In an exclusive interview with Samantha Rae, a name quickly becoming synonymous with contemporary country supremacy, we discuss her debut LP, The High Road, which has positioned her as an infectiously unreckonable force in the industry.
Samantha discusses her approach to maintaining emotional authenticity within her polished sound; we also gain insight into her collaborative dynamics with co-writer and manager Jay DellIsola, the creative challenges they navigate, and her vision for her burgeoning career.
Samantha Rae, it’s a pleasure to sit down with you after discovering your talent through your debut album, The High Road. The single, Gaslighter, was particularly infectious, how did you hone your superlative command over vocal hooks?
Thank y’all so much for your kind words and interest in The High Road! Gaslighter sits right in my vocal wheelhouse which helped us produce the way we originally envisioned it. We really wanted the chorus hook to pop so we set it up with a little rhythmic anticipation in the prechorus “I’d do anything for you”. This is a good example of how Jay and I construct our rhythmic textures. In the studio, we went through each lead vocal take again and again to find the one we loved the most. We really love this song and I am so happy with how it turned out!
You notably have a profound ability to keep the emotions raw in your polished productions, what’s your secret?
Many others have probably said it better than me but I truly think if you write your own songs or create something lyrically that you’ve been through, or deeply relate to, then the truthfulness comes out on its own.
Have you found a formula for writing your singles or is each new track a new beast to tame?
Just keep writing and creating what you love! No formula or secret button, although having a co-write partner like Jay has been critical to staying creative and energized to make your ideas and music come alive! Our songs are usually a product of our combined influences that span classic rock, mainstream radio pop, rhythm & blues and classic country. There’s usually a deeper personal meaning behind a lyric but we love that people relate to the lyrics based on their own life experiences.
What was the most gratifying aspect of creating your debut album?
Honestly, for me, it was when all the songs finally dropped and they were born into the world for people to enjoy! We also really love developing as artists and songwriters. There’s always something we’ve learned that we can apply to our new material.
How did you come to work with your creative partner and manager Jay DellIsola?
Jay and I have been friends and worked together for a long time, we played in bands together up in Boston where he played drums and I was the lead singer. Before this journey together, Jay always had a vision and would get things done with his passionate drive. He has always supported my talent and when we decided to spin up “Samantha Rae” as a solo artist, we knew we could create something special together. When we combine our song parts and creative ideas we end up with something that works well for us.
Undoubtedly, your fans will be desperate to hear when the next release will drop, what else do you have in store for 2024?
We definitely are always working to create for the fans and I’m sure they’ll see some behind-the-scenes and the making of The High Road album in the future 😉
We’re already writing a brand new batch of songs and we also have about a dozen on the shelf we really love that haven’t been released yet.
Will your forthcoming material be a continuation or a departure from your debut album?
I would say mostly a continuation but as an artist, there’s always room for growth and a little movement. My pop-rock country roots are grounded and we’ve created a ‘sound‘ that we’re proud of. So if the fans love it as much as we do then we feel like we definitely have a winning recipe!
–
Stream Samantha Rae’s Highroad LP on Spotify now and keep track of her latest releases via Instagramand TikTok.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
No Comments