Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and Americana/rock recording artist Sam Slick takes us on a soulful journey with his latest single, "Hey Man."
Sam Slick is known for his compelling America, folk, and rock n' roll sound, constantly leaving listeners moving and grooving. Slick draws his musical influences from the sounds like Byrds, R.E.M., Elvis Costello, and Angel Olsen while continuing to evolve as he prepares to drop new, edgy projects.
Recently releasing his exciting yet introspective single, "Hey Man," the track is the first official release from Sam Slick's sophomore studio album, 'The Driver,' arriving March 4. Slick also released an accompanying music video for "Hey Man," oozing with 70s nostalgia through precise edits and effects while allowing us to focus on Sam Slick's soulful and solo performance.
Expanding on the single, "Hey Man," the tune cranks opens with a crunchy, bright lead guitar riff that pierces the soul with incredible rhythm and groove. As Sam Slick jumps in alongside the folk-like drums and keyboard chords, he begins to serenade us with the story of a mysterious man while wishing he would open up more.
Sam Slick's new single holds this affinity to the timeless sounds of Neil Young, especially through Slick's distinct vocal stylings and passionate delivery. While we reach the bright hook, warm background vocals cascade our speakers as Slick continues to wonder who this man is and the mystery of his origin. We love the call and response arrangement near the outro; it leaves us chanting Sam Slick's lyrics while heading to the outro with an incredible Americana groove.
Get to know the soulful and intriguing stylings of Sam Slick through his latest single, "Hey Man," and catch his sophomore album 'The Driver' on all digital streaming platforms come March 4.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Sam Slick. We're truly impressed with the soul and style of your recent single, "Hey Man." What inspired the concept and theme of this groovy song?
Many of the songs I write usually start when I strum some chords on an acoustic guitar, so I wanted to do something different for this song and build it from a guitar riff. I was trying a few out when I landed on an old riff that hadn’t gone anywhere, and the inspiration struck to build a tight groove around that. Lyrically it’s just a one-sided conversation telling somebody off, which is always cathartic.
When creating "Hey Man," did you have any artistic influences or projects in mind?
At the time of writing Hey Man, I had been listening to a lot of mid-60s folk-rock like the Mamas and the Papas, Norma Tanega, and the Byrds, so that helped me get the feel and sound I wanted. Psychedelic but not too heavy, with some pretty harmonies.
Did you work with any additional musicians when creating the instrumentals for "Hey Man"? What was that creative process like?
I wrote the song on guitar, with a foot tambourine to fill the sound, and it was fun to play like that, but the song really came to life when my band played it in the studio. The lineup was Jake Adamson on guitar, Julian Curelop on bass and vocals, Zach Sciaba on drums, and Zan on organ and vocals. I sang, played my 12 string electric, and added some percussion, but Jake played the best percussion with that one big vibraslap hit heading into the last part of the song. We got everything recorded for this song, and a good chunk of the album, during a four-day marathon recording session at Prime Rib Productions in Atwater with our brilliant producer Philip Rohr. My bandmates are incredibly talented and Phil has great instincts for how to get the best sound out of each of us.
Why did you choose to release "Hey Man" as the lead single from your forthcoming album, 'The Driver'? How does this single prepare us for what's to come?
"Hey Man" is the natural first single off of The Diver - it’s punchy, quick, and layered with a ton of good sounds. It grabs attention while being short enough to entice you to keep listening. The album covers a range of styles, not always as rocking as Hey Man, but each of the eleven songs delivers the payoff that Hey Man promises.