California Fire

Episode Description
There’s nothing like hearing your new favorite song for the first time, and every time I interview a musician, I feel like that potential exists.
My guest this week is singer/songwriter Sam Johnson, and he’s got a few songs creeping up that list. He was recently on tour with Train, Matt Nathanson, and Allen Stone, and he just released his new single, Monsters on TV.
From his humble beginnings as a street performer at Fisherman’s Warf to his upcoming performance at BottleRock music festival, Sam’s here talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of his musical journey.
Timestamps
01:12 – California: Blunts, beaches, & g-funk
05:30 – The moment Sam knew he was going to be an artist.
09:32 – The life of a street performer. How it built Sam as a musician.
12:15 – The journey vs the destination. Sam’s journey as an artist and upcoming shows.
15:36 – Trading war stories. We discuss breakups and demoralizing performances.
20:05 – Life on tour. Signing with a major vs staying independent.
24:50 – What’s your purpose? Sam discusses his inspiration
28:21 – Sam sings a clip from a show intro that he made.
29:38 – Performers with pre-performance anxiety/stage fright. Is it a good thing?
33:44 – Monsters on TV. Sam discusses his new single and the current political climate.
38:50 – What’s more gratifying, the inspirational spark or completing a song?
43:58 – When can you say that you’ve made it?
45:23 – California Fires: Going down the rabbit hole and discovering new music
49:06 – Is there any hesitation when talking to female fans because of the me-too movement.
52:06 – Sam answers some rapid-fire questions
59:26 – Upcoming projects
Timestamps
01:12 – California: Blunts, beaches, & g-funk
05:30 – The moment Sam knew he was going to be an artist.
09:32 – The life of a street performer. How it built Sam as a musician.
12:15 – The journey vs the destination. Sam’s journey as an artist and upcoming shows.
15:36 – Trading war stories. We discuss breakups and demoralizing performances.
20:05 – Life on tour. Signing with a major vs staying independent.
24:50 – What’s your purpose? Sam discusses his inspiration
28:21 – Sam sings a clip from a show intro that he made.
29:38 – Performers with pre-performance anxiety/stage fright. Is it a good thing?
33:44 – Monsters on TV. Sam discusses his new single and the current political climate.
38:50 – What’s more gratifying, the inspirational spark or completing a song?
43:58 – When can you say that you’ve made it?
45:23 – California Fires: Going down the rabbit hole and discovering new music
49:06 – Is there any hesitation when talking to female fans because of the me-too movement.
52:06 – Sam answers some rapid-fire questions
59:26 – Upcoming projects