Continuing on with our month-long spotlight on Mr. Sam Feldt, we’re eager to bring you an up-close-and-personal, in-depth interview with this rapidly rising dance music star. From the early years, to his recent remix of an absolute legend, we have you covered. Read the entire transcript below.
TMN: Hey Sam! Thank you for taking some time to answer a few questions for us. We’re really excited to have you on board. Let’s kick things off by talking about your latest release, a remix of Avicii’s “Waiting for Love.” How did that come about?
SF: Hey guys, thanks so much for having me! The “Waiting For Love” remix request came as a bit of surprise to me, to be honest. A pleasant one, though. Avicii is one of my favorite producers and having the honor to remix one of his tracks is amazing. The original version is an awesome track but more radio oriented, so for my remix I decided to go for a more club-focused version that I could play in my live sets too.
TMN: Talk to us about your biggest hit, “Show Me Love,” which features Kimberly Anne. How did the inspiration to cover/reimagine Robyn S’ legendary tune come about?
SF: It’s a funny story, actually. One night, I was bored surfing on YouTube (I’m sure you know these kinda nights) and stumbled upon this great cover of “Show Me Love” that Kimberly did in her bed room studio. The audio and video quality wasn’t perfect but I immediately heard that I had to do something with it. My label Spinnin Records agreed and we contacted Kimberly Anne to request the audio file for the version she did. Luckily she responded to our request and shortly after I began working on the track, with only her voice as a starting point. I built the track around the acapella completely and I think that’s one of the reasons the song is so different from the original and the other versions that are already out there.
TMN: Speaking of Kimberly Anne, how did that pairing come to be? Did you stumble upon her through her Hard as Hello EP a year ago?
SF: I had never heard of Kimberly Anne before I stumbled upon her bedroom cover of Show Me Love on YouTube but have recently listened to her Hard as Hello EP which is awesome as well. The thing I like most about her voice is that it is unique. A lot of people even think it’s a man singing!
TMN: Between your soundcloud and Spinnin’ Deep’s soundcloud, that track is over ten million plays. 10 MILLION! We know you’ve experienced tremendous success with other songs, but this is definitely your biggest. Does that number shock you at all?
SF: Of course 10 million plays from all around the world is a shocking but awesome number.
I’m doing a 20-show USA & Canada tour next month, for example and a lot of shows are close to selling out or already sold out already. This, to me, means a lot more than 10 million plays. It means people don’t only click the play button, but also like your music enough they are willing to spend a few dollars to experience you and your music in real life, which is amazing.
TMN: The past two years have been pretty wild for you. Aside from the success of “Show Me Love,” have there been any other moments that have made you step back and say, “Holy shit! I can’t believe that just happened?”
TMN: You came up as many other producers do – through remixing some of your favorite songs. What advice do you have for kids who are just loading up their first DAW and buying a little 25-key midi/keyboard?
SF: My best advice is to make music you want to listen to yourself, instead of trying to make the next Beatport or radio hit. I tried that for a long time (I’ve been producing for around 4 years now, first under a different name) and it doesn’t work. People feel you are not 100% putting your heart into it. Also when you try to make music for the charts or even trying to make a track for a specific label, it’s really hard to make it unique. When you just make something you enjoy making and listening to, there must be other people that like it to, and the label and the exposure will follow. Believe me.
TMN: Is there a specific track from those early days that you felt helped you turn the corner? Maybe your Fleetwood Mac bootleg?
SF: I still remember getting my Mumford and Sons bootleg with Bloombox premiered on ThisSongIsSick.com, which was mind blowing for me at the time. I only had a couple of thousand followers back then and getting my music on such a big platform really helped to boost my fanbase and exposure.
TMN: Let’s take it further back than that. What was your musical upbringing like? Was it something that was encouraged in your family from a young age?
SF: Definitely! My father is still playing in a band and is a great guitarist and my mother is just a big music lover. Growing up, I have always been surrounded with a lot of different types of music such as rock, jazz and blues and at home the radio was always on. I also took lessons to play the piano for around 6 years, which is really helpful while making songs right now.
TMN: As you started to discover your love for producing, who were some of the artists you looked up to, both in and out of the electronic realm?
SF: Haha, I get this question in almost every interview and I still don’t know a good answer to it. Over the years I have discovered so many good producers, songwriters, singers and musicians that it’s hard for me to name one or even a couple.
TMN: Before we dive into some random personal questions, fill us in on what fans can expect from you for the rest of 2015.
SF: My next single is called “Drive You Home” and it’s coming out on Spinnin Deep the 31st of August. It’s a collaboration I did with The Him, two amazing and talented producers from Amsterdam. I’ve also remixed the new Years and Years single, Thomas Jack’s debut single Rivers and have at least 3 new other tracks finished and waiting to be released. Keep an eye on my live sets and see if you can spot them yet 🙂
TMN: Alright, let’s kick this session off with one of our all-time favorites. Feel free to have some fun with these! What was your very first job?
SF: Haha, it’s kind of nerdy. At the age of 8 I gave guided tours to other children my age in a museum about dinosaurs in my hometown.
TMN: What’s one thing, outside of your laptop, backup USBs, your phone, and chargers, that you never leave for a show without?
SF: My custom made ear filters. It’s so enormously important to protect your hearing, especially when your whole career is built around them.
TMN: If you could see any band or musician, dead or alive, play one last show, who would you choose?
SF: The Beatles
TMN: If you could switch roles with any celebrity for one day, who would you choose and why?
SF: Tiesto. He has been relevant and in the business for such a long time already, so I’m sure I’d learn something from being him for a day.
TMN: What Dutch food do you miss the most when you’re traveling? Stroopwafel? Hagelslag? Stamppot? Yes, we did some google research. 🙂
SF: Haha, I’m not a huge fan of the typical Dutch cuisine but you can wake me up in the middle of the night for a “broodje kroket” or a “kapsalon shoarma” 🙂
TMN: Last one. If your music were an animal, what would it be?
SF: A bird, flying blissfully and smoothly in the sky 😉
TMN: Thanks again, Sam! We greatly appreciate your time.
SF: Thank you guys so much for having me!
