Sam Means - Sound In The Signals Interview

I recently had the chance to interview Sam Means about various things including his upcoming 7" Nona. To read the interview click READ MORE.

First off thanks for the interview

Sam Means: No problem, thank you!

Your new EP Nona comes out on record store day with a digital release in May. You’ve been writing songs in groups as well as solo for a long time. What about this group of songs best represents you at this point in your life and what would you like people to take away from this EP when they listen to it?

A lot has happened over the last few years, so each song has me in a different place, I guess. "I Will Follow (That's All)" was actually the first song I wrote, post-The Format.. looking back, I remember being really uncertain of how my life might pan out, but optimistic I would be happy regardless of the outcome. It's hard for me to express myself publicly, so I think I may have been a little vague with some of the older songs, but I'm trying to be more direct in getting my point across now. I just want people to know it's genuine. What you're hearing is me.

I heard you created your own studio to record the EP. Can you tell me a little about the recording process of the EP? What do you think some of the pros and cons are to recording in your own studio?

I did. I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to recording, but I think that gives the songs a little bit of much needed charm. Nearly all of my parts were recorded with one mic, plugged into one compressor and a cheap pre-amp.. It's a simple set up, but it works for me. The up side is being able to make music whenever I can, but the major con is having no deadline. Recording can really drag on when there's no clock ticking. I should definitely point out, a lot of the recording happened in other parts of the country too. John O'Reilly Jr. played and recorded all the drums at his studio in PA, Don Raymond Jr. recorded the bass parts on a laptop in MA and my friend Patrick Carrie from Limbeck/The Young Dudes did some guitar and back-up vocals at his place in CA. We've started referring to ourselves as a virtual band.

One thing I really liked about the EP is the artwork and the vibe it has. What made you decide to use that particular artwork?

I just loved the picture.. My daughter's silhouette is on the kick drum and the word NONA came from her in inability to pronounce the L's in her name (LOLA.) The two seemed to be a perfect fit.

Can you tell me a little about your company Hello Merch? What made you decide to start a company? I read online that you want your company to be very artist friendly what are some of the ways you make sure the company runs this way?

I basically started the company to give me something to do during the day.. I was always heavily involved in the business side of The Format, so I needed something to fill that void when the band ended. I've seen a lot of artists in torturous merch deals so I felt there needed to be a place to get away from that. I don't chase after bands.. Our entire roster is filled with friends, or referrals of bands we already work with, so there's an immediate foundation built on trust the second we start working together.. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I read online from a person who visited your office at Hello Merch that it reminded them of a Wes Anderson movie. What do you think of the comparison and do you feel stylistically that’s a fair comparison?

I do have a lot of old pictures hanging on the wall, similar to The Royal Tenenbaums house.. I love Wes Anderson and everything he does stylistically, so I can't help biting his style every once in a while.

As music fans we all have songs that stick with us over time. What is one song you heard at an early age that stuck with you and you still enjoy it to this day just as much?

Pretty much every song by The Beatles.. I'll never get sick of them.

People still hold your work with The Format in real high regard. Copies of the vinyl version of Dog Problems have sold upwards to $200 on sites like ebay. For fans of those albums that are paying such steep prices to get a hold of them do you ever think or would like to see re-pressings of some of The Format’s releases on vinyl?

Yeah, that's totally crazy. I've been wanting to re-issue the vinyl for years now, but it's not entirely up to me. Really hoping to make it happen some time this year.

The other main member of The Format, Nate Ruess, has recently had a ton of success with the release of Some Nights. What do you think of the success that group has had?

I think it's incredible.. That dude was birthed for stardom.

Also you’ve had a lot of success with your music in commercials, scoring films, etc… When you think back to the early days of The Format did you think you would both end up being this successful? Do you think your success is a testament to just writing good music or is it more than that?

I'm not sure we ever thought about it then, we just loved writing music. We wouldn't be anywhere without talent, but there are a lot of people that helped to facilitate every bit of success we've experienced over the years. No one can do this alone, so I give them a lot of credit.