Kieran Webber
Director and Founder of CLUNK Magazine, CLUNK Events, and other CLUNK affiliate businesses. You’ll probably find me tucked away somewhere sending emails, listening to music, and creating content.
Hailing out of Nashville, TN, Sami Jo talks to us about life in the USA, her new single ‘I’m Tired Of Calling My Mum, and more
Artists such as Sami Jo have a brilliant talent of writing music that is so personal and honest, yet wholly reliable. Her latest single ‘I’m Tired Of Calling My Mum’ is a shining example of her simple, yet wonderful songwriting. It was after hearing this song we were eager to find out more about the American troubadour.
We caught up with Sami to chat about life in Nashville, influences and a whole heap more.
Kieran: Hey Sami, thank you so much for having a quick chat with us! How have you been?
Sami: Hi Kieran! I’ve been great, staying extra busy these past couple months with as much music as I can fit in my schedule. I hosted a single release party for the new song, which was a lot of fun and I was so lucky to have so many people come out to support the release. On top of that, I’m in an all-girl Beatles tribute band called “Penny Lane” and we just played a big show last night at the City Winery in Nashville so I am currently on a post-show high and ready to take the world by storm!
Kieran: So, how’s life stateside right now?
Sami: The weather is warming up and it feels incredible. We have had a couple odd storms come through, and there is an abnormal amount of cicadas (these are horrible big insects that fly around in swarms and yell at you) – but it has been a nice time to be in Nashville.
Kieran: Being based in Nashville, which is world famous for its music scene must be incredible, what do you love most about living there?
Sami: I love Nashville for many reasons, but at the top of the list is the fact that there is a strong community of like-minded artists that support each other in the chaos that is the music industry. People move here with a passion for music, and because we all share that passion, it is easy to make friends. I also love that you can go out and listen to quality original music any day of the week (and probably any time of the day!) Co-writing definitely makes the list as well. Being able to gather with other singer/songwriters and collaborate on original music is very inspiring and very common in Nashville.
Kieran: Now, you just released your new song ‘I’m Tired Of Calling My Mum’, can you talk us through the release? What does it mean to you?
Sami: It’s a personal song and a true story, so I wanted to work extra hard for the release. My release party strategy was to invite everyone I know to come enjoy an evening of live music, free food and drinks, and networking – the only price they had to pay to enter was to pull out their phone and stream my song on repeat (all night long!) I got a few thousand streams right on release day because of this! My other plans of attack were multiple tiktok videos featuring my mom, the purchase of an old rotary phone that I used for social media content, submitting to playlists/radio, and I even had a “preserve party!” I tried to think as creatively as possible!
Listen to ‘I’m Tired Of Calling My Mum’ here:
Kieran: When writing your music, do you do it from a personal perspective or is it more storytelling?
Sami: Just like this song, most of my music is very personal. I think I write most authentically when it’s an emotion that I’m currently experiencing. However, I have been a story-teller my entire life and I love to weave words together to make things out of nothing. I’m also an exaggerator (and dramatic) so possibly, every once in a while, when the stars align, I will take the story and make it sound a little more epic for the sake of the song.
Kieran: What artists have influenced you through the years?
Sami: The Beatles are always my number one. They have definitely influenced me, but I don’t know if my music sounds like them at all. Other influences are Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, Merle Haggard, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Noah Kahan, Colbie Caillat, and the list goes on. I’m kinda all over the place.
Kieran: Who are your top 5 artists you’ve got on repeat this year (so far)?
Sami: Megan Moroney, Noah Kahan, Zach Bryan, Lainey Wilson, and of course… the Beatles.
Kieran: Lastly, what advice would you give to any other artist trying to get heard?
Sami: My piece of advice is to write your own piece of advice to someone else, because this is a good question! I think it is important to remember the reasons we are pursuing success in this crazy and wildly difficult industry. And what is success to you? You have to stay grounded in the fact that you love what you do, even when it becomes “work.” I really think you need to have a lot of drive, determination, and stubbornness to make progress. I also think we should always be continuing to make progress, even when we reach the highest goal.
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