Samia has been on our radar for a few years now, with a string of impressive singles and short-form projects spanning back to 2017. Now, she’s gearing up to release The Baby, her debut full-length, which revels in learning how to be yourself, with no one’s help but your own. On The Baby, Samia’s world is lush and ambient, filled with biting lyrics delivered across a spectrum of different vocal stylings. The album was produced by Jake Luppen, along with Hippo Campus’s Nathan Stocker & Caleb Hinz and engineered by Lars Stalfors, whose credits include work with Foster The People and Soccer Mommy. The result is an album that’s truly special, and one that’s sure to stay in rotation for months to come.
To celebrate the new album, Samia sat down to talk 50 First Dates, the late-night sandwich that changed her life, and Miley Cyrus in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Apologetically yodeling my feelings.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I hope it still feels like a conversation. I hope anyone who’s listening feels they’re being heard in some way.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Father John Misty. I was obsessed with him in college and his writing gave me permission to tell the whole story. I would print out all his lyrics and skip class to sit at my desk and annotate them.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
In 2018 I had a sandwich in Pittsburgh at 3am and it had fries in it and it has ruined everything I’ve eaten since.
What album do you know every word to?
I Love You, Honeybear and Burn Your Fire For No Witness.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Every Kitten show I’ve seen. She’s the greatest performer of all time.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
I just like to wear long pants because I generally do a lot of moving around on the ground and I’ve really done a number on my knees. If it were up to me I’d wear the same thing every day in every situation for the rest of my life!!
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
@pantspants and @party_harderson.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
“Springsteen” by Eric Church
What’s the last thing you Googled?
The lyrics to “Start All Over” by Miley Cyrus.
What album makes for the perfect gift?
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
Somebody’s freshman dorm room. I slept next to a stranger’s used condom and didn’t realize until the sun came up.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
I had my grandmother write “habibi” in Arabic on a napkin the week before she passed and I got it on my hip!
️What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Doja Cat!!
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
My mom had a c section!!
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
It’s ok if you have nothing to say sometimes!
What’s the last show you went to?
Sister James!
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
50 First Dates
What would you cook if Kanye were coming to your house for dinner?
Prefer not to answer.
The Baby is out August 28 on Grand Jury Music. Pre-order it here.