Samuel’s “Lonely” is a sad girl cut if there ever was one. An EP delivered by the pop scene’s newest members, we are being treated to five tunes, all of which are drenched in angelic vocals and production that promises to enchant along with those all-too-relatable love-centric narratives. With track “Across the Room” leading the EP towards the status of fan favourite, it promises to have you clutching at tissues and deep in your feels – and, where else would you want to be on a Monday?
“Honestly we never say things like, ‘let’s make a catchy song,’ or try to tick specific boxes. I usually look at my music sessions as therapy,” explains Samuel when discussing his new work. “So we like to just go into the session and let our creative juices flow, and I love it. When I came back to my hotel room that night, I was literally dancing to the track on my AirPods and was feeling so excited, I told myself, ‘ok this is a song I can be really happy about’!”
Upon the release of the pop-tinged EP, the newcomer took some time to let Wonderland in on his creative process, pandemic-induced growth and what inspires him most. Head below to enjoy our interview with Samuel…
Hi Samuel! Where are we speaking to you from?
Hi! I’m currently in Paris, I’m here for a few weeks to work with my team here and spend some time with my friends before coming back to London.
Thinking back to the pandemic, do you think this affected your music writing in any way?
It definitely did. I spent the first lockdown in my apartment in Paris and used most of my time to work on my music. It allowed me to focus on honing my production skills. I think it was also at this time that I really started to embrace writing in English more than in French. Spending this much time with myself gave me the opportunity to grow up mentally; it also helped me realise what I really wanted in the future.
What usually inspires you? What does your creative process look like?
I get a lot of my inspiration from people I meet and work with, I’m really attached to that human connection I get every time I collaborate with a co-writer or producer, I’m always learning something from every interaction. Beside that, there are some artists that definitely inspire me a lot, I’m thinking of Troye Sivan, Raye and Oklou, to name a few.My creative process looks very free, I like to feel in the moment. I usually sit down in my home studio and try to find a beat or melody that gives me the right vibe, and then I just go with the flow and usually build the track within a couple of hours.
What is most important to you when making music?
When I’m making a track, the music has to make me feel something. Most of the time I’ll go for nostalgia or melancholy. I want people to get the meaning of the song even if they don’t understand what the lyrics are about when they first listen to the song.
Now onto “Across The Room”! Do you resonate personally with this track?
We wrote this one in Miami with my co-writer and friend Alma and the producers of the song, Maesic and Robbie Meza. We were all having a great time hanging out. When they started making the beat I immediately came up with the melody of the hook and a few lines of the verse. We then sat down with Alma and I started telling her about the night I ran into my ex in a random underground party in Spain, and we turned that story into a song, so yes it definitely resonates personally.
What was your main objective when writing it?
Honestly, we never say things like, “let’s make a catchy song,” or try to tick specific boxes. I usually look at my music sessions as therapy. So we like to just go into the session and let our creative juices flow, and I love it. When I came back to my hotel room that night, I was literally dancing to the track on my AirPods and was feeling so excited, I told myself, ‘ok this is a song I can be really happy about’!
Where do you see yourself taking your artistry next?
I definitely wanna start writing and producing for other artists. I would also like to continue to grow more as an international artist and spend more time in America.
And finally, what are you most excited for in the future?
Now that my EP is finally out, I am so excited to share it with the world. It is my first multi-track project and I cannot wait to finally be able to perform it live all over the world.