KGNU’s B Smith sat down with Sam Blassuci to talk about his music, including his evolving sound, blending experimental influences from artists like Björk, Leonard Cohen, and Prince. Blassuci also reflects on how personal experiences shape his songwriting and how he’s preparing for new music, a book titled Orchids, and a concert film, as well his upcoming shows in Denver and Boulder in April. (Interview date: 3/6/2025)
B Smith: So Sam, thanks so much for zooming in with me today. I really appreciate your time. Let’s start with the big picture here. How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard your music before?
Sam Blassuci: It’s different. The recordings can sometimes be different from the live experience. Live, the band usually likes to stretch out a bit and play things differently. So it’s a mixed bag either way, but I would say we take a lot of influence from artists that like to experiment. People like Bjork or, Baby Consuelo is one of our big inspirations. We love Leonard Cohen and Prince and Rosalia and it’s a big mixed bag of genres, so I like to think there’s a little something in it for everybody.
B Smith: Yeah, I would say so, especially with your most recent album it just feels so distinctly different compared to your work with Mapache. What do you think inspired you to take the Sam Blassuci sound and explore a different side of your artistry?
Sam Blassuci: I think it was life that does that every time. But whenever I look back on old records that I’ve made, it seems so far away, even though the record just came out, the one that we’re talking about, Real Life Thing. Now, looking back on it, it feels so distant from where I am now. And I think just letting the time go by, discovering new music and things that are brand new to you, they just make you want to jump into something, full on. And I think that’s just what got me to do that with this record, it makes me want to leave everything behind that I’ve done before and just jump into something totally new without even looking back at all. And I imagine that’s hopefully what will happen on the next record and is definitely what I feel like happened on the last one.
B Smith: Yeah, so with Real Life Thing, the sound, I don’t know, it feels pretty intimate, almost like a conversation with a friend. Tell me about the writing process from Real Life Thing, and where do you think that inspiration came from?
Sam Blassuci: I used the piano a lot on that record. And in the writing, too, a lot of the songs were written on piano as opposed to, thinking back to the Mapache records, a lot of that was more guitar centered music. And so I think just, working on an instrument with everything laid out in front of me like it is on the piano, I think probably sparked a different part of my brain, in coming up with the music for it and the melodies and things. And I think that was like a new language to learn, which I think inspired a lot of whatever the new ideas were that came out.
B Smith: So, with the piano being the driver for that record I still feel like you’re blending in so many other influences like folk, country, classic rock. There’s a bit of jazz in there at some points. Where do you think you were pulling that inspiration from? Was it any particular artist that you had in mind that served as a base for which you could grow?
Sam Blassuci: I think during that time, I really did have a sort of deep dive with people like Leonard Cohen and Bjork as well, who both their roots go back to a folk you know, place. Bjork started out in jazz and sort of jazz vocalist style and Leonard Cohen obviously being a folk singer. And I think those two artists were new for me when I started writing that record and that’s probably where some of that more rootsier sound comes from. And then, getting into artists like baby Consuela, who’s really one of my favorite Brazilian singers and musicians, she was in a band called Novos Baianos. And like her and Prince and Rosalia and that type of energy came around the other side. I feel like those two sort of polar opposite feels that I was just diving into give it a bit of a mixed bag
B Smith: And landed somewhere in the middle, which is always so much fun. With your songs having this sort of nostalgic sun soaked vibe, pooling from international influences, and domestic influence as well. What about a time in your life? Like, when you’re writing your music are you recalling a specific memory or feeling that you’ve personally had?
Sam Blassuci: Yeah, most of it is written through whatever eyes I have at that point. So whatever sort of energy is in my life at that point will dictate where my feelings go musically. In some cases, I’ll find the meaning of the songs later after having written them as some kind of I don’t know, premonition of sorts. I’ll have some idea without really knowing where or why it’s coming from and later on, after it’s released or after I performed it, a bunch of figure out why I was writing that at that time. It’s like hindsight is always 20-20. So I feel like it’s yeah, it’s both. It’s very nonlinear.
