A few questions for Samantha Darnell

Amazing indie singer/songwriter Samantha Darnell was gracious enough to answer a few questions that I e-mailed to her, hope you find them as interesting as I did :)

Hi Sam, to start off with, I'd love to thank you for taking the time to answer my  questions :)

No problem!  Thank YOU for interviewing me :)

I know you're very much into retro fashion and music, but what modern convenience  could you not live without?

The internet.  I use it more than a person should be allowed to, haha.

I've seen a lot of indie artists fund various projects (such as tours and album  creation) from fan donations through sites like Kickstarter.com what is your  opinion about that? Is it something you would consider doing?

I actually signed up for that a month or so ago and will be launching it soon to help raise money for my next album, so keep an eye out for that and please help if you can!

Your retro-pop sound is wonderful and pretty unique, is it a style you see yourself  sticking with?

Thank you!  I'm always happy to hear someone refer to my music as unique because I'm a unique person, haha.  And yes, I plan on sticking to this genre.  It really captures who I am.

You're about to go on tour with Phone Calls From Home and Joy Island in June, and you're going to be making your New York debut at Angels And Kings on June 3rd as well, are there any other events coming up that we should know about?

It's actually now Phone Calls From Home and Rookie Of The Year.  I'm very excited for both the tour and the NYC show!  After I get home from the road, my main focus is going to be on getting my second EP done.  I'll probably play a show here and there during recording, though.

I know you're attracting some fans here on the West Coast, what can we do to make  it easier for you to break out here (or anywhere else)? I for one would love to see  you sometime!

I would love to get on the West as soon as possible!  The best thing you can do to help is to buy my record at www.itunes.com/samanthadarnell and tell anyone and EVERYONE you can about my music.  Your help means the world to me and I'm so grateful.

Your EP "The Art Of Breaking Hearts" (which, by the way, is completely amazing) has  only recently been released, but I've heard that you've already started writing for  another album. Any hints about the musical direction?

Thank you!  My next record is only half written, but it's already coming along great and I'm super anxious for it.  It's going to be the same kind of feel as the last...that vintage/pop sound.  Whatever come out, comes out.  The only rule I make is that I write each song to the best of my ability and stay true to myself.

Finally, I know that you've inspired a lot of people with your music (myself  included) but who inspires you?

All of the icons of the 20's-50's.  They inspire me musically, in performance and in fashion.  Also, any great singer/songwriter.  My hero is Conor Oberst.  He's such an amazing lyricist.  But most of all, my frans inspire me.  They're belief and support in what I do keeps me going and words can't express how much I love them <3. 

Thanks again Sam!!

Along with her iTunes link above, you can find out more about Samantha at her MySpace Facebook and Twitter.

A little sample of Samantha Darnell

Latest tracks by Samantha Darnell

Since Sam generously uploaded some of her music to Soundcloud, I thought it'd be a good idea to share them here.

Samantha Darnell - The Art Of Breaking Hearts

Maryland based Samantha Darnell is someone who exemplifies what I was talking about in my last post. She has worked hard for everything she's accomplished so far, and I've got nothing but respect for her. In a world of prefab pop stars, Sam is a character, in the best possible sense. You get the feeling that even if she was pressured to be someone she isn't, it just wouldn't happen.
She has said that she doesn't have "fans" she has "frans" and she doesn't lie. She is very open and friendly with her "frans" and I've been delighted to have been able to communicate with her on something more than a "celebrity tweet" level. 

On the surface, you might be tempted to take her music lightly but listen closely, behind the sweet voice lies serious songwriting and real emotion. She's someone that shows up rarely in music, she's honest, and it comes though in her lyrics and vocals. If you listen, you'll be convinced that she's got a huge future ahead. Her debut EP "The Art Of Breaking Hearts" was recently released, and it's well worth the purchase. From the ode to summertime break-ups "Summer Boys" to the electrifying "I Didn't Steal Your Girlfriend" - where Sam out-Katy's Ms. Perry :) It's an amazing bunch of songs, but don't take my word for it, go check out her Facebook page and listen for yourself. If you like it, please buy it at iTunes and while you're at it, go ahead and check out her MySpace and Twitter as well :)

Recently I was privileged to become her street team leader for Oregon, so you definitely haven't seen the last mention of Sam on my blog, I'm hoping to promote her here, and am trying to brainstorm some kind of contest in the near future. Also, who knows, if she's willing, I might even try to get an interview at some point ;) (no pressure, Sam)