The first time I properly came across Sampha‘s work was via his vocal work on SBTRKT‘s fantastic 2014 self-titled album. “Hold On” still captivates me to this day and it set off a little spark of admiration for the songwriter out of South London. The versatility behind his voice and his music neatly and deftly flits from the realms of R&B, electronic, soul and dance while that entrancing nature Sampha brings to each record remains ever-present.
Which brings us to 2017. Finally, finally, fans have been treated to the debut studio record from Sampha in Process and man, does it sweep you off your feet. While his collaborations on others’ albums have indicated a subtle, yet poignant presence, Process flips the script and stands out as being highly individualistic and strong on its own.
Bringing the music into the live arena is something Sampha is still getting his head around when we caught up prior to the album’s release, but an exciting prospect, nonetheless.
“The lead up has been interesting. I’ve started playing live shows, my first headline live shows and I’ve really loved being able to do them.”
From performing atop the roof of his record label, Young Turks, to making his television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert performing the hit “Blood On Me”, Sampha’s ability to make any setting his own is shining through prominently. His rise to stardom similarly mirrors that of The Weeknd’s; here we have two artists whose talents had seen them generate a heavy independent fanbase before that one big commercial success catapulted them onto the wider stage. For The Weeknd, it was “I Can’t Feel My Face”, more recently for Sampha, it was his collaboration with Solange on her acclaimed album A Seat At The Table. Of course, for fans who have been rocking with Sampha since his early days as a musician, this talent is nothing new but for those coming to the party now with Process, their minds are being opened wide.
“On the performance side of things,” he explains. “I’ve definitely done a lot of exploring and a lot of facing of demons, in terms of tackling how to play my music live. It’s been a new challenge because I didn’t write the music with the intention of it being played live. Figuring out how to translate all those electronic elements into the live arena, that’s been liberating and I’ve been really fortunate to have a band who have been great. I’ve been made friends there too, that’s been great.”
“It’s always been a natural thing, In terms of the live stuff; when we played on Stephen Colbert, I felt like that was an indication of how things were going on. It does feel like I’ve been coming out of my shell a little bit this year and I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to travel and have it be a part of things.”
With 2017 set to be a big one for Sampha, he looks at Process as a finished product and a stand alone entry point for many music fans to access the rest of his music. Already looking ahead, he comments on the new record and how he anticipates it lands with new listeners all over.
“People are going to experience this music how I did when I was making it or the first time I came up with it and that feeling can be quite different to it being a year later, say. It’s difficult for me to say some times; it is a snapshot of me but at that time, not necessarily where I am now. It’s where I was.”
Process is out now.
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