We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sam Slick. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sam below.

Sam, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

Sometimes I wish I had decided to write and perform at a younger age, but I didn’t have the best environment to inspire me that I would later find. I started learning guitar at 17, which felt very late in high school compared to the people who had bands at that point already. However, I’m glad I’ve taken the time to gain life experience and perspective to help me write better songs and develop skills as a musician. I was a pretty raw performer in my early days in bands! It has taken a long time to develop my musical talents, but I’m happy with what I am creating now.

Sam, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

If you don’t know me already, I’m Sam Slick, a folk rock songwriter and musician. I like to make music with clear ties to the past and reverence to my inspirations, but which does not fall into the common traps of retreading songs and sounds that we’ve all heard enough of. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2017 I have self released two full length albums and a handful of singles with the help of my talented bandmates, many guest musicians, and several producers and engineers. I take great pride in making it on our own; everything we have accomplished is because of our dedication and talent.

I spend a long time crafting my songs to blend accessible writing and interesting ideas. My band similarly strives to add parts to elevate the raw material into exciting, compelling tracks. We have a hard time staying in the lines of one genre – sometimes too country to just be a rock band, sometimes too noisy for the country sound – but every song we make combines into a sound that is both novel and relatable.

What best represents my art has been our latest releases, two singles from 2023 (our unique take on ABBA’s SOS and my song Still You’re Here With Me), our next single Mr. President which will be released on February 16th, and the next singles we have planned. Our band is sounding better than ever, and while I remain proud and happy with everything I’ve done up to this point, I still feel like my best work is the latest.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Simply showing up. Going to shows, for music, art, or any performance, shows the artist the importance and vitality of what they are creating. It’s not always easy to be there for artists you like – I miss more shows than I go to, and I go to a lot of shows – but every time you show up for somebody, you are increasing the power and reach of their art. Supporting artists you like by purchasing their creations or merchandise is also of course the most helpful direct contribution. Don’t get me started with the underpayment of independent artists by streaming companies combined with the high cost and high risk of touring! If you appreciate an artist’s work, go to a show, buy what they make, and share it with people in your life.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

This will tie in with my response to how society can best support artists, but my success with social media has been boosted by my efforts to support other artists. I’m a fan of what my friends create, and I show that by going to their shows, buying from them, and sharing it with friends, either directly or through social media. In going to shows, for instance, you meet other local artists, bond over art or anything in the process or creating or performing, I went to a friend’s show a few months ago, met a touring musician, and am now sharing a bill with him next time he comes to town. If you support the art you enjoy, you’ll find no shortage of artists to dig into and connect with in person and online.

The other main part of this is momentum. Get out there and support the artists you like as much as you can! Share their art every time you enjoy it! And at the same time, share your art too. Take a lot of pictures and videos, have a good backstock, just don’t stop creating what you love and share little pieces along the way. Document your process – writing, editing, practicing, refining, performing, recording – and share most of it! When you are ready to release something finalized, you’ll have plenty of people excited to check it out if you’ve been excited for them along the way too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/samslick
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrsamslick
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrsamslick
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mrsamslick
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hB5tIzJBNfoSHqXIW8Q8q?si=6llz1oYGQKu8lOTZ365-gw

Image Credits
Shawna Schiro, Darin Martinez, Chris Perez