Samson Crowe is a Canadian experimental musician whose distinct sound connects you to a rich world of adventure and intrigue. His music is filled with poetic lyricism drawing on his experiences growing up on the cusp of the Canadian wilderness. Samson Crowe is starting 2020 out with a bang. His upcoming record, 'High & Wild', to be released in early 2020 is, as described by Samson, "Mostly rock n' roll music for coyotes and badgers, as well as lullabies for insomniac sheep who are tired of counting themselves". Samson Crowe is putting experimental rock n roll on the map for those who feel as if the genre has reached a point of potential sinking. Samson Crowe is amongst the greats who are delivering us the most electrifying multi-dimensional records that will never fade away. Samso Crowe has gained great recognition for his dynamic talents. Samson Crowe's first album, 'During the Rainy Season' was nominated for the Fraser Valley Music Awards in 2018 for the best experimental album. 2020 is the start of a new decade, a new era, and more monumental achievements for the one and only Samson Crowe & he’s just getting started as 'Fever Dream Jenny', the first single from 'High & Wild' is available for streaming now!
Listen to Samson Crowe here.
Welcome back to BuzzMusic Samson Crowe! What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome musically in 2019 and what lesson have you learned from it that will impact your career for the greater?
Thanks! The biggest challenge I've faced I would say, and I think many musicians can relate to this, was learning how to explore my musical vision with very limited resources. I think it's taken me a lot of practice in the studio to get the hang of it. The biggest lesson I learned from it is that you can embrace the compromise between your goal and your reach and allow the music to kinda take its form around you. I learned that I shouldn't force my songs into being precisely what I imagined and instead focus on making them the best songs they can be. It's a small mindset change but it makes a huge difference.
How would you describe the creative process when making “Strange Animals”?
It very much draws from reflections of myself and the people around me throughout the last decade. It's a bitter/sweet kinda thing. It's a mix of looking back and looking forward.
Which song from “Strange Animals” was a personal favorite of yours and why is that?
I like the title track 'Strange Animals'. It was, as an example of what I was talking about before, a process of compromise. It turned out very different than I planned, but easily superior, I have no doubts about that. It's got a lot of push and pull to it. I think it takes the listener on a bit of an adventure, which is always a goal in my music.
Talk to us about your record “Fever Dream Jenny” what was the vision you had for this?
It's had a couple of lives. I must have written it when I was 17 or so, and it was a folk song. I didn't care for it at first. I wasn't that great with lyrics and I wasn't really as engaged with folk music at that point in time. As I got a little older I realized that rock 'n' roll was what was missing from my life. It's such a versatile and expressive genre. I rediscovered Fever Dream Jenny with a bit of a second wind. I reworked the lyrics to give them better continuity and just generally apply the poetic skill I had accumulated over the years to make it into a better song. I think the rock 'n' roll thing really works for it, I really like the song now.
How would you detail your songwriting approach to “Fever Dream Jenny”?
I was experimenting with this format of defining sections of a song by keywords rather than fully formed choruses and verses. Each verse is broken into two contrasting sections, defined by changes in the rhythm, slight changes in the chord progression, and in particular, keywords and phrases. The idea was that one section would be "babe, I don't trust...", and then the speaker would go on about not trusting something, and the other section would be "well they...", and whatever "they" were doing built up to "cause I spent the whole night...", where the speaker would talk about what they spent the night doing, and I would write using those cues to tell a story. From there it really took on a life of its own.
What are you looking forward to most in 2020 Samson Crowe? A new album! "High & Wild" will feature 12 songs, 11 of which are my own and one which is a cover that can be guessed from the title of the record if you're up for a challenge. I think the album can best be described as a sort of rhythmic nuclear fission, or maybe a cup of coffee with two shots of lightening. There are some great performances on it as well. Liam Deakin, the man who plays some fantastic bass on Fever Dream Jenny, is on quite a few tracks, and Cassidy Lanting just recorded some backing vocals for me. Keep an eye out for it on April 4th.