UK artist Samm Henshaw debuts his new EP The Sound Experiment and uses his vocal abilities and creative thinking to bring something new to noise.
Samm Henshaw is surely a shining star on our radar. Hugely anticipated and highly regarded, his EP The Sound Experiment is set to be a huge hit. Already this year, he’s received support from Radio 1’s Annie Mac and toured with James Bay, not forgetting having performed at Parklife and Wireless too. The 21 year old singer-songwriter has a defined voice with soulfulness and emotion, full of experience that seems to extend beyond his true age.
The Sound Experiment is a taste of Samm’s love for creating music freely and the artistic control he has over the sounds that he wishes to manipulate in this EP. The Sound Experiment combines singing and rapping, hip-hop and blues, finger clicks and low-riding bass. There are twangs of his gospel days which overall give a listener the whole spectrum of soul and style, all encapsulated in the one and only Henshaw.
Can you tell Wonderland a little bit about how you got into music and what the journey has been like so far?
I basically got into the more professional side of music in like 2012, I was doing small gigs in and around my university town of southampton & then I got noticed by a few people in London after being invited to play at a show called Acoustic Afternoon in Shoreditch’s Boxpark. After that I started getting offered more shows and it’s just progressed since then really. The journey has been amazing so far, every part of it has been memorable and it’s been a really smooth fun process.
Your upcoming EP “The Sound Experiment” – what kind of experiment is this? Are you mixing crazy and unique sounds to cause an artistic explosion?
Haha, in some aspects yes. However the whole thing behind “The Sound Experiment” is the process, we spent a lot of time on the project and how songs started weren’t at all how they have now ended up so it’s essentially about the details, things that we changed in order to make the songs better or more interesting. We definitely had a lot of fun with playing with different sounds. The real experimentation comes from things like using a different writing structure/formula for a different song or making a completely different style of music for certain songs. Essentially it’s about the journey of the project and the different things we did to get it to where it is now so in between the start of the project and end you find the experimentation.
And what is it about experimentation in music that you think is so important?
I think that experimentation is very key in music, without it you wouldn’t hear a lot of the music we hear and love today. It’s how genres and styles are born. I think experimentation is more about doing something that is foreign to oneself and leaving your comfort zone to find something different. It’s not necessarily how many weird things you add to a song, it’s about trying something different once in a while that you’re not used to. The small things make a big difference.
What’s it like touring with James Bay?
It’s awesome, he’s such a cool guy very down to earth and has a real passion for music and it’s very refreshing to see.
You understand the art of songwriting extremely well. What are the key components to produce amazing lyrics?
Haha, I definitely don’t, I’m still learning when it comes to it. But If I were to hazard a guess I would say that a few key components are, words. I would also say if you can paint a picture with those words (obviously a good picture) then you should be alright!
What’s your favourite song on your EP?
It’s a song called “Everything”.
Do you feel like singing in the gospel choir when you were younger has influenced the direction you have taken with your music?
Definitely, I think people forget that essentially most of the genres that are so popular today did take a lot of influences from gospel so it’s definitely influenced my direction yes.
You’ve had a very busy year but what’s been the ultimate highlight for you in 2015?
There have been a few but I think it’s been selling out two of my first headline shows.
What can Wonderland expect from Samm Henshaw in the near future? Any plans?
More gigs and more music.
You’ve spoken about art and how freedom plays a large part in it, together with doing your own thing. How has that outlook on art helped you so far in developing your career and yourself?
Having Freedom in my art allows me to not be confined in my music, I’m not afraid to try new things at any point in my music.
The Sound Experiment will be available from the 25th September.