Interview
Cru cru Sam Feinstein, super nice to have the chance to chat with you.
Cru Cru Mr Pigeon. Nice to chat with you too!
What first got you into music?
I was young and listening to my parents’ Billy Joel CDs, and I wanted to play piano. After playing for a few years, I tried out for my school’s jazz band. From there, I actually fell into being the bassist of the jazz band when the former bassist graduated. I loved bass and I began songwriting and forming my own bands. I studied music technology in college with a focus in songwriting and contemporary music. It wasn’t until much later that I actually released anything for streaming platforms under my own name.
What is "Malow's Mountain" and why is it so damn fantastical?
Maslow’s Mountain is the impossible hurdle we attempt to climb over towards our hopes, dreams, and self-understanding as we’re constantly weighed down by basic needs like food and shelter. It symbolizes humanity’s struggle against our own base desires while we try to spread our wings to achieve some kind of enlightenment.
What memorable responses have you had to your work?
I always appreciate when people use my art in ways I hadn’t imagined. I particularly enjoy some the visual art that I’ve seen with my music in the background.
Can you write what was your best performance of this magic mountain in your career?
I’ve actually never performed this song live. My synth-pop band, the Monitors, is rehearsing Maslow’s Mountain and preparing to help me play it, but this series of songs starting with Hamster Wheel and Maslow’s Mountain are DIY recording projects and don’t have solo/acoustic versions of them. I spread out the important parts between instruments so it would be pretty difficult to perform them without a full band,
What is your favorite fantasy world or fantasy film?
Right now I’m really into One Piece. The idea of the One Piece, representing freedom and being the most difficult treasure to obtain, actually aligns pretty well with some of the ideas I explore in Maslow’s Mountain.
Do think you're a quirky human being?
I’ve definitely always had my own styles and both intentionally and unintentionally strayed from norms and trends. My first band was a ska band, so I’ve always had that quirky streak in my music.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
The industry is less centralized. I’m finding that there are fewer enforced barriers to entry, but you can’t rely on having a team behind you the way you could in the old music industry. I have to take ownership of my own writing, recording, mixing, mastering, artwork, videos, and promotion.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
I regularly play with other musicians and get inspired by what they do, and I’m currently myself to a full song process from writing to releasing every couple of months. Its difficult, but I think it helps me to be constantly aware of the entire process from initial song idea to releasing everything.
What message do you want to leave to your fans?
Keep listening. I’m hoping this year will be a big year for my music with the releases I have planned, and I’m excited to make this journey with whoever is willing to follow me.
Do you agree with the Pigeon?
Always agree with the pigeon, Pedro. Cru Cru!
Review
The rocky drums of "Maslow's Mountain" establish a mesmerizing symbiosis with chunky riffs and Sam Feinstein oozes charisma behind the microphone, while accompanied by synthetic refinements. This mountain is so groovy and funky that it sounds like it came from a fantasy world created by Tolkien, although during this creation the creator of Middle Earth would have been under the effects of LSD and other acids.
On the other hand, these upbeat melodies contrast perfectly with Feinstein's almost drunken and rigid vocals. The whole single is a mountain of imagination as playful and ambiguous as Willy Wonka himself, so Feinstein's cartoony work is expressive and moldable from the bottom to the top, even though the vocals keep it grounded. This banger is super catchy and endlessly detailed with colorful details - have fun climbing this mountain from the world of Oz!
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
This coverage was created via Musosoup