Exclusive Conversation with Sam Welch

MusicsWeek: How would you describe your musical style in three words?

Sam Welch: Vocally, resonant, and pop.
 

MusicsWeek: What emotions or messages do you aim to convey through your music?

Sam Welch: The importance of maintaining spiritual faith.
 

MusicsWeek: Do you have any unusual pre-recording or pre-performance rituals?

Sam Welch: I drink tonic water before I perform.
 

MusicsWeek: What has been the most exciting moment of your career up to this point?

Sam Welch: Performing at the iconic Club Passim in Cambridge, MA.
 

MusicsWeek: How do you handle criticism and feedback on your music?

Sam Welch: I remind myself(patiently) that I can learn from even the most negative criticism.
 

MusicsWeek: How do you balance staying true to your sound while also evolving creatively?

Sam Welch: I tend to stay away from sampling and musical templates, I try to build my instrumentals organically starting on the keyboard.
 

MusicsWeek: What’s a piece of advice you received that completely changed the way you approach music?

Sam Welch: I learned about the importance of having a lead vocal on top of my vocal harmonizations.
 

MusicsWeek: What’s one unexpected place or situation where you’ve found inspiration for a song?

Sam Welch: I have a photographic mind, when I write music I visualize locations such as the neighborhood I grew up in, my school, and rooms in the house I grew up in.
 

MusicsWeek: What’s a non-music skill you’re currently working on that helps with your artistry?

Sam Welch: I work as a psychiatric counselor, helping people with psychiatric disabilities.  This helps me to build my awareness of what I write about, emotional dysregulation.
 

MusicsWeek: If you could design the perfect stage for your dream concert, what would it look like?

Sam Welch: The stage would have a natural-themed landscape including background images of trees, sky, and water, to reflect my treatment of natural order/disorder.