Samm Henshaw

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Samm Henshaw interview on Colourful Radio 17-April-2022

The storytelling project spans across sixteen tracks and offers a bold, new sense of creative freedom where we hear him thrive alongside guest appearances from the likes of Maverick Sabre, Tobe Nwigwe and Keyon Harrold. The ‘Untidy Soul’ narrative has been unfolding before our eyes over the past year and in 2021 we saw a run of singles including ‘Grow’, ‘Thoughts & Prayers’ and ‘Chicken Wings’, in addition to the stand alone single, ‘Still Broke’. Inspired by Childish Gambino’s ‘Atlanta’, the music videos reflect a TV-style series with Samm’s satirical sense of humour at the core as we get to know the character of Sonny, played by Samm.

In the lead up to the release this month Samm showcased album cuts at The Roots festive picnic, appeared on The Late Show with James Corden and released a remix of ‘Chicken Wings’ featuring Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins.

“These songs all tell very different stories, but the overall theme for me is self-growth. “You see the main character start in one place at the beginning and get to another place by the end, and hopefully that inspires people to have some reflection on their own lives—how they treat others, how they treat themselves. Because I think most of us are a bit of a mess on the inside. We’re all a work in progress.”

‘Untidy Soul’ is a masterclass in Samm’s craft with his gravelly voice never missing a note and when granted the space, the 28 year-old was able to write personally and playfully. Offering full transparency from the get go, Samm provides social commentary with opener ‘Thoughts & Prayers’, a spirited form of meditation exploring the album’s themes of love, loss and connection. Revealing further depths to his introspectiveness, ‘Mr. Introvert’, ‘8.16’ and ‘Loved By You’ drift between self-examination and storytelling, documenting his personal transformation over the past few years.

Collaborations include a fiery verse from self-proclaimed enigma Tobe Nwigwe on ‘Take Time’ followed by a charismatic vocal cameo from Maverick Sabre on ‘It Won’t Change’. Powerful skits, interludes, poetry, declarations and big band moments are just a taster of what to expect throughout this project. Leading the sounds are; longtime collaborator Josh Grant (Shawn Mendes, Tom Walker & Elderbrook) and Pop Wansel (Megan Thee Stallion, Kehlani, Ty Dolla $ign) with additional avant-garde production contributions from Grammy Award winners, Brasstracks.