Sam Brothers

He’s young, he writes songs, he draws on on some perhaps unusual but classic roots influences..and here, Sam Brothers answers some of our questions, painting a picture of where he’s at and where he’s heading. Thanks, Sam

Tell us about your recordings and what you are planning please

My Debut Album ‘Farewell To My Old Days’ was released last year on White Mane, via Proper Records. Its Folk Music recorded live in an all analogue studio, just guitar voice and harmonica. To follow it up we’re planning an EP, containing some Social-Political songs, that would be released later this year or next year.

You receive two free tickets to a festival – where would you prefer this to be? And what three acts would you like to see?

I love British festivals, especially folk festivals, so Cambridge Folk festival would be the one of choice. To have Salif Keita, Joan Baez and Sarah Jarosz all playing there would be really good!

The radio is playing…what song would you cross the room to turn UP and what song would you cross the room to turn OFF?

Fairport Convention’s version of ‘Matty Groves’ would get turned up. ‘Baby Baby’ by Justin Bieber would get turned off.

Name a song or instrumental that fades too early, for you (artist/title)

I honestly couldn’t say, the length of fade outs is not something I know too much about, to me a great song is a great song.

Which song – any artist, any title – would have made a fine single release? IF it had been a SINGLE! – why do you think this?

Perhaps Guy Clark’s LA Freeway or something of the ‘Old no. 1’ album. The way Guy Clark sings his songs always sounds more honest to me and ‘LA Freeway’ in particular is just such a great song that I think most people can relate to in some way. I’m always amazed that Guy Clark didn’t have a more successful career.

How do you look after your voice? If you do

Its a good idea to only only smoke very occasionally, the odd one here and there helps with a little bit of rasp but too much can kill it. Apart from that, a very varied diet and lots of Lemon, Ginger and honey tea helps.

Is there a hint of Al Stewart in your work?

I’m not a massive Al Stewart fan but don’t dislike his work either. Singer-songwriter wise people like Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan have been more of an influence on my work.

What stage instruments do you favour please? And why?

I Play a 1964 Levin Ls-18 Goliath acoustic guitar. Its a large bodied dreadnought with a warm, rich tone and it plays evenly across the strings. Good instruments have their own voice and this one sings really well on big loud strumming songs. It looks great to.

Which brand of strings? And what tunings?

I use many brands of strings on different guitars, It totally depends on the instrument and the tonewoods used. As a good all rounder, its hard to go wrong with Elixir strings, they last a long time and have a good mellow tone. Tuning wise, I use a ton of different tunings. One that is particularly nice is DGDGAD. I call that one The Mystery guitar tuning as it makes whatever you play sound mysterious…

Boz Scaggs and Bonnie Raitt record a duet and you lead the band – what song of yours do you choose for them to sing ? and who do you bring in to play on the session (dream a little)?

The best song to do would probably be ‘The Messenser’. It would be Simon Nicol (Fairport Convention) on Acoustic Guitar, Danny Thompson (Pentangle, Various) on Bass, Dick Taylor (The Pretty Things) on Electric guitar, Izthak Perlman on Violin and The London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Scott Walker.

An acoustic gem? what song/tune and who by? What’s the appeal?

Things Behind The Sun by Nick Drake is a great acoustic track. He had such an immaculate guitar style and constantly throws in unexpected chords and harmony. That coupled with his whispery voice and genuinely great lyrics, makes this one of my favourites.

Name an actor or actress who made a listenable song recording – and what’s the appeal?

Oscar Isaac did a great job on the soundtrack of The Coen Brothers film ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’. Apart from playing the main character, he sings and plays some fantastic folk material with genuine feeling. Its a great film for fans of the Greenwich Village Folk era of the 1960’s and is loosely based on the life of folk legend Dave Van Ronk.

What two things have you learned to avoid doing on stage?

I avoid leaving drinks on the stage floor as they almost always get knocked over (things with lids are good). Also drink related, drinking stuff with Ice in it is something well worth avoiding, Its not easy introducing a song with ice in your mouth.

Which artist did you go to see perform with low expectations but ended up impressed? Where and when was this?

I supported Sarah Jarosz at The Gulbenkian, Canterbury. I wasn’t blown away by her studio recordings (which are by no means bad) but the live show was something else. She had a fantastic band that were completely aware of each other and played a interesting, varied set. She’s really worth going seeing live.

Has a radio DJ anywhere (and any era) ever impressed you and if so why?

Bob Dylan did a great job on his theme time radio show. He’s incredibly well researched, plays great music and makes meaningful observations.

Name a recording (an album maybe) that really ‘grew’ on you and has ended up as essential listening? What is it about this recording that you value?

The Prelude from Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner has become a personal favourite over the years. The tension is never quite released in the piece, keeping you contantly on edge. Its a really powerful piece of music, unlike anything else I’ve ever come across.

I love live albums especially sessions like Donny Hathaway Live – are there any we may not have heard that you recommend?

Townes Van Zandt ‘Live at The Old Quarter House’ is probably his best album. Apart from playing almost all of his best songs, his quirky sense of humour and love of the blues comes across. One of the great things about Townes is how human and down to earth he sounds, so a live album is a good for him.

Two or three songs with great actual endings (not fades) by The Who or The Kinks? Or both acts!

Sorry Pete, I’m not sure I can answer this one. However, speaking of the Kinks, I’ve always loved that song Waterloo Sunset. Its one of those instantly memorable songs and I like how British it is.

Is there a book or novel that you would like to create songs or the score for? Why is this?

I’ve always loved books and stories that deal with the human condition, our relationships to each other and the world around. Anton Chekhov’s short stories + plays deal with all these things with brilliant accuracy. They would be a very good place to start.

Five words please, to describe your current town of residence

Historic, Lively, Religious, Scenic, Musical

Did you enjoy school? Whether you did or not, which song reminds you of schooldays (artist/title/source album)?

I tried my best to skip class as much as possible to go and play guitar or Piano in the music block. Early on, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah was a big favourite to sing and after all these years, that that song has far from disappeared from public consciousness.

Pete Sargeant