Meet Samson Oats | Artist and mom lover

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

Hi Samson, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
You never stop. A lot of people, myself included, at times, have this idea that if you can’t quit your day job, you didn’t “make it”. It’s super prevalent in the music space, but I see it a lot with any sort of endeavor that requires passion. But it’s not even a little true. You should do things because you love them, and if you love what you do, no matter how little time you get in a day to do it, you should keep doing it. I guess if you don’t love it anymore, you should stop. But I find that’s usually the last reason why someone “gives up” on a passion.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
If I were a pretentious art school grad, I would say that I’m a “multi-disciplinary artist exploring the human experience through audio, video, and performance mediums.” But, I’m not that. So I’ll just say I’m a guy, with a lot of feelings, and I haven’t yet let my lack of experience hinder my expression. I wouldn’t say that my tendency to do everything myself is what makes myself unique, but I do think that it enables me to do things in my own way. I’m honest, a little silly, and, like us all, still figuring it out. I’d like to think that if it doesn’t make me stand out, it at least makes me entirely myself. I’m most proud of this last string of songs. For a few years now, I’ve been trying to find my voice and my sound, and with the last few songs, I feel like I’ve hit my stride visually, sonically, and artistically.

I’ve gotten where I am today through the people around me. The music scene in the Inland Empire has made me feel at home – I’ve met some of the most powerful artists through it, as well as most of my team. I’d say, while I’ve put countless hours of work into my art, that it was easier than I thought it would be. It’s hard to feel like I’m doing hard work when I’m doing my favorite things and my team are all my friends.

The world will know me, that’s for sure. But what I WANT them to know is the lesson I’ve learned over and over again through making my art as well as just through life in general: you’re always still learning. At the end of the day, my music is me failing and learning and reflecting in real time for everyone to see. Each song, a time capsule of me fucking up or regretting a decision. And that’s okay. We will continue to learn until the day we die.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This might be controversial to say in a magazine about LA, but there are SO many places in the city that are overrated. I think to really get the best spots, you have to go all over and even a little outside of LA proper. Here’s my favorite spots:

Old Towne Pub – Definition of a hole in the wall. In Old Pasadena, its a dive bar with affordable drinks, live music almost every night, and just an unbeatable atmosphere. There’s like a ghost of a legendary partier that lives in these walls.

Sung Sho Gun – I think its in Pico-Union, so an actual LA proper recommendation! It’s a great spot for lunch or dinner. Very quiet, very strange. They’re not your average sushi spot, offering some complementary items that I’ve never had at another sushi spot, like a green onion pancake that absolutely slaps. The vibes are a little weird tho. But in an endearing way.

Cafe Nido: A small coffee spot tucked away next to a Trader Joe’s in Silver Lake. It’s such a pretty little spot with shade from trees and other plants, books you can read while you’re there, and probably the best coffee in this part of the city.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I truly cannot thank my parents enough for everything they’ve done for me. My mom, a musician herself, always had me doing something musical since I was a kid. And my dad gave to me an appreciation of recorded music, of the stories that an artist or a band can tell, whether it was a single song or a band’s entire history.

I’d also like to thank my best friend and collaborator, Felice, for always seeing in me the artist that I tended to hide away, and always creating with me, and for helping realize my creative vision. She’s really the one you should be interviewing, she’s a genius.

Website: https://linktr.ee/samsonoats?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaeel6UCxtVhM-SYPl8wq-WGokjrkYm7xZwvyKB0kplpmB1RD_U1m1cr-cJt8Q_aem_–pZJ3asQMzLbp7712fIMA

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SamsonOats

Image Credits
Gonz0, Tamara Issi, crushedoxys_