Sam Tucker Presents 'Running' Off His Upcoming Ep 'Grow: Part 1'

Running is the first single from singer/songwriter Sam Tucker's new project, Grow : Part 1, and the moment the track kicks off with a swampy lo-fi hip-hop beat, it's clear this sonic experiment is a much groovier sound for Sam.

Although he cut his teeth playing folk and Americana music (and will continue to do so in the future), the British-born singer (who now calls Quebec's Gaspésie region home) has long been a fan of electronics and beat heavy music, and with Running, Sam found an opportunity to fuse the musical styles he has been feeling the most in his soul as of late.

The track features a very groovy, heavily-effected guitar line over the type of dusty drums one would expect to hear from producers like Madlib or Dilla, with vocals that are as reminiscent of Justin Timberlake as they are Washed Out.

Produced by Sam in his home during the pandemic (as a way to continue to grow as a musician when he wasn't able to perform live), Grow : Part 1 grew out of Sam's fascination with combining old tones and sounds with new technology - but leaving it all a little imperfect (with purpose).

Running has some elements in common with another Quebec artist who has conquered the indie world, Mac DeMarco - in the way it moves, the way the guitars feel breezy and beachy and how the laid back rhythm simply guides the song along. Most of the original scratch tracks (the initial takes, which don't often make it to the final cut of a song) are still part of this song, giving it a very vintage feel.

The recording was very simple, according to Sam, "Running is one of the first songs to come out of this creative period during the first lockdown of covid. I was staying at a friend's chalet in Notre Dame Du Portage and recorded everything on an old acoustic guitar I borrowed from his sister and used a cheap condenser microphone I had with me. So if the guitar sounds all feel like they were recorded in a solarium with a mic worth 50 bucks, it's because they were."

Sam had also been listening to a lot of lo-fi hip hop playlists at that time, and that worked its way into the song as well. Armed with his acoustic guitar and some cheap effects to emulate a bass guitar, Sam went for it. When the initial recordings were completed, Sam invited friend and sonic luminary, Connor Seidel, to assist in beefing up the drums and the overall mix, as well as bringing in Alex Francoeur (saxophone) who added some saxy finesse to the end of the track.

Running is a slow and groovy summer song from one of the most interesting and exciting artists in Canada right now. According to Sam, "I'm proud of this project because I self-produced it from start to finish. With some great input from Connor Seidel, we took a solid demo and molded it into the song we hear today."

Listen to the new single here:

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