Describe your sound in 3 words.
My sound in 3 words is: Detailed, Melodic, Nostalgic.
Tell us a few things about your new EP Cucumber.
Cucumber is my entire musical journey up until this point stuffed into a dense and unique multimedia EP consisting of 6 songs and music videos.
It was made remotely as a response to the pandemic, and contains the work of over 70 talented friends and collaborators. Each song and video tells a different story, although common themes certainly run throughout.
Although the music jumps between genres very rapidly, if I had to describe it, I would say it consists of jazz-influenced pop, funk, RnB, and soul, with some electronic elements thrown in here and there.
Which song of the EP is your favorite?
This is a really tough question. The songs are all so different, and each of them means a lot to me in their own unique way.
If I had to choose one, though, it would be Doesn’t Feel Like Summer. It was the first song I wrote for the project, and when writing it, it just seemed to flow out of me. It wasn’t work, and I didn’t have to think. It simply appeared in a matter of hours. Then, fleshing it out was extremely rewarding. It’s also the only song on the EP where I get to sing, and although I’m no singer, it is special to get to express yourself directly through words. The trumpet, at this point, is an extension of my inner voice, but there are some things you can only express through your outer (real) one.
What do you enjoy most? Writing music or performing your music live?
They’re such different things, and each has its own unique joy. I will say, there are few things I’ve experienced that have been as fulfilling and rewarding as writing and producing these songs. But it’s hard to make a comparison when the pandemic has continued to prevent me from playing any of them live. I cannot wait to experience that when the time comes!
Although they are different, writing and performing both have the potential to be amazing human experiences that we can share with one another. It could be collaborating to write music, or sharing in that music with your audience. I know they both will be a part of my life forever.
Tell us a song you wish you had composed yourself.
“Robot’s Return” by Talc. Listening to it should be pretty self-explanatory :). Just a masterpiece in terms of songwriting, arrangement, production, and performance.
Which book should we read while listening to your music?
What a thought-provoking question! It’s tough to imagine since each song already has its own visual accompaniment. But disregarding those, I’d have to recommend you read something about space. Preferably a book with some great pictures.
Thinking about space has always given me a certain sense of awe and wonderment that I feel I often carry into my music, so hopefully that could enhance the experience of listening to it. It’s no coincidence that Dasher II’s video is what it is!
What is the most useless talent you have?
Ah, well for some reason I’ve always been good at StepMania, which is like Dance Dance Revolution, but played on your computer keyboard. I’m not sure why, and I never really practiced it, but I could always play some mean arrow keys.
I hope you enjoy Cucumber EP as much as I enjoyed making it, and you can keep up with me and my next endeavors on any of my social media @sammyhaig!
Thank you!
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