m traveling. Waking up in a new city everyday breeds curiosity & begets inspiration. Still trying to figure out how to stay healthy while traveling, but other than that it is probably the most productive environment for songwriting.
If you could go back and tell yourself one calming piece of reassurance when you were first setting out on your creative endeavors, what is it you would impart and of what significance would that have meant to you?
It’s okay if people don’t like you; that doesn’t actually have any effect on your wellbeing. It doesn’t matter what your body looks like, either; everyone who is actually important to you will be interested in your merit as a human and an artist. Hearing that and believing it probably would’ve saved me a lot of time.
And as a final idea, what’s one book you would recommend to everyone reading this right now?
Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan.
Do you have anyone or anything to shoutout or promote? The floor is yours!
I have a song, “Ode to Artifice,” that just came out this month! And I’m playing some shows in NY and LA soon. That’s all!