Adelaide troubadour Sam Brittain is currently preparing for the release of his new record Signal Lights (out tomorrow) and his hometown launch show on Saturday night. A record that is both deeply personal and musically charming and captivating, the alt-country sounds Brittain brings to this new material points to a talent that has been flourishing within a live capacity for some time now, but is most definitely entering a new phase.
Britain takes some time to tell us more about the record, his new single “Stab in the Dark” and recording and performing out of SA.
We’re getting closer and closer to the release of Signal Lights – how are you feeling about it all?
Really good, in fact. It’s been a whirlwind eight months and it only feels like yesterday we were going into the studio, winding on rolls of tape and starting this whole thing. I’m really excited at this point for people to hear what we have been up to…
On single “Stab in the Dark”, I feel like we got a really great look into the type of writer you’ve developed into recently; can you tell us a bit more about the origins of that song in particular and how it’s sitting with you now it’s out for people to listen to?
The song came about when I was on tour in 2014 in Europe. I found myself in Venice sitting in this amazing square having a coffee in the sunshine. There’s something so magical about that city; you can smell the ocean all around you, even when you’re sitting in the center of town – it’s really quite a unique affront to the senses.
After a crazy year that had seen one of my best friends pass away and my longest run touring throughout Australia & Europe to date, I was just physically and mentally burnt out. Venice was the first city I had visited in some eight months or so where I had no musical commitments. It was the first chance to slow down and take stock, an opportunity to sit in review and try and comprehend the year that had unfolded.
I truly believe it is important to have goals and aspire to achieve things in life, regardless if personally or professionally. At this particular point in time I found myself wondering why I chose to live at such an erratic pace, why did I feel this insane need to keep moving?
Touring is a wonderful thing and I feel incredibly blessed to be able to travel and play music for people, however I couldn’t help but notice the families all around me on holidays and couples sitting in the sun, soaking in the world around them. I was beginning to understand there was more to life than the next show and the next city. I had spent so much time away from my loved ones and was questioning my choice to do so. I felt it all in that moment, the time gone, the time remaining and value of it.
Writing has always been a bit of a purge for me and “Stab in the Dark” is no different in that sense. People will take away from it what they will and interpret things in a million different ways, but that’s the whole point isn’t it? To connect with others who might find themselves in a similar spot of reflection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpNHJJv4UaQ
You recorded and mixed the album at Mixmasters – was it ever an option to go interstate or did you always want to keep things local?
It’s always an option to go interstate and record and perhaps the next album will happen somewhere else. I’ll see what feels right at that next point in time. I think this record was always going to happen at Mixmasters and I am really glad it all came together because for a while there, it was looking like it may not come to fruition.
I had been up to the studio for the first time maybe a year prior and was just completely blown away by the experience. It’s an incredibly organic and vibrant space and working with owner/producer Mick Wordley was fantastic. He built the place with his own hands and mans the helm nearly every single day still.
There is a lot of love, dedication and passion built into that place and you feel it instantly. As soon as you walk in the door, all phone reception cuts out and you’re in Mick’s world now. It’s a bunker of noise, two-inch tape, kimchi and carefully orchestrated chaos. By some good fortune, the doors to this incredible place were opened wide and Mick allowed us to stay for a while.
How do you think Signal Lights is set to establish yourself or introduce yourself to any newcomers to your sound?
I feel like this record is getting a whole lot closer to the kind of record I wanted to make four years ago, or at least a more focused effort. Maybe it’s just come with time and a bit more experience on the road but realistically, there are so many contributing elements.
Having spent the last 18 months travelling and busking, I had loads of new experiences and had learnt a lot about myself and the things that were important to me. Lyrically Signal Lights is a deeply personal record, a purging of sorts for me. Time was passing by, I was moving through it so fast and I was more deeply understanding the value of one’s time. It was like someone had given me a new set of glasses and things that had always been there were suddenly brought into razor sharp focus.
Sonically, I just wanted to make a record that sounded like a band. There are tracks embellished with strings here and there, but really all I wanted was for it to sound like four guys in a room playing together live. The process of recording live straight to tape is such an organic way to make records and I doubt I could bring myself to do it any other way from here on out. When you’re recording to tape, you’re not searching for perfection; the goal isn’t to record ‘the perfect album’, you’re just looking for that balance between the musicians in the room. The moment when the song, the lyric and the guys playing it are all hooking into a vibe, it’s like trying to capture lightning in a bottle and I think we captured some great moments on this one.
