Q&A: Exploring the Sonic Tapestry of Samantha Marie in "shinjuku"
IN THE EVER-EVOLVING LANDSCAPE OF INDIE-POP - Samantha Marie continues to carve ot her unique space with a sound that effortlessly blends genres and tells compelling stories. Her latest single, "Shinjuku," is a testament to this artistic journey, combining indie-pop melodies with hip-hop influences to create a rich, emotive experience.
As part of her upcoming album Shapeshifting, set for release in October, “shinjuku" showcases Samantha's growth as an artist and her ability to collaborate with others, including featured artist Covey.
Read below to learn more about her creative process, the impact of her move from Florida to Los Angeles, and what she hopes listeners take away from her music.
LUNA: "shinjuku" is an indie-pop song with hip-hop influences. How do you approach blending genres to tell a cohesive story?
MARIE: This song definitely went through so many changes, from the writing process, collaborating with another co-writer, featured artist, and producer. The single is a part of an indie-pop album, “Shapeshifting”, that will be released in October. I believe incorporating different genres into a song, can most definitely tell a cohesive story, bringing about different emotions, with the diverse use of production elements, and instruments used. Adding the hip-hop outro was inspired form Jack Antonoff’s production style, and I thought it was really neat.
LUNA: What was the creative process like working with another artist on this track? Did covey bring a different perspective to the song?
MARIE: Working with someone as passionate as him and his management were was an incredible experience! Covey brought vocals that blended so well, and with his ad-libs in the second verse, it almost gave the verse a conversational tone, a story being told.
LUNA: How did your move from Florida to LA impact your sound and songwriting?
MARIE: I could write all day about this! Los Angeles has an incredibly large and inviting music community, and It allowed me to feel more expressive, meet new writers, producers, artists, and music industry professionals. I’m still constantly being inspired from where I live, and that’s what drew me in so quickly to begin with!
LUNA: Your music has evolved considerably since your debut single. What has driven this artistic evolution?
MARIE: I don’t think this was driven, rather it was going to happen inevitably as I found what sound I liked best for myself in the studio, how to express that to a producer, and how to co-produce with someone. I think as an artist, you can only hope to grow more sure of yourself and become closer to your work in this way, and closing in on a more cohesive indie-pop sound was something I felt really confident in.
LUNA: How does your live performance experience differ from creating music in the studio?
MARIE: I think that depends on what type of live performance it is! I love being with a full band, but lately my shows this year have been acoustic, with one additional guitar player and a harmonist. It gives the live show an angelic sound, and really puts emphasis on the lyrics and the melodies of each song. It’s more up front and personal, and gives the “acoustic version” experience of songs that have full in-studio production. It's really special.
LUNA: What's one thing you hope listeners take away from experiencing your music?
MARIE: Gosh! You know, I can only hope that someone can relate to or become inspired, or driven from a fragment of song, a lyric, or artistic expression from a music video, photoshoot, ect. I think artistic expression comes in so many forms, and I’m constantly taking inspiration from different aspects of an artist. Right now, mental health has become more important than ever within our society, and I would love to say that I was able to relate,inspire, or give someone a “I’m not alone in this feeling” moment!
LUNA: What are you looking forward to the most this summer?
MARIE: I’m incredibly excited for this Summer! I will be shooting the music video for “things i do”, that will have some incredible imagery, and I wish I could speak more on this, but its a surprise! I will also be finishing my recordings for the album that releases in October, spending some time in Europe, songwriting, and preparing for the release schedule that will continue for the rest of 2024. There is so much behind the scenes that goes into everything, and I’m so grateful I get to do this. Thank you so much for these questions, and your time.
