Q&A Scene: Sam Brittain

Tell us about your new single/ album/ tour?

I am on tour in June around Australia promoting my new record ‘Signal Lights’ off the back of the lead single ‘Stab in the Dark’. It’s been a whirlwind last 18 months and I am really excited to have some new music out there and be playing some great shows with some of my best friends before once again heading over-seas.

How would you describe your sound in food form and why?

What a great question! I think this latest record is closest to the feeling of a big glass of fiery whiskey burning your sinuses after a home cooked lamb roast. Salt and sweet, charred and satisfying no frills meat and vegetables but with enough spicy gravy to excite the senses. Oh and topped off with a big glass of shiraz…naturally.

Which of your songs resonate most strongly and why?

At different points in time I would have answered this question a bunch of ways. However, at this point in time the song that resonates most strongly with me is the title track ‘Signal Lights’. It was the last song I wrote for the album and I am really enjoying performing it live, with just an acoustic guitar and hearing the crowds humming and singing along at the end.

Tell us a quick, on the road, anecdote.

I am on tour at the moment with a great friend of mine B.R Dalton originally from Dublin who now resides in Perth. It’s been an absolute riot so far and the running joke on tour has been how B.R. isn’t happy very often. He flat out refuses to pay for luggage trolleys at airports and tickets for the ferry to Manley as well as hates the fact that stage diving and crowd surfing is deemed off limits at our Sydney show.

Basically any additional expense of travel or set of rules and restrictions is unacceptable to him… Apart from when he steps on stage to perform this fictional alter ego of the wonderfully light hearted B.R. is basically rendered mute shaking his head in disgust at the things that frustrate him…It’s been quite a laugh…

Where do you draw inspiration from?

I tend to write from an observational stand point. Most of my songs stems from either personal experiences or the lives and stories of the people I come across while touring. The more personal songs are mostly purging my heart and soul, making the sense of the madness of life by putting it down in black and white. Alternatively, in other songs I have put myself into the shoes of others and tried to wrap my head around how they might handle a particular situation. The common theme is always people, the ones I’ve met, the ones I’ve lost and the ones I miss. The people still to come and the ones best eft behind.

Which song do you wish you wrote?

There is a song by Jason Isbell off his 2013 album, Southeastern. The song is called Elephant and deals directly with a subject facing the pending loss of a loved one to cancer. The way it directly deals with the helplessness of knowing an outcome and sitting in wait. It’s beautifully crafted and hard hitting. Certainly a song I would gladly have in my repertoire and I encourage anyone and everyone who hasn’t heard Jason’s music to go out and grab both Southeastern and his new Grammy award winning release Something More Than Free, both great records.

What’s next for you?

Following my tour of Australia I have a few shows on tour with Nathan Hawes in Brisbane and Adelaide that I am looking forward to. Additionally, to my European tour dates I will also be heading to Nashville this year to perform at Americana Music Fest in September. It will be first trip to America and I am incredibly excited to be there.

What’s your scene?

Any place…Anywhere and everywhere, but never for too long.

https://youtu.be/fpNHJJv4UaQ

Talented Adelaide troubadour, Sam Brittain, is in the middle of his national tour, in support of the first release, Stab in the Dark, from new album Signal Lights. Having played shows in Adelaide and Sydney, Sam Brittain is now heading to Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The single Stab In The Dark arcs dramatically from a sparse, delicate intro, to a sprawling, rallying cadence, and inspires a feeling of hope in spite of circumstance. The lyrics summarise a coming of age, prompted by travel, grief, and ‘a lethal dose of reality’. “I was beginning to see the real sacrifices that have to be made as a touring artist in order to be successful. The loved ones you leave behind. Losing a dear friend of mine a few months prior to a stroke was a shotgun blast to the heart… It was a blatant reminder that none of us are invincible and you never know when your time is up.”

Nestled comfortably between folk and country, the album Signal Lights is an intricate release, revealing subtle new textures and multiple perspectives upon each listen. Recorded and mixed at Mixmaster’s Studio by owner Mick Wordley, the album boasts luxurious string arrangements that swoop beneath Brittain’s raw, emotive vocal, and rest flawlessly on a soft bed of drums, bass and guitar. This is definitely an album for those who enjoy thoughtful, considered musicianship, strong production values and deeply personal songwriting.

Check out Sam’s awesome performance of the single on a Melbourne tram for the infamous TRAM SESSIONS, and catch Sam Brittain soon.