We had the good fortune of connecting with Samara Bradley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samara, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Everything in my life slowed down from 2020 to now. I feel as though I was really able to sit down and reflect on how I best function as an artist and ultimately came to the conclusion that the way that I was operating was not working in my best interest. I graduated college in 2019 and I, like many recent grads, was feeling a little lost and unsure of where to begin. It felt as though I had to jump into something that I wasn’t necessarily prepared for and ended up putting my music and artistic skills on the back burner while sitting in a rut trying to figure out what to do next. It was predictable and “easy”, however that was not what I wanted.

During a large chunk of the pandemic, I was actually working two jobs and was so busy that I barely had any time for my music, or even time for myself to just relax. I think that this period of time was necessary for me as a wake-up call to narrow down what exactly was most important to me in my life. I made a promise to myself to do whatever I could to make sure I never burnt myself out to the point where I had no energy or time for anything other than work. One day of rest was not a balance and I felt an overwhelming need to change my situation as time continued to go on.

Once everything shut down and I had no schedule again, I finally had time to reset and put most of my time into my music and my creative outlets. Not only am I growing an audience, but I am also seeing myself rapidly develop as an artist. Not going back to a regular job was a huge risk, however, I had a feeling in my gut that was telling me that I needed to take advantage of this time. There is obviously no way to know exactly what is going to happen in the future, but I will always stand by the importance of following your intuition, doing whatever you can do to make sure that you are doing what you love, and ultimately trusting that you have it in you to create the life that you deserve.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a vocalist, songwriter, producer, performer, and instrumentalist. Working solo has given me a lot of time to practice arranging and composing for all of the different instruments that I put into my songs. Lyrically, I try to write words that reflect my life in a way that inspires self-empowerment, strength, and growth. I write as if my words were going to be sent to a younger version of myself.

The most important lesson that I have learned so far has got to be staying honest and living in my own confidence. I try my hardest not to compare myself to other artists and I also do not think we should see each other as competition. This is a non-traditional career path and there is no one way to “success”, and everyone has their own personal definitions of what “success” means so I see no reason to do anything other than celebrate when a fellow small artist gets a win.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would make sure we were able to fit in all of my favorite outdoor activities, taking them to all of my favorite hikes and beaches around town. We would probably splurge on a nice meal and go to some of my favorite vegan restaurants. Since most of my friends are also from the East coast, I would make sure that we go to at least some of the popular areas in Los Angeles as well. Going shopping and walking around on Melrose would be a must, I also love walking through historic neighborhoods just to look at the architecture of the beautiful homes!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give my shoutout to Prince! I am inspired every day by not only his music, look, and sense of fashion, but how he always seemed to be unabashedly himself in every aspect of his persona and someday I strive to have that level of coolness and confidence.

Website: www.samaraphonic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samaraphonic/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samarabradleymusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/samaraphonic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaraphonic

Other: TikTok: @samaraphonic

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.