Sam Means - Established 1980

Review @ Short Girl Long Island

Wed, 02 May 2012 23:36:44 -0700

Review @ Short Girl Long Island

NONA now available on iTunes

Wed, 02 May 2012 20:01:47 -0700

NONA now available on iTunes

Nice review @ Sputnik Music

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:58:54 -0700

Nice review @ Sputnik Music

Luckily, the whole EP (Plus a bonus cover of Carrie Anne) is...

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:18:00 -0700

Luckily, the whole EP (Plus a bonus cover of Carrie Anne) is streaming on my site and on sale digitally for only $4.99!

Looks like someone forgot to release my record on iTunes today. So that's awesome.. I guess I'll let @gotye hog the spotlight for a little bit longer.. #pro

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:02:16 -0700

Only 25 records left! Will be on iTunes tomorrow! (Taken with...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:07:00 -0700

Only 25 records left! Will be on iTunes tomorrow! (Taken with Instagram at Hello Merch) - BUY NOW!

Pure Volume is featuring a video of me performing "Will You Hang Around?"

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:42:57 -0700

Watch John O’Reilly Jr. play drums & percussion on...

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:13:00 -0700

Watch John O’Reilly Jr. play drums & percussion on “I Will Follow (That’s All)

Video

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 09:47:35 -0700

Record Store Day 2012 - Sam Means, ASU Pitchforks & The...

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 03:33:05 -0700

Record Store Day 2012 - Sam Means, ASU Pitchforks & The Coffee Shop

Ladies & Gentlemen, "Something In The Air" - The boring self-produced music video to NONA's b-side.

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:39:00 -0700

Want to help spread this around? YouTube or Vimeo

Nice write-up in this week’s New Times. (Taken with...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:38:00 -0700

Nice write-up in this week’s New Times. (Taken with instagram)

Interview w/Sound In The Signals

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:01:00 -0700

I recently had the chance to interview Sam Means about various things including his upcoming 7” Nona.

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 Mrch? 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.

via Sound In The Signals

10 Record Store Day Exclusives You'll Have to Fight Me For.

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:24:00 -0700

Sam Means, NONA (Photo Finish Records)

It’s kind of hard not to contrast the sounds of hometown boy Sam Means against those of his former-Format buddy Nate Ruess (who’s in fun. these days). Both are explicitly tuneful, but Means’ long-delayed solo work is far more classicist. “I Will Follow” and “Something in the Air,” the two songs featured on this exclusive ‘45, share their names with U2 and Thunderclap Newman singles, and while they aren’t covers, they share a melodic kinship with the radiowaves of the past. (And if you’re hungering for a good cover, just wait till you hear Means’ take on the Hollies’ “Carry Anne.”)

via Phoenix New Times

To those asking, now available in toddler sizes @...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:49:00 -0700

To those asking, now available in toddler sizes @ http://etsy.com/shop/anitameans Black tri-blend also available @ http://means.hellomerch.com

T-Shirts are done! Orders ship tomorrow! (Taken with Instagram...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:01:00 -0700

T-Shirts are done! Orders ship tomorrow! (Taken with Instagram at Hello Merch)

Still have a few left @ http://means.hellomerch.com

Zia Records in-store information..

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:25:00 -0700

Special performance by all-female a cappella group, The ASU Pitchforks, interpreting the songs of Sam Means” (New Sam Means “Nona” Record Store Day Exclusive 7” single on sale at Zia!) FREE cupcakes from The Coffee Shop!

April 21st @ 5pm - Zia Records, 1940 W. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ

via Zia Records

Got these in today! So excited (Taken with instagram)

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:41:00 -0700

Got these in today! So excited (Taken with instagram)

Interview w/Inspirer Magazine

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:49:00 -0700

During the seven years they were together, The Format released two amazing albums, and a number of EPs; after the band split up in 2008, Sam Means and Nate Ruess went their separate ways. We all know what happened with Nate Ruess’ music career, but what about Sam Means’? Here’s a look at what he has been up to in the last 4 years.

Based out of Phoenix, AZ Sam Means has taken on being a solo musician and self-released his soundtrack to ‘09’s indie-comedy, The Sinking of Santa Isabel. He has also entered the world of licensing, having his song, ‘Yeah Yeah’, featured in many television advertising campaigns world-wide, including AT&T & McDonald’s. Last year he built a small studio in the warehouse of his company, Hello Merch, where he completed his first true solo effort, NONA, a four song 7” Vinyl/Digital EP, which will be released on Record Store Day, April 21st 2012 via Photo Finish Records (available on iTunes and everywhere else May 1st).

