Sam Phelps

Brooklyn by way of Nashville songwriter Sam Phelps did what many musicians did during the long months of quarantine. He made the best out of a bad situation and turned his focus to writing new songs. The result is a brand new three-song EP, Talking to a Friend, which is out today. Across the EP’s three songs, Phelps spins nostalgia-soaked stories through his twangy croon, reflecting on things like lost pleasures, confiding in the comfort of a good friend, moments of self-doubt, and dealing with stressors. The songs are littered with lots of country and bluegrass inspired elements that are sure to make you feel good. 

We recently caught up with Phelps via e-mail to chat about the new release and what he’s been up to:

Photo by Courtney Sultan

How’d you wind up in New York and how long have you been here for? 

I was living in northern kentucky and working in Cincinnati at the time and I was just absolutely miserable.  I needed a complete change from everything.  A friend of mine told me to come stay at his place, save some money and get out.  He could tell I was in bad shape.  His son, who was living in L.A. at the time came home from a break from school and asked me what I wanted to do.  I told him I wanted to go to L.A. work in a guitar shop and play music at night.  He said you don't wanna go to L.A. you wanna go to Austin Texas.  I was clueless.  I did a lil research.  And a few weeks later I threw what little clothes I had and my junky old guitars in the back of an old Chevy pickup and headed to Texas without a clue.  I made a friend out there pretty quickly who had lived in New York a couple years and she said she was moving back and asked me if I wanted to join.  I said, yea!  It was very spur of the moment.  I had never even been to New York.  So I started driving a big stub nose flatbed truck for a junkyard delivering parts during the day and I worked at a horn/guitar shop a couple evenings and weekends.  I worked 7 days a week pretty much that whole summer of 2012 to save money for New York cause I knew it was gonna be expensive!  And here I still am.  8 years later.  

You come from Kentucky originally. How do you think the two places that you have lived in have shaped the sound of your music?

Well, my childhood in Kentucky was steeped in bluegrass, country, folk and classic rock.  So, I'll always have those elements I'd guess.  Living in the city you're obviously just surrounded by so many different cultures you kinda just have to be aware it's a big ol' world out there. 

Your music blends the grit of the city with the twang of the country. How do you go about melding these two sounds and worlds? Is it conscious or do you think it’s more of a subconscious thing? 

I think it's probably a lil of both.  Again, there is just sooo much going on you can't ignore it.  And I wouldn't want to.

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard you before?

I get asked this a lot and it's always so tough to answer.  So I take the easy route and say it's singer-songwriter for sure.  Kinda folky country.  Or "country light" lol

You wrote your new EP while quarantined. What was that like for you? Was it challenging for you to write an EP while being isolated?

It was tough at first cause I got really sick at the end of February and stayed sick for a long time.  But I still worked slowly through it.  It wasn't tough other than that.  I'm one of those that TRULY loves solitude and isolation.  I live in a great city and I don't know tons about it.  I've lived the same way since I was 15. Alone. In my room. Playing guitar.  I just switched from trying to play guitar to trying to write songs.

What was your mindset when writing this EP? Since your wrote the EP during quarantine, I like how they kind of reference life pre-pandemic, like riding the train into the city on “Im Weak,” and the references to “summer sun” and “champagne running” on “Choices.” Was it hard for you to channel these experiences while isolated from others?

It wasn't really.  I'm very nostalgic.  Always have been.  It's easy for me to let people go in life but not in memory.  And I was doing a lot of soul searching while sweating my ass off with a fever in a small Brooklyn bedroom.  

Photo by Courtney Sultan

The EP has a very well-rounded, big sound to it. Did you record all of the instruments? What was the recording process like? 

All I played was the main rhythm acoustic tracks, the mandolin on "I'm Weak" and the vocals.  Brian Geltner did the drums and "After Dark" Ray Clark played the bass.  The recording process was great.  Sean Walsh did a great job producing and playing on the EP he just kinda "got it" immediately.  It was the best time I've had so far recording music.

Of the three songs on the EP, which one are you most excited to share in the live setting once shows return?

Probably "Talking To A Friend" because that song was about a situation I was going through exactly at the time of writing the song.  All the words were just coming I couldn't push the pen fast enough!  I've never had that happen before.  That felt good.

Who are some artists/bands from your scene that you’d recommend to our readers?

I never really got in the scene here from a singer-songwriter angle.  I got into it with bands.  But not one guy with a guitar.  But I would check out a friend of mine named Charlie Rauh. 

What’s next? 

Ideally, I wanna do the next step.  I'd like to tour a little.  If that gets to happen soon.  I hope it does.  Keep writing.  Keep recording.  Keep improving.  I have a decent work ethic so I hope it shines through on songwriting.

Talking To A Friend is out now! Stream it on Spotify. Keep up with Sam by following him on Instagram and checking out his website.

Photo by Courtney Sultan