Today we sat down (virtually of course) with singer-songwriter and Gigmor artist, Sam Hastings! Sam has a raw singer-songwriter style a la Dave Matthews and James Blake. Sam is no stranger to Gigmor, as he has performed on our live stream quite a few times. Click here to watch one of his recent performances and scroll down to read a bit about his musical upbringing.
- Hi Sam! Give me the origin-story, why, how, and when did you start playing music?
- Sam: My mom and my uncle used to get together and play songs every weekend, so I was exposed to music at a very young age. My dad always tells a story where when I was just 3 years old, I sang along to a Pearl Jam song in the back seat of his truck. I sang for years and then when I was 8, I started to play bass guitar. I played bass in my brother’s punk band and ended up learning how to play guitar a few years later. I ended up writing my first song when I was 14, which my mom actually ended up recording for one of her albums! I started writing more music after that and have continued ever since.
- You have a very raw/singer-songwriter style — who were some of your biggest musical influences growing up?
- Sam: From a very young age, my parents exposed me to a lot of classic music. My mom was more into the singer-songwriter style of music, so I listened to James Taylor, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash. Bob Dylan was a huge influence for me, because I actually ended up writing my first song with the goal of writing a song that Bob Dylan would have wrote. I got older and started exploring more on my own and got into Coldplay, John Mayer, and Dave Matthews. I think my voice sounds a bit similar to those artists, but I ended up getting more into folk music when I was 18. I love The Tallest Man on Earth and Greensky Bluegrass, so both of their styles of writing have been very influential to me as well.
- Are you more of a live performer or in-the-studio creator?
- Sam: I would say that I personally enjoy creating more in the studio. I love the feeling of writing a song and being able to pick and choose what else goes into it. Putting together my song “Look What I’ve Become” was one of the best experiences I’ve had making music.
- Lyrics or Melody?
- Sam: I usually start my writing with a melody. I generally just hear the melody in my head and then start writing based off of what I’m hearing. I love writing lyrics as well, but melody is usually first and foremost.
- Favorite musical memory?
- Sam: My favorite musical memory is getting to audition on stage for The Voice. I auditioned not really expecting much, but I kept getting through the preliminary rounds and finally made it to LA. I ended up being in the top 80 of about 44,000, which meant a lot to me. Although I didn’t make it further on the show, it inspired me to go out and see music as more of a career instead of just a hobby.
- What is your end goal when it comes to your music?
- Sam: I’d say my end goal is to make a name for myself from playing music. I want to be able to share a song that I make with people all over the world. I have stories to tell and songs to sing and nothing makes me happier than getting them out for all to enjoy!