Premiere! Portland, die weirdeste Stadt der USA, serviert der Welt mal wieder eine vielversprechende Band, die vor Überraschungsmomenten mal so gar nicht zurückschreckt. Sama Dams präsentieren ihren künstlerischen Indie-Pop bereits auf ihrer vierten Platte „Say it“. Im Interview stellt Sänger Sam den verspielt-schönen Titeltrack vor.
How did you write „Say it“ in the very beginning?
Sam: This song was written during a month long songwriting exercise where I would write one song every day. It started out a very conventional solo acoustic song.
What can you tell us about recording the song?
Sam: Originally I had not thought this track to be in the right style for Sama Dams – I write a lot of folky music sometimes, which doesn’t quite fit the direction the band is going. But when we were planning out the record, Lisa suggested we try to make it work. She’s got great pop intuition – the song would have just been an afterthought without her chiming in.
What’s your personal favorite moment of the track?
Sam: I love Chris’s drum fill near the end of the track – suddenly he breaks away from more restrained drum patterns and lets the timing go wild. You can also really hear the size of the room that we recorded it in – the Hallowed Halls in Portland is a studio with a MASSIVE live room that really colors this record.
How can I understand the lyrics?
Sam: My grandmother has gotten very bitter, selfish, and spiteful in her older years, and I’ve witnessed her push all of her children away one by one. Now itseems like my dad is the only child of hers left who she can call for help, but there is not a bit of gratitude or graciousness to speak of when she receives help. The song was inspired by the reluctant sense of duty that I see my father and his siblings entering into – the atmosphere of their relationship is just so heavy that you just want to tell the truth to clear the air. But all the wrongs have made such a tangled web; sometimes it is too late for the truth and you are helpless to consequences of years of unresolved conflict.
What’s your favorite one-liner of the song?
Watching your family function under crisis is a great way to learn about yourself. You see all the flaws you inherited played out to their inevitable conclusions – Nature and Nurture are both bearing down on you. I have to remind myself to stay vigilant and try to be humble.
Why did you put „Say it“ at that position of the record?
Sam: It seemed like a good compliment to Lisa’s song, Secrets.
Why did you choose to name the album after this song?
Sam: It seemed to bind together the tracks into a unified theme – understanding that sometimes there is a wide gap between what is being spoken in your head, and what comes out your mouth. Much of the album wrestles with that disconnect, and tries to bridge it.
At what point of a concert would you most likely play it?
Probably at the end – it feels very anthemic and cathartic to sing.
What can you tell us about the music video?
Sam: Our friend Sam Smith recorded our entire recording session – we’re so grateful that he lent us his eye and shot everything so beautifully. It brings back great memories to see us working on the record.
At what moment should I play the song?
Sam: Right now!
that new music blog sagt:
Wunderschönes Stück Musik mit einem einfachen, aber dafür umso sympathischeren Musikvideo. Eine bodenständige Band, deren Radiohead-infizierter Indie-Pop auf deutlich größere Bühnen gehört.
Hier könnt ihr Sama Dams in den nächsten Wochen auf der Bühne sehen:
19.4. Haus der Musik | Wien (AT)
20.4. Lendhafen Café | Klagenfurt (AT)
21.4. Gokul | Zabok (CRO)
24.4. Rote Fabrik | Zürich (CH)
25.4. Frischzelle | Darmstadt (DE)
26.4. Noch Besser Leben | Leipzig (DE)
27.4. Kasseturm | Weimar (DE)
28.4. Hafen 2 | Offenbach (DE)
30.4. Monomontag | Winterthur (CH)
3.5. Parterre | Basel (CH)
4.5. Asta Kneipe | Rosenheim (DE)
5.5. Becker und Funck | Düren (DE)
6.5. tba (DE)
7.5. Tonfink | Lübeck (DE)
9.5. Bergfest | Berlin (DE)
10.5. Glashaus | Bayreuth (DE)
11.5. Röda | Steyr (AT)
Lyrics:
Just any hospital wait is enough
Something beholden to old love
Voice in the wires a haunted refrain spoken of
A way to turn back and get off
Waiting before time lets on what it wants
Passing around tacit omens
Take up the burden put out by good grace of the mob
They raced through the streets and strayed off
Say it, say it, stay in photographs
Gray away and cry for what your vanity told you
Say it, say it, call it home
The words of your conscience overgrown
Of course I pretend to be mad to speak up
Fever is warmer than old love
Hollow you out, fill you up with the dregs from my cup
They spit back in my face and step off
Say it, say it, stay in photographs
Gray away and cry for what your vanity told you
Say it, say it, call it home
The words of your conscience overgrown