How did you know you wanted to be a musician?
My Dad and I used to go on these road trips to Oklahoma to visit family and he would buy a bunch of cassette tapes to listen to in the car. We would play each one over and over and I would always come home a new fan of some band or musician and even more interested in songwriting.. The Beatles definitely had a huge impact on me.. Once I hit 12 or so, my Dad bought a Beatles guitar book and let me practice on his old Martin acoustic.. As soon as I realized I could actually play a song all the way through, I knew it was something I wanted to stick with. It also helped having an uncle who is a great guitar player. He definitely taught me a lot along the way.

I have to say it’s very inspirational how you keep pursuing being a musician after all these years. Before you started doing your solo music career, you were in The Format for seven years, and you also had a couple other musical outlets. What inspires and motivates you to still pursue a career in music?
I just love creativity in all things. I’m lucky enough to have made a career out of doing what I love, so I hope to continue doing so in some capacity as long as possible.

You self-released your soundtrack to 2009’s indie-comedy, The Sinking of Santa Isabel. Is there a difference on writing music for a soundtrack vs. writing for your solo music?
I pretty much had free reign with ’Santa Isabel’, so there wasn’t much difference with that. I just had to write a bunch of tiny parts instead of a handful of full songs. It was definitely just as satisfying for me. The last movie I worked on, the guys really had their own vision for each scene… so following some of their guidelines ended up being a little difficult to get used to at first, but it’s really not much different than being in a band with someone.

What song of yours holds the most meaning to you? Why?
A new one called, “Will You Hang Around?” - To me, it’s about living and dying.. and really wanting to be perfect for the people you love, but coming to the realization that’s never going to happen.

I know a lot of people who hold, either, The Format’s ‘Interventions + Lullabies’ or ‘Dog Problems’ to be one of their favorite albums/ albums that changed their lives. What album(s) that have done that for you?
There are so many for each stage of my life, but most definitely The White Album by The Beatles, Pinkerton by Weezer and everything Harry Nilsson has ever done.

Besides being a musician, you also own your own company Hello Merch. Can you tell us a little bit about it and how you decided to start it?
We (The Format and our good friend, Nate Burry) used to run our own merch store and always thought it would be great to take on other bands, because a lot of our friends were stuck in terrible situations and there seemed to be huge need for a merch safe haven.. It never materialized then because we were too busy with the band, but when I suddenly had a lot of free time on my hands, I decided to finally bring that idea to life and started Hello Merch.

In 2011 you build a small studio, in your company’s warehouse, and completed your first true solo effort ‘NONA’ EP. I bet that was a truly magnificent experience, what were/ are your feeling towards this whole process?
It was amazing and scary. I immediately loved having a place to go with all the tools and instruments to make something happen, but with that came absolutely no excuse to just sit around and talk about it. I got to work pretty quickly, but with Hello Merch and my family life, actually putting something out took longer than I had originally hoped.

What are the main inspirations behind your lyrics?
I’m not really sure. I try not to over analyze where anything comes from. Most of my songs start out as some nonsensical ramblings… then… kind of stay that way.

Your song ‘Yeah, Yeah’ has been featured in numerous television commercials worldwide. What was it like, at first, hearing your songs being played on TV?
Most of the commercials have been overseas, so it’s kind of weird not being able to experience it first-hand, but when I did finally get one in the US… the first few times, I just sort of laughed about it… like, this is the weirdest thing ever. Then after seeing it a couple hundred times, the excitement wears off and you just want American Pickers to come back on.

What bands/artists do you look to for inspiration?
I hate sounding so cliché all the time with this, but really The Beatles, The Kinks, Harry Nilsson.. Even though I’ll never amount to 1% of their talent, it’s always fun trying.

Who do you think changed the music industry? Why?
If you could put a single face on the Internet, they would be largely responsible. But it’s also just a different time. Things change everywhere. There’s no way to stop progression in anything.

Does being in a band make you appreciate music/talent more than if you weren’t in a band?
No, I don’t think so. I think there are plenty of music fans out there who probably appreciate it more than I do. As a musician, you can get a little desensitized to its power sometimes. I’ll never see a concert again, the same way the 15 year old kid next to me is.. I’ll probably never hear my favorite record again for the first time. There’s so much to appreciate as a fan, especially a young fan of music.

How do you think being a musician now, in this age of social media, differs from before?
I think it’s a lot easier to put yourself out to the world, but your life can be so short-lived too. Having a number one song 10 years ago meant a whole lot more than it does now. It seems to be so much harder to sustain these days.. no one has the attention span for it anymore.

Lastly, if the world were to really end in December, what would you be most proud of as a musician?
I’m proud of everything. ..even being in a band called “Nevergonnascore” 15 years ago. I can’t believe how fortunate I’ve been to be able to experience what I have.

via Inspirer Magazine

Have you ordered my new EP?

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:02:00 -0700

Video teaser and pre-order options below - PLEASE help spread the word :)