EP NEWS: Samantha Crain - 'I Guess We Live Here Now'
One of my favourite discoveries of the past year or so was the beautiful voice of Samantha Crain, whose record A Small Death was released via Real Kind Records, a new independent set up by Lucy Rose. Talented women supporting each other I am very much here for! It is a stunning record and received lots of well deserved praise, and (perhaps most excitingly for Sam?) featured in my albums of the year list. I'm delighted that she's back with not only a gorgeous single but news of an upcoming EP, I Guess We Live Here Now, due via RKR on 9th April.
As the title of the EP alludes to, the EP finds its origins close to home for Samantha. Forced to stay home in Oklahoma during lockdown, she worked on the frontline at a grocery store, and, like lots of us, used some of that extra time to appreciate the area that she lives in more than she might normally. Though familiar, those streets offered up some new appeal, and created inspiration for new music. I am absolutely loving Bloomsday and the lovely video, directed by Sam herself - watch it below!
On lead single Bloomsday, Samantha shares “I had bits of Bloomsday written out as a very long lyrical poem that I wasn't sure what to do with at first. I wasn't sure how to make it a song. One day, I was at work, at this market I was working at for a bit and I started singing the old gospel tune "This Little Light of Mine" under my breath as I was working. It really just made me feel good almost immediately. I could feel the agency that I had over my own mental and emotional state just with this little song about kindness and love. The next time I browsed through some of the lyrics I had been working on, I realized how it correlated with this moment I had had at work... how a normal, average day of seemingly no importance or specialness can become an opportunity for participation just by being aware and mindful."
"I started pulling out the bits of lyrics that I felt painted the best picture of feeling pulled along by life without control and then paired them with a reworking of the refrain from that old gospel song and it just felt hopeful and good. To me the song is anthemic in that it reminds me of the capacity I have for influencing my own day, the days of others, and a larger connectivity."
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