Q&A: Sam Short Crushes Her Debut with Single "Already Mine"
FOR MOST WRITERS - our best work comes in a miraculous moment. During a flow state (as cheesy as it sounds) - beautiful art is created. Sam Short can say the same. Her debut single “Already Mine,” is long anticipated: before the young artist released music on streaming services, her following was growing through the dominant forces of the internet.
Empathy arose over a best friend’s breakup tale and Short went into the studio to write the heartache-inspired track: 45 minutes later the piece was done. Singing of self-love and acceptance of the loss of a relationship, the song speaks to many, which is why it has courted over 265K+ TikTok followers and videos acquiring over 30M+ views in only a few months. With millions of comments on every video forcefully encouraging (if not begging) her to release the teased track, thousands of fans were happy upon “Already Mine”’s moment. Upon the release, the young artist is crushing a multitude of playlist features on all streaming services, including Spotify’s New Music Friday and New Pop Picks.
Breaking the internet is special, but quite honestly, Sam Short’s natural ear for song is even more remarkable. The artist has been writing since a young age, and throughout her time in Los Angeles, she has been a force, working in and out of the studio, carving her individual musical footprint. I talked with Sam about the making of the song, her goals for growth, and her first-ever lyrical piece (titled “Apple Pie”); read below to hear more about the young artist and her desire to create a cultural moment.
LUNA: Congrats on your single, "Already Mine." The song has blown up on TikTok, and you had thousands of fans addicted to your lyrics before the song was even released. Can you talk to me about the inspiration behind the hit?
SHORT: It’s so crazy. I originally wrote the song as a pitch song. The song came to me so quickly because I had a really strong intention in mind when writing: I wanted to write a song that would empower people, but that had a really clever tag that hadn’t been done before. My producer and collaborator, Johnny, and I finished the song so quickly it was wild. It felt like an out-of-body experience.
The day after we wrote the song, one of my best friends from high school actually told me to tease the song on TikTok, and the rest was history.
LUNA: A wild journey. It is amazing how the song came to you so evidently. What is your favorite part of the creative process?
SHORT: My favorite part of the creative process is, and always has been, writing. I love building worlds and telling stories. I spend all of my time, and most of my spare time, writing music. Sometimes I’ll go to a writing session for eight hours, and come home at midnight and write another song. It's non-stop.
I am also big on storytelling through video. If I ever obtain some sort of budget, the first thing I will do is put it towards massive music videos. I would absolutely love to help bring my stories to life through visuals!
LUNA: I understand you have been singing and creating music since a young age. You’ve spoken about your years playing piano, and on-stage, in theatre. Can you talk about your first creative projects and endeavors?
SHORT: I began singing around three or four. I grew up doing musical theater, so music and storytelling have always been in my bones.
I started writing when I was a kid. I actually began writing plays. I used to write these full length plays when I was in probably first or second grade, we are talking 70-page works, and ask the kids around my neighborhood to come perform in them. Songwriting came after my playwriting phase. My first original song is actually called “Apple Pie,” and I wrote it when I was seven. Quite profound (laughs).
I really just love creating things that relate to people. I have tens and tens of journals filled up with songs that I have written throughout the years about various situations. I used to text my friends in middle school to tell me about their "romantic" situations so I could write songs about them. It’s kind of crazy, because my job as a songwriter, when I’m working with artists or writing for pitch, is to basically do the same thing. It’s funny how some things never change.
LUNA: Who in your life inspires you, whether it is a musician or otherwise?
SHORT: I’m really inspired by musicians who go beyond just making music. Musicians who are cultural moments, who tell stories, who are wordsmiths. My top 3 of all time are Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and Bob Dylan.
LUNA: What are your goals and manifestation for this year? What's next for you?
SHORT: 2021 was honestly crazy. My life changed in so many ways, so I really have no idea what to expect for 2022. My main goal in life, and also in 2022, is just to create music that people resonate with, and to develop a following that is willing to listen. There is no better feeling than getting a DM or message saying that a song I wrote helped someone I don’t even know. I want more of that in 2022!
Mostly, I really want to just hone my craft. There is always room for improvement, and I will always want to get better. I also would love to perform live...open for someone on a leg of a tour, or on a few shows. Might be lofty, but putting it out there. Overall, I really just want to grow.
Oh, and if Ryan Tedder wanted to do a session with me, I definitely would not be mad about it.
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