SXSW Interview: Sam Himself
Pop music is back in fashion, and there are few, in my mind, that are doing it as well as Sam Himself. He’s coming our way for SXSW with hits galore, predominantly from his recent Songs in D EP, which came out in 2017. Click below for his responses to our questions, as well as one of those pop hits I keep talking about!
ATH: Every Year there is a lot of hubbub concerning corporate sponsors and pay to play and what not at SXSW. As a band, what’s your reason for coming to play at the festival? What do you hope to get out of it?
SH: This is my first time playing SXSW, so I’m just about as excited as I could be. As an unsigned artist, the festival is a real opportunity to be heard by my favorite labels, booking agents and all kinds of music lovers. And of course I can’t wait to see the bands I love and discover new ones.
ATH: For most SXSW sets, you get 30 minutes to leave a lasting impression. What’s your plan of attack? You have a set list mapped out yet?
SH: I sure do. I want to give my audience a taste of the entire distance I’ve covered musically, beginning with my brand new, uptempo EP and tracing all the way back to the ballads of my debut. Most people in that room won’t know who I am; this is my first date with them and I’ll make it worth their while.
ATH: The festival caters to music fans, but food and booze are an important aspect of the fans and the bands. What’s your band’s food and beverage of choice?
SH: One of things I love about my band is that we’re a pretty eclectic bunch. Some of us don’t drink, others are vegetarian, so I’ll just speak for myself here: BBQ and Bourbon. I’m going to keep it local, too, because Austin has some of the finest distilleries around.
ATH: There are tons of bands coming into town. Who would you ideally like to play with of the 1000s of bands gracing our city? Make your own optimal line-up.
SH: There’s just too many, but off the top of my head: my New York bud HNRY FLWR would raise the ceiling, then UK-rockers Shame would tear it down, we’d rise out of the rubble with Gordi from Australia and then the night would end with everyone slow-dancing to Nilufer Yanya.
ATH: We are partial to SXSW obviously, but what festival do you feel is the best around?
SH: I’m Swiss, so I’ll have to say Montreux Jazz Festival. Sorry guys.
ATH: Let’s say your band has been booked an official showcase at a pop up venue somewhere in the middle of 6th street. The lineup features thrash metal, hip-hop, spoken word, and you. The sound is horrible, the lineup is not your style, and the crowd seems angry at the world. How would your band deal with such a situation?
SH: You know that scene in Blues Brothers where the band gets hounded and heckled at a country bar, and just when the bottles start flying, they slip into a cover of “Stand By Your Man” and save the day? I’m not saying that’s the song I’d pick, but I’d read the room and try to find the right mix of comic relief and crowd pleaser, the kind of song everyone knows and no one can really be mad at. Yes, Smash Mouth is an option in that situation.
ATH: What’s your favorite album to come out in the last year? What’s playing in the tour bus?
SH: I’m still obsessed with the new War on Drugs album. Part of that is home team pride: my producer Daniel Schlett at Strange Weather Studio in Brooklyn worked on that amazing record.
ATH: Who wins the World Cup this summer?
SH: Switzerland, obviously.