So many of us have dreamt of a life, particularly after so much time spent in Covid-19 lockdowns, of freedom.. adventure.. of connection.. a sense of exploration of the world and discovering ourselves and our own inner selves in the process.
I would like to introduce you to 28 year old Samuel Andryk.. An American born artist who has spent his time doing just this.
Now based in Amsterdam, Samuel has travelled and lived in countries including Argentina, Spain and The Netherlands, playing and creating his music wherever he goes.. He is rightly known as a musician of the world.
With his journey, has come a myriad of experiences, including love.. loss and adventure. It has been his music that has allowed him to express and discover what lies behind these experience and has allowed him to heal. He has then been able to lean on this growth to share with others and to help them begin to heal as well.
Oxytocin, Samuel’s latest EP release, was born out of one of these challenges.. As Covid-19 lockdowns came in in Northern Europe in early 2021, he and his producer escaped to the island of Gran Canaria in Spain, where they recorded the EP.
Created to impart the feel-good hormones of Oxytocin to listeners, the healing, acoustic sounds of the tracks in the EP are sure to remind those struggling with loneliness, depression or any kind of security, that they are not alone.
You can listen to Samuel Andryk’s EP, ‘Oxytocin’ below:
Would you like to start by telling us a little about yourself?
Wisconsin boy, born and raised, with an affinity towards all things latin- culture, language and food.
I have lived in 5 different countries, and have gone through so many changes in life, but the one thing that has always remained constant is my love for music.
I’m now 28 years old, and when I look back so far, I realize that music, more specifically my voice and my guitar, have accompanied me during every stage of life.
Through the fun yet sometimes painful years of growing up, when I travelled for the first time, during the process of accepting my sexuality, during my spiritual awakening, they are a part of me.
For those who know me, I am singing more than I am talking essentially.
Also, I love spicy food, ugh.
You have travelled a lot in your life and lived in many places.. born in the US.. now living in Amsterdam and have lived in many places.. How has this helped you to develop the music you create now?
More than anything, the travels have led me to a place where I’ve been able to truly develop my sense of self, and figure out who the hell I am. And that’s been here in Amsterdam.
My sound has changed drastically over the years, and I think an artist’s sound is in a constant state of progression. However, the experiences that I’ve had, the places I’ve seen, and the people I’ve met have all helped me grow into the person I am, and every time I write a new song, it stems from one of the important lessons I’ve learned along the way during my travels.
How would you describe the sound of your music?
Peaceful, wholesome, warm, and chill. Sometimes nostalgic too, I’m a sucker for music that makes you feel nostalgic. 🙂
You have recently released your EP, ‘Oxytocin’.. what was the inspiration behind the creation of the tracks on your EP?
As humans, we need physical contact and connection. When we have this, an important hormone called Oxytocin is released in our bodies.
This further emphasizes the feeling of being emotionally connected and loved by those around us and overall leads to a more balanced life.
But then Covid-19 happened- which forced us to retreat and isolate.
During the Northern European lockdown last winter, my producer and I temporarily moved to the Canary Islands and set up a home studio in an apartment we rented, with the intention to write and record my next EP. However, when we first began to write we had no idea what to write about.
That was the beauty of it- we completely surrendered to the process, and the melodies started to come. After the first week, we realized we wanted to write something that would help other people during their own process of loneliness and isolation.
Something that would sound wholesome and healing, kind of like a little dose of “Oxytocin” in sonic form. Thus, the idea of Oxytocin was born.
What would you like listeners of this track to takeaway from listening to the EP?
This is quite difficult to answer, mainly because I believe everyone is allowed to interpret music in their own way.
I’m a coach at heart, and so whenever I write, my goal is to make the listener feel reflective and aware.
I think awareness is really the start to everyone’s process of healing and personal development.
That’s why we incorporated these soft acoustic and organic elements in the EP – to spark that reflective emotional response in the listener.
But who knows, maybe someone takes a listen and says my music sounds chaotic and enraging haha. It can be so subjective.
Within the tracks, you and your producer incorporated sounds of kitchen appliances and pots and pans.. What led you to coming up with the idea and what was the experience?
Quarantine baby.
We were all stuck at home, so we really wanted to embody the overall human experience by incorporating as many sounds from home as possible.
Where else could we go otherwise? My favourite sounds are in the track ‘Paradise.’
If you listen closely, you can hear the sound of a knife getting sharpened, and if you listen even more closely after the line “abandon ship,” you can hear a deep and dark bubbling noise that makes you feel like you are sinking deep in the ocean.
We took a giant 5L water bottle, and shook it above the microphone, and then lowered its frequency during the mixing process.
If only you could have seen what they looked like during the recording process, haha, epic.
Where do you find your inspiration for your music?
Usually from my biggest pain moments in life. Somehow though, I always manage to make them sound soft and light when I sing about them.
Within your EP, there is a message for those struggling with loneliness, depression and other insecurities.. These are rife issues right now, during and post Covid-19.. What would you say to someone who is feeling lonely, depressed or insecure right now?
LET YOURSELF FEEL IT, ALL OF IT.
When you let yourself feel these emotions, as unpleasant as they are, you start to build a greater sense of self-awareness. And with that newfound awareness, you’d be surprised by how you start to move through life with more confidence and reassurance.
It’s a process, and it’s painful as hell at times, but allowing yourself to feel the full spectrum of emotions is key to living a balanced life.
It is impossible to feel happy all of the time. Even the most successful and loved people deal with loneliness and insecurity to a certain extent.
It is when you try to escape and numb the not so pleasant emotions, you start digging a deeper hole for yourself to climb out of.
Trust me, I’m sure even Oprah has punched her pillow out of anger, or broke down crying with anxiety before one of her big interviews.
What would you like to see happen for you in your music from here?
I have some really exciting live shows coming up in Amsterdam, and I would love to keep building on that momentum and eventually have a European tour one day.
Another dream of mine would be to put together a sound-healing workshop, where people can come connect with themselves and with one another while I guide the class with my voice and guitar.
Oh, and I definitely plan to release more music at the start of the New Year, so stay tuned. 😉
Is there anything along your music journey that you would do over if you had the chance?
To present myself and play with more confidence, and stop being so damn nervous and insecure.
But then again, I suppose that’s all part of the process! 🙂
It’s a work in progress, but what’s new.
You can find more of Samuel Andryk at:
Website – https://samuelandrykmusic.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/samuelandryk
YouTube – https://youtube.com/samdryk
Instagram – https://instagram.com/samuel_andryk
Karen Harding is a Melbourne, Australia based singer/songwriter, founder of Sounds On The Couch, and founder and operator of boutique music PR service for emerging and independent artists, Rise Indie.