We recorded a heap of songs during the sessions for Signal Lights, gradually coming to an arrow head as the weeks went by. We didn’t have a set plan or goal, we just kept on writing and searching for those musical moments that make the hairs on your arms sand on end. When that happened, we would hit record and try and capture that vibe in its infancy, and we maintained that approach till it felt like there was a finished album. I think the end result is undoubtedly my most cohesive work to date, that and a whole lot of B sides. That being said. I haven’t listened back to the album in a long while…
You’re living in a city that is producing some really talented artists across a lot of genres – what’s impressing you the most about your home scene lately?
Adelaide is coming along in leaps and bounds. The thing that impresses me the most is the proactivity that seems rife across the arts scene. Events like the travelling festival ‘Porch Sessions’ have garnered such a cult following and this is testament to the incredibly varied and dedicated minds behind the new music format. There are artists both local, national and international wanting to be a part of it and a real sense of community within the musical world here is developing.
Regardless of genre, as the outlets for artists and opportunities to showcase their work increases I am sure we will begin to further grasp the depth of talent in this town. I for one am looking forward to what lay ahead.
You’ve scored some pretty impressive support slots that have brought you to some equally as impressive stages – what were some of the biggest things you took away from supporting the likes of Matt Corby and Passenger in terms of live performance?
I have been really fortunate over the past few years to play some great venues and the shows with Passenger were just mind blowing. I met Mike in 2010, I believe, on one of his first trips out here. We immediately hit it off and just hung out a lot whenever he was in Australia. He’d put a show on and in the weeks leading up we would busk. I’d walk around and hand out flyers, talk to the punters and sell CDs on his behalf while he played.
We were just two geezers on the street eating sushi and drinking way too much coffee. We’d book a small venue and busk everyday leading up to it and that was it. A really simple approach to marketing music and reaching new fans in really organic way. Mike is an incredibly generous and kind hearted guy and has given me opportunities to play stages I would have never dreamed of five or six years ago.
The thing I took away from it all was a work ethic and dedication to my craft; that and a whole lot of self-belief, I really owe everything to him. He taught me to be relentless and perform to a room with five people in it like you’re playing to five thousand. The approach, energy and ethos behind it all has to be the same. Regardless if in music or other aspects of life, if you get out what you put in…Mike really taught me how to put in.
We know you’ve got some cool shows coming up soon – what’s the rest of 2016 looking like for you and where do you hope to take Signal Lights by the end of this cycle?
I’m really excited for the rest for the year. The road awaits and for the first time in a while I am really excited about playing live again. I know myself by now and that the cycle of writing, recording and performing will always roll around and bring new passion and drive within each of its counterparts in time.
I’ll be taking Signal Lights right around Australia in June then heading straight over to Europe and the UK again. This year though I was lucky enough to grab a spot at Americana Music Festival in Nashville, which will see me head on my first tour through the U.S.
I guess it would be nice to see things further build and play some bigger shows with the band, however honestly, I am just grateful to be able to do it at all. Would be great to hang out with Butch Walker while I am there, maybe record an album…that would be nice.
What’s exciting you the most about being a live performer and what are you looking forward to the most about further developing your shows?
My favorite part of performing live is the split second between the song finishing and the audience realising. That tiny moment caught between song, silence and hopefully god willing applause. I love walking on stage, throwing a guitar strap over my shoulder and going on a little trip with the crowd. Feeling each other out and basically molding the show to give the audience the best possibly experience and connection to the music.
The venue, weather, support act and everything in between plays a huge role in establishing the vibe and that vibe varies greatly between shows, cities and cultures. I love the diversity of the audiences and the craft of working with with the songs and an audience collectively to create a unique experience. I’ll just be happy to see increased opportunity to play for more people, in more cities…more often. If there are folks out there into the kind of music I make, I just want to play it for them. That’s it really…
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Sam Brittain launches Signal Lights at The Gov in Adelaide on Saturday, June 4th! He takes the new album around the country through June – check him out below:
SAM BRITTAIN TOUR DATES
June 8th | Brighton Up Bar, SYDNEY
June 15th | Ellington Jazz Club, PERTH
June 23rd | The Toff in Town, MELBOURNE
June 26th | The Milk Factory, BRISBANE
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