Interview - Sam T

In the hushed yet evocative world of Sam T, artistry is a delicate balance of vulnerability and innovation. The London-based singer-songwriter has carved a niche with his melancholic folk sound, a tapestry woven from classical training, a history of genre-hopping in indie and progressive rock bands, and a soul-stirring voice that brims with raw emotion. His debut single, ‘Empty Home’, is a haunting reflection on solitude, wrapped in intricate guitar lines and introspective lyrics that linger long after the last note fades.

Welcome to MeloDrift. Can you tell us a little bit about your musical background?

My interest in music began when my parents brought home an old wooden piano which I used to sit around making up melodies. It wasn't long after that that I started begging for guitar lessons, and later playing in bands and toying around with some solo material before going off to train as a classical composer. I've always been interested in a wide range of music, especially the fusion of pop, classical, and non-Western music. For several years after leaving school I played guitar, and piano, and sang in a range of bands from indie rock to prog metal, as well as wrote music for films and plays. This project is the start of a new solo project where I hope to blend all these influences into one to make something exciting and fresh while just using my voice and the acoustic guitar in creative ways.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?

At the moment it would probably be Perfect Day by Lou Reed. It's a bit of a cliché pick but I recently re-watched Wim Wenders's last film, Perfect Days, and it reminded me just how much I love that song. The storytelling of the track is so masterful and I find Reed's lyrics and vocal style really impactful.

Who or what have been the most impactful influences on your musical style and sound?

This truly changes with the season but I would say it would have to be Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens, and Kate Bush. They all have a really unique approach to songwriting that I aspire to. In terms of my guitar playing, I love playing a lot of different music. At the moment I feel most inspired by the guitar writing of Bob Dylan and Johnny Greenwood's latest stuff from The Smile.

How do your life experiences shape your songwriting, and what emotions or ideas do you hope listeners connect with in your music?

I tend not to write music about my own life experiences, at least not directly. I usually try to capture an emotion by looking at it from a different angle or perspective. In my latest song, Empty Home, I was trying to capture a kind of anxiety I felt seeing the violence and conflict in the media in 2024. The best way I could think of to come at that emotion was from an imagined perspective of the last man on earth after a world-ending war. From that perspective, the emotion was much more melancholic than anxious. It was a more tender approach that suited the material more than it would have if I had tackled those feelings head-on.

Each phase of music-making—writing, recording, rehearsing, and performing—has its own unique rewards. Could you share a memorable moment from each stage?

When I’m writing on the guitar I mostly work with shapes rather than ideas of chords/progressions. It’s an unusual approach but it often gives really unique results. I’ll usually start with some shapes and playing around with patterns on the fretboard, and that generates a kind of emotion that will suggest lyrical content. In terms of rehearsing, I’m pretty old school. I start with the most problematic sections and just drill those - there’s one new track that’s a nightmare for string buzz so working on that at the moment! I’m a bit of an anxious performer so I can’t say much about that, as I usually kind of go into autopilot and wake up afterwards. 

Is there a song of yours that holds particular personal significance? We’d love to know more about the story or the inspiration behind it.

There’s a new song I’m working on at the moment that tells the story of a parent dealing with a child’s addiction problem. I wrote it as a sort of tender lullaby with an off-kilter feel. It’s about a friend of mine, which gives it an obvious extra significance, but it also in a really weird tuning - which means I don’t play it as often as other tracks. I’m really looking forward to recording it later in the year.

If you could swap lives with any musician for a day, who would it be and what would you do?

I’m a big Talking Heads fan and love Stop Making Sense, so would probably swap lives with David Byrne for one of those gigs recorded for the film. I’d love to be on stage with that infectious energy you see in the recordings.

What’s a guilty pleasure song you secretly love but might surprise your fans?

Not necessarily a guilty pleasure, but definitely a left-field one would be Cloudbursting by Kate Bush. People are always surprised by me citing Bush as an influence, but she brings such innovative theatricality to each tune that I find fascinating and draws me back again and again to that song and album.

Looking ahead, what are some goals or dreams you have for your music and career?

Finding my niche audience of weirdos that I can perform to. 

Finally, is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers before we close?

I’d just ask them to check out my debut single, Empty Home, on Spotify. It’s out there now and I hope they can hear all the influences in there that I’ve spoken about here!

INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY