As she gears up for the release of her second album Honey, the artist talks magic pens, horrible glances, and defeating The Witch King of Angmar
New York’s Samia burst onto the scene with her refreshingly raw and eclectic 2020 debut The Baby. Part indie rock, part folk, part synth-pop, the record served as a canvas for her cynical musings on post-adolescent life, and the confusion that reigns so heavily during this period. The 26-year-old’s sophomore album Honey (out on January 27), promises to be an even more complex record, inspired by a period of brutally honest self-reflection during the pandemic. “My friend Caleb Wright, who produced it, really helps pull the truth out of me,” she tells Dazed over email. “I wrote the whole thing using a magic pen God gave me when I was a baby.”
While it’s unlikely that you would have heard anything resembling “Screaming porn kills love/ Outside your window with the Adventists” – a line pulled from recent single “Sea Lions” – during Sunday school, Samia’s shockingly wrenching honesty is, in part, what helped set her apart from the rest of her contemporaries within New York’s booming indie scene. Below, the singer talks to Dazed about Popchips, the power of big horrible glances, and defeating The Witch King of Angmar.
Hey Samia! How would you describe your sound and aesthetic to someone who doesn’t know who Samia is?
Samia: I sound almost exactly like Robert Plant and I dress like a scarecrow.
What life experiences informed the writing and recording of your new album, Honey?
Samia: I got into a whale from the mouth, then looked around and touched almost everything I could.
What about other musicians who have inspired you?
Samia: Dijon, The National, Lana Del Rey, Sibylle Baier, Molly Sarlé and The Happy Children.
When did you first become aware of the power of good music? What song could you not stop playing growing up?
Samia: They’re taking the Hobbits to Isengard!
Your favourite cornershop snack?
Samia: Popchips.
What’s the pettiest thing you’ve ever done?
Samia: Give a BIG horrible glance to a lady.
What’s your weirdest internet obsession?
Samia: Pixar!
Who is your nemesis?
Samia: The Witch King of Angmar.
If you could only listen to one musician for the rest of your life who would it be?
Samia: Father John Misty.
What would the line-up be in your nightmare blunt rotation?
Samia: Bolg, Witch-king of Angmar, and Pixar.
You encounter a hostile alien race and sound is their only mechanism for communication. What song would you play to them to inspire them to spare you and the rest of the human race?
Samia: “Unholy” by Sam Smith.
Honey is released on January 27
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