Q & Arts: Sam Weber
On the Road Again with Sam Weber: young musician hits Calgary on Sept. 6
Kaity Brown
Publishing Editor
This issue’s Q & Arts is focused on Sam Weber, B.C. based singer-songwriter who is touring for his debut album, Shadows in the Road.
The 21-year-old has a set of 13 original tracks that are inspired by women, mountains, long drives, deserts and the spaces and places and the feelings that go along with them.
Weber will be stopping by Calgary on Sept. 6 in the midst of his tour.
Check out what Weber had to say:
The Reflector: Tell me about the inspiration behind your latest album, Shadows in the Road?
Sam Weber: As an album, ‘Shadows In The Road’ isn’t really conceptual or focused on one thing. Many of the songs were coloured by things happening in the media when I was writing them, but the writing process spanned 4-5 years so there wasn’t a single source or form of inspiration that spans the whole album. I write from different places all the time, constantly inspired by different things, feelings, places, and situations. This album truly is all over the map.
TR: What about your tour? Where are you going?
SW: Right now we’re on our way to Calgary to hangout with my cousins and maybe enjoy some local brews before we move on to Medicine Hat to play Schooner’s Pub on Tuesday night. The entire tour spans 3 weeks or so — with 19 shows happening over 23 days, taking us out as far as Winnipeg, Manitoba. This is the furthest we’ve toured so far, and it’s good to be able to push further and further from home with each tour. We’ve played a good number of the venues in B.C. and Alberta previously — so I hope we’ll see a familiar face or two at a few of those shows.
TR: You spend a lot of time on the road. Describe what that’s like.
SW: The road has always been a lot of fun. The van becomes a pretty closed system and our senses of humour start to evolve, independent of the outside world. We get weirder and weirder as the tour goes on – I think most touring musicians and bands will know what that’s like. Outside of the van though, the road really does feel a lot like home to me. It’s great to get out there and share the music I’ve written with others. Aside from being in the studio, playing live is probably where I am most comfortable, which probably explains the drive to be on the road as much as possible.
TR: How long have you been playing and singing? Has music always been a part of your life?
SW: I’ve been playing and singing since I was about 12 years old. My family is fairly musical, so I probably inherited a lot from them. I also played a lot of music in high school – so that definitely gave me some focus through those years.
TR: What does it mean to you that you are doing this tour?
SW: Aside from being a great excuse to bomb around Canada for a few weeks doing what I love with my best friends – this tour is actually pretty special, as it marks the release of my debut full length album, ‘Shadows In The Road’, coming out Sept. 2. I’m excited to share this album with as many people as possible, and being on tour is the most real and organic way to do that.
TR: Have there been any challenges along the way and how have you overcome them?
SW: We’re only about 4 days deep in the tour at this point, so there haven’t been any significant challenges as yet. Tour can be tough though – you’ve got money to manage, long drives, and the always-looming potential for flat tires and mechanical troubles. Shows can be hit or miss too, and it’s important that you go on stage every night and give it your all, whether you’re playing to 3, 30, or 300 people. We’ve still got a ways to go though; I’ll cross my fingers that the rest of the tour runs smoothly!
TR: Who has inspired you and supported you throughout?
SW: Support comes from many places. My manager, the band, my family, new friends, old friends, venue owners, bar managers – we get a lot of help from a lot of really special people. I’ve also recently signed with Cordova Bay Records – so the support and guidance from the label has been amazing. It’s important to build a strong team around what you’re doing, and I feel like my team is really starting to take shape.
TR: Do you have anything else you would like to add?
SW: Only that we’ve been really stoked about playing Wine-Ohs in Calgary. I’ve played there once before while on the road with my friend Dougal Bain from Victoria, and it was my favourite spot on that particular tour. It has really cool prohibition vibes and I hope we can perpetuate something equally/seemingly controversial in our performance.