The Sam Weber Interview - 'Get Free' album release Feb. 4th
If the winter lethargy has taken hold and you need a dose of indie lyricism to get you through, look no further. Sam Weber is gearing up to release his latest album, 'Get Free' on February 4th. Hailing from the Great White North but currently rambling in the California sun, Weber's project is a reflection of those fresh perspectives. It contains a sound that spans Indie eclecticism and nostalgic pleasures similar to Bahamas, with whom Weber has previously toured. The album's single 'Get out of the game.' is a snippet of Mark Twain-Esque lyricism that could make the most reserved hearts fall madly in love. The possibility to do so in person also follows on February 5th with the kick-off of his US tour.
We got ahold of Sam to hear more about his creative process and album writing experience.
Introduce yourself!
My name is Sam Weber; I'm a Singer-songwriter from Vancouver Island, Canada. I got into music playing with my family. Eventually, I started touring Canada for many years and then touring the states, making a few records down in LA, and then deciding to just move here. Now I'm getting ready to tour the states, and I've got a new record called 'Get Free' that I made in the past couple of years, coming out February 4th.
What was your creative process while creating Get Free?
It's funny; usually, my creative processes are in a consistent era with each other, but this time, a lot of the music was written beforehand, and I was playing those songs on the road. When we recorded my previous record, 'Everything comes true,' we did it at a big studio in Los Angeles. We had a similar plan to do the same thing this time. But with all the lockdown measures, we realized that wasn't gonna be an option and proceeded to record in our apartments. This ended up being a blessing in disguise because it forced us to make more with less, and it affected the music positively as we had to push the boundaries of what we had.
Did the pandemic influence your writing since much of your content is related to travel and freedom?
I find myself more and more when performing that I'm not channeling the literal content of the lyrics, which I'm not sure is the best way of executing a song. However, there's usually a central emotional spirit to a song, so I was still able to get to those places emotionally while delivering those performances. Still, it was definitely wildly different in those circumstances, but it wasn't too difficult. The album's vibe is such a celebration since we hadn't been performing together; it felt so good to be back making music.
Who do you look to for musical inspiration and influence?
I try to look towards stuff outside of my genre and universe. I like a lot more improvisational, experimental music. I really like live music. During the pandemic, I really longed for the sound of a live performance. The specific kind of music where musicians are playing together and interacting. Lots of African jazz tends to do it for me, something outside of what I'm doing directly, so I can bring that energy back.
What is the craziest experience you've had since you started making music?
The craziest one was just my now friend, former idol, Bahamas, asked me to come on tour with him back in October. We were playing some of the biggest rooms I have played to date; that was really surreal and beautiful, and we got to go back to doing what we love, playing for people. That was pretty nuts.
How would you describe your specific genre?
Oh man, I don't even know. I feel like a lot of my music comes from an improvisational place. The genesis of it is very spontaneous. It's sometimes hard to attach those adjectives to music, but I would say it is pretty true.
What's happening with your tour?
We are going on the road next month, starting with the west coast of the US. Then we are doing east and midwest in March then possibly coming to the UK in the fall, but the dates aren't confirmed with everything changing these days. But we will be on the road the next two months, basically.
'Get Free' will be available on all streaming platforms starting February 4th. In the meantime, check out Sam Weber's beautifully composed collage-style video for 'Get Out Of The Game' below.