B Smith: That’s awesome. Does it ever happen to you on stage where you have this existential realism as you’re singing the words coming out of your mouth?
Sam Blassuci: Definitely. And so much so that it actually made me consciously want to start writing things that were more. That could be more open for that very reason, so that while I’m performing them, I’m leaving more space for them to be different every time. So that they can just be bigger pieces, and not be, in the confines of the same thing every time.
B Smith: Yeah that’s so cool. It’s such a unique feeling that I imagine can be chased, it might be an addiction at some point. So, talking about your approach to music making with this most recent album, Real Life Thing. How have the record labels influenced how you are approaching the music? I see listed here Innovative Leisure and Calico Discos have been involved as the labels for this for this most recent record. How’s it like working with them and how does that open it up for creativity with your approach to making?
Sam Blassuci: It’s a good question because I feel like most people wouldn’t think that it had much of an effect on the actual music, but interestingly, I think that I personality wise have a great urgency to make art fast and put it out and it’s become my obsession in a way and it feels like I want to do it now, there’s that urgency and working with any sort of label or on any like long term project, it takes time no matter what you do or what you want to do. It’s going to take time for it to come out. And that aspect of it and working with the label on that and timelines and things can affect the sound in those ways because you go into the studio knowing that it’s going to be a process to get it out and that’s in the back of your throat as you’re singing or as you’re playing or whatever. That urgency becomes more present, so I think I’ve noticed that for me for sure.
B Smith: So you’ve got a 16 day coast to coast spring tour coming up. You’re going to be stopping in Denver at Globe Hall on April 4th and Boulder Saturday, April 5th. I think those were the only double dates in a single state on that tour. I know you’ve been here to Colorado a couple times with a few other projects. I guess what I want to ask is how did we get so lucky? What are you getting from a Colorado crowd that stands out to you?
Sam Blassuci: I love Colorado. I love the landscape and I love the crowds. And the venues are great. I’ve played Globe Hall before. Great spot, as well as Velvet Elk. They’re both cool. I think it’s just another great city where like every time I roll in, there’s something new to catch onto. I’ve picked up a lot of great books in Boulder, especially at some of those bookstores. And there’s just always a new thing to catch and it’s perfectly on our way out east. We love Colorado. Why not?
B Smith: Yeah, we, I think we love it too. And we’re stoked to have you. So what’s next for you? Is there anything in the works right now?
Sam Blassuci: Yeah, last year was a very busy year for recording and writing new music. There’s a lot of new music coming out right now in that phase that I was talking about in the organizational phase of all this new material. And, working on getting that ready to come out. So this year we’ll have a lot of releases of music, a new book, a new concert film that we made that’s going to come out next month, actually. Another book of photography and poetry, I put out a couple of years ago, two years ago. And this is the newest one of that series and yeah, there’s a lot to come out. So I’m trying to not let myself just blast off into outer space with it all in my head and just try to focus on finding out how to get out there in the right way.
B Smith: I get it. Stay on the ground a little bit. Do you have a, do you have a title for your book that’s going to be coming out?
Sam Blassuci: It’s called Orchids.
B Smith: Awesome. Okay, so before we wrap up where can people find your music? What’s the best way for fans to stay connected with you?
Sam Blassuci: The best way is to come see us in person and meet us and talk to us. You can always get a record at the show. You can always pick up a t-shirt. Just hang out with us. Meet the band. You can also stream it all. Or you can buy the records online. My website or Bandcamp or the labels website. There’s lots of ways on the internet. But yeah, we love to see you in person. For me, it’s the whole point. I love to play live. I love to meet people live and do it in person.
B Smith: That’s what we’re here for. And I think as an audience member, that’s where I have the most fun is just the opportunity to meet you guys up close and feel your music in person. Sam, thank you so much for stopping by. We’re excited to see you at our KGNU present show in person. Denver at Globe Hall on Friday, April 4th. You’ll also be at the Velvet Elk in Boulder on Saturday, April 5th. Can’t wait to see you then.
Sam Blassuci: Yes. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. See you then!
