Continuing our series of written interviews with unsigned and independent acts, we had the opportunity to submit questions to multi-instrumentalist Samuel Escher.
1) How did you start as a musician?
“Well I’ve been playing guitar for as long as I can remember, started when I was young and pretty much never looked back. I started writing songs during my teens as an outlet for my emotions; it was cathartic and enabled me to use my ability as a guitarist for something more – that’s when I started to learn the craft of songwriting. I actually never considered being a musician as a profession until later. Spent about ten years travelling the world and learning about different cultures but always managed to come back to writing songs as a means of personal expression. Fast forward to my thirties and here I am taking it seriously.”
2) What’s your favourite instrument to play?
“The acoustic guitar is probably my favourite instrument to play, it has so much range and so much diversity. It’s the root for many genres and such versatility that it’s a great all-round instrument for expression. You can do a lot with an acoustic guitar and that raw feeling of the instrument comes across in so many songs. Second favourite is the drums – because who doesn’t like playing the drums??”
3) How would you describe your music?
“I am, at heart, a folk singer. I love folk and I grew up listening to a lot of American folk musicians. Mitchell, Dylan, Baez, Denver, Guthrie etc. My music is definitely inspired by those artists and I am building on that as a foundation. I have always been inspired by progressive, classical and ambient sounds so I am trying to incorporate those into the record and, more importantly, into my live performance. It’s more of a feeling than a sound and that can be a challenge – but once you get it right – it’s incredible. Overall, I would probably put myself into the folk genre but, to be honest, it is whatever you want it to be.”
4) Give us an update on the album
“My debut album Wilderness is going to be out November 9th 2018. The record is written and I am currently recording a track at a time and actually releasing them as I go. I’m recording and producing the album in my apartment, so it’s a lo-fi operation! However I actually teamed up, via Instagram, with a fantastic Australian visual artist Melanie Caple, who is designing the artwork for the record. Huge fan of her work and really honoured to have that support and collaboration!
The industry has changed a lot and I am big fan of consistent, steady releases so Wilderness will essentially release gradually throughout this year. The first single from Wilderness will be out in August and then basically one a month after that. It’s going to be a great introduction to my music and a great platform for future releases!”
5) Are you playing gigs, and where?
“Yes I am! I am in the process of organising a tour throughout the autumn to support the record and hoping to just continue that momentum right through 2019 to my second record. Additionally, I will be playing throughout the summer at the Edinburgh Fringe and at shows in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. If you’re about town – pop by and check out a gig!”
Associated Links
- www.samuelescher.com
- soundcloud.com/samuelescher
- facebook.com/thepoetsamuel
- twitter.com/thepoetsamuel
- instagram.com/thepoetsamuel
- Spotify: Samuel Escher
If you are interested in taking part in a written interview, contact us at Jamie@OldTimeReview.co.uk.