SAM ROLLER: Origin Story Interview by Jenna Rose

Songwriter Sam Roller went from military to music when she moved to Nashville recently. And now she'd like to encourage others to prioritize the things that are important to them and remember that the hard times have beauty in them. 

Hello Sam, it’s a pleasure to have this conversation with you. To get us started, why don't you introduce yourself -  what are the most important things we should know about you as an artist? 

Sam Roller: Hi- I'm Sam. Music has been a part of my life ever since I remember, I grew up singing as a worship leader in church, I did a lot of theater and was super motivated to be an artist and have music as my career. I went to college and was on the verge of dropping out to move to Nashville- my family was super supportive, but I just felt obligated to pull through. My dad was in the army my whole life and its all I knew. So I gave up on music and went into the Army as a field artillery officer. I deployed to Poland and Europe during russian tensions and was part of a very male dominated workforce. It built me to be more sure of myself and independent. I needed to find myself again after 4 years of active duty and I decided to move to Nashville like I wanted to in college. Transition was hard, I didn't know anyone and I was scared of the industry. It took about a year and a half for me to get into the scene, and still I'm trying my best to get my feet wet.

As someone who has recently divided to take music more seriously, where do you feel like you’re at so far, as far as your musical career and goals?

SR: I honestly am pretty green, I've written and sang most my life but I have been very isolated from the industry, I didn't feel like I was good enough for a long time. I just recently have been sitting in on small gigs and going to open mic nights.

You’re working on a project currently - Tell us about that.

SR: I recently released a new single called "games" which I wrote about how life doesn't come with a set book of rules and we can feel like we are just set up to lose the fight. I write a lot of music and I'm hoping to put together an ep called "seasons" which puts a couple of songs together about how life is full of changes, and theres seasons of it.

What are the messages and themes in this project? What are you hoping that your audience takes away or learns about you through experiencing it?

SR: I want people to know that there are seasons of life, that there are experiences that are universal, but there are also hardships that some people may never understand. Just feeling the seasons and allowing yourself to experience emotions is such a beautiful thing and shouldn't be shameful. I believe that music is an outlet for the soul, regardless if its just instrumental or music with lyrics. I truly believe there are healing properties in music and that it can help people.

Is there one song that stands out the most to you?

SR: I have a song I wrote for this called "warden", the song I wrote pretty quickly- I wrote it all down on a word document over a lunch break with my guitar and then it all kind of pieced together. This song is like the catalyst to the entire group of songs, feeling like you should return to a place that you felt imprisoned even though you know its not right just because you're lonely. I know a lot of people who have had similar experiences. There is a line in the song that is " its not so lonely with the warden around", and it really felt like that was what life felt like for a while. You might be locked in, but at least your not lonely. But that's not always the best way.

Do you feel like this is a sonic change from your past releases?

SR: I feel like the past releases are a bit more "up beat". I didn't want to have my first releases to be so down and dark, but this is going to carry a bit more "stripped" feeling, less production, more of a feeling of this was written, recorded and produced in a basement.

Who are your musical and general life influences and in what ways do we hear them come out in this project? 

SR: A Fine Frenzy, Billie Eilish, Noah Kahan- all of these musicians are wordsmiths, literal poets with their writing style. I adore lyrics that are deeper and make people really reflect and feel the music.

I work corporate full time after leaving the military, it has been an interesting transition but I am working to hopefully get into music which has been my passion. I've been releasing songs one by one, but I'm hoping to put together an EP to really share the entire experience of coming from the Army or a different part of life into one where I feel fulfilled with music and life. Its been a hard transition, and I was against pursuing music for so long because of my experiences in the Army but I am happy to say I'm finally getting back out there.

Why did you originally decide to pursue music as more than just a hobby? Would you like it to be your full time career?

SR: I'm trying, we all are. Music is expensive, the industry is hard. I'm working full time as a Product Marketing Manager for JPMorgan which is extremely stressful but it helps me fuel the music. In the end I want to be able to move on from that part of my life and do music full time, but times are hard and I can only do pieces at a time.

I’d love to ask some fun questions to help us get to know who the girl behind the music is. 

When you are not creating music what do you like to do in your free time? 

SR: I have two dogs (german short haired pointers, Smoke & Chaos) that are literally my world. They have an instagram- it's embarrassing but it's worth checking out because they are literally the cutest boys. @smoke.n.chaos. I do everything for them. I say that I work just so that they can have the best life. I used to foster dogs when I was in the military but have since paused that due to moving. 

 I also enjoy hiking, music festivals/writer's rounds, I'm a lil bit of a gamer, and I love to read.

If you could have dinner with one person living or passed, who would it be?

SR: Oh gosh, thats hard. There's so many, but top of mind would be Noah Kahan which seems a bit cliche but when I heard his music for the first time I couldn't help but feel so moved. Not a lot of men speak out on mental health in the way he does and as a girl who worked with so many men for so long, I admire him.

What is the best concert you have ever been to?

SR: I literally JUST went to a Hozier concert and I've never experienced such a CRAZY musical performance. Quite literally took me to church.

​​If you could have dinner anywhere tonight where would it be and what would it be? 

SR: Okay, loveless cafe. If you've had it, you know why. I'm going for those biscuits.

What is at the top of your bucket list?

SR: Glacier National Park.

How would your closest friends describe you in three words. 

SR: Funny. Loyal. Spazz

Do you feel like that evaluation fits in with your musical aesthetic?

SR: I'm a dark, moody, unserious kind of person. I will find every possible way to make people laugh but people wouldn't assume that I'd be that way looking at me. I'll be the girl with all black clothes covered in tattoos and a huge smile.

What was the best year/week/day of your life? 

SR: Another hard one. Honestly when I was in highschool I was very involved in music, everything I did was music, I was in 2 different choirs, voice lessons, theater. So I'd say 2012?

How has music affected your life (positively and/or Negatively)? 

SR: Without music I feel like things just feel so empty, when I'm down I want to be able to FEEL, and music provides that. I always tell my friends music is tangible, whether it be a feeling in your mind or the fact you can almost resonate with it in the air around you. I love watching live music because thats the best place to feel it all. It has helped me feel again after being numb for so long

What do you struggle with the most in your musical endeavors? 

SR: Honestly, its been hard to know where to start. I have connections but reaching out and trying to book things has been difficult. Especially as someone that doesn't have the "background" or "experience" as of late. I wish people would take more chances on smaller artists, but I understand risk mitigation is big in this industry.

Thank you so much for taking this time with us. Where can we find you online? 

Instagram: @samroller.music 

Tiktok: @_samroller

Spotify: Sam Roller