The Thrill Of The Chase with Samantha Sharpe

I feel so honoured to have the opportunity to share about Samantha Sharpe.. this incredibly talented and inspiring Australian independent artist.. and to share about today’s release of her single ‘The Thrill Of The Chase’.

I was first introduced to Samantha when she came to play an online set as a part of one of the early Sounds On The Couch livestreamed shows.. Since that time I have been watching her musical journey and am so excited by what I see as she continues to grow and set the stage for the authentic artist that she is becoming.

Samantha Sharpe is a solo pop/indie artist that puts music out into the world that is thought provoking and heartfelt.. she is known by her fans for her beautiful vocals and her authentic and raw emotion throughout her music.

Today, 29th October 2021, Samantha Sharpe has released her empowering single, ‘The Thrill Of The Chase’..

It’s an amazing story that began as pandemic related frustration and then became a metamorphosis of change as it unfolded into a story of trusting yourself and taking back control, even when things feel very out of our control.

As another creation of the pandemic, while Samantha wrote and recorded the song in Australia, the track was mastered at none other than Abby Road studios in the UK.

As you listen to this track, your ears will be filled with sounds of big vocals, smooth synths, and rhythmic electric guitar.. A vibe of classic rock, one of Samantha Sharpe’s biggest loves.

You can listen to ‘The Thrill Of The Chase’ at:

How would you describe who Samantha Sharpe is in everyday life?

A dedicated friend, who would do absolutely anything for family.

A gamer, a bit of a nerd.

A bookworm who once wanted to be a librarian.

I love coffee, and muscle cars, and pop culture in general.

I love to learn, and often need to be prodded into taking action, instead of just reading about the best practice for whatever I’m doing.

An introvert.

Does nothing by half measures.

What was it that made you decide to begin a career in music?

The first thing was a genuine love for music.

Finding out I was actually pretty in tune (pun fully intended) with making my own music, was a total game-changer, though.

Now, the love for the music is more like a beautiful perk that comes with sharing what I do, and doing my best to make others feel that joy and love that I feel.

How would you describe the feel of your music?

In the past, my music has felt very folksy, more like storytelling, I think, but the more I grow on this journey, the more I think it feels.. strong.

Empowered.

Like not just a story being told, but a story that needs to be heard.

I think it’s got a lot of heart.

You have released your single ‘The Thrill Of The Chase’.. tell us about what inspired you to create this single.

Initially, the single was a bit of a diss track, I must admit..

I was feeling frustrated about waiting for things to happen around me, and trying to find a non-destructive way to push back against the feelings I was having – restrained, held back, in limbo, in lockdown.

As it progressed, and I really started to write it out and listen to my own words, I realised what the real story was; one of no longer waiting around – of doing things for yourself.

It sort of became a mantra, especially through the bridge. “I can do this on my own, I’m capable, I should have known.” Hearing myself sing it in the studio, I burst into tears!

This is a real song of empowerment.. what does it mean to you to be truly empowered?

Empowerment can mean something different for every person, and that’s the beauty of it, I think.

For me, it means being strong whilst maintaining your free will.

Making decisions for yourself, and being comfortable in them.

I know that there were many Covid related challenges in creating this single.. how did you overcome these challenges and how do you feel that the outcome was influenced by the challenges?

COVID-challenges galore! From cancelled studio time, constant rescheduling, and even having to abandon the cover art photoshoot altogether and repurpose some older artwork to get the song out on schedule..

The only way to overcome seemed to be to pivot, and change tactics, in a way.

It was ideal, in the end, to have a few extra weeks before recording started due to lockdowns, as it gave me time to refine some of the tracks I took into the studio, and bring better versions of them with me on the day.

At the time, I believed it was truly unlucky, and cursed the delays, but as I look back now, I can definitely see how things turned out the way they were supposed to.

Being ‘forced’ to come at things from a different angle let me see the bigger picture.

As a part of your creative process, the track was sent over the UK for Mastering at Abbey Road.. what led you to this decision and what was your experience?

Honestly, the delays made a huge impact on the overall decision-making that happened throughout this whole process.

If things had not been the way they were here, I likely would have decided to get my mastering done locally, as I would have made “house calls” so to speak, to check out the various studios we have here in Melbourne.

With that completely off the table, and feeling fairly bold, I decided to push the boundaries a little more, and came up with Abbey Road.

I was able to pick my mastering engineer and chose Christian Wright, who has some incredible credentials, and the rest is history..

What is your creative process like when you are creating your music?

It tends to start with an idea, or a story I want to tell.

Melodies tend to be secondary for me, it’s more about the lyrical content and the themes at the beginning.

Once that’s down, the melody usually becomes clear.

I naturally lean towards rhyming words, I’m often trying not to rhyme as I write, so as not to be too repetitive or obvious.. it’s a hard habit to break, though!

From there, it’s about finding the key I’ve written it in.

I have a vague understanding of musical theory, enough to play guitar and piano, but I was never the best student when it came to actual theory and its practical use.

I think a lot of what I do is based on feeling.

If all the stars aligned, where would you ultimately like to get to with your music?

A loaded question, and one I’m working on being honest about; when I was younger, I didn’t fully believe that people could make music as their job – it was kind of like being a fairy or a princess – something kids want to be, but not something adults grow up to actually do.

Knowing it’s something I can pursue, and make a career out of, I don’t want to do it by half measures, or take any moment of it for granted.

I want to tour the world, bring joy to as many people as possible, be respected in my field.

I would love to have a lasting impact on the industry, and a strong legacy – not just for the music I make, but for my values, and the community that comes with being a fan of my work.

I want to make thousands – no, millions – of people, feel connected to each other through music.

It’s the best gift my idols ever gave me.

I want to give it back.

From your experience, what advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

Find out what you love, and who you are.. and then do that and be that.

Be authentic.

Trust yourself, and your instincts about what you do.

You are the only person who knows what you are truly capable of.

Where can people find your music?

You can find my music on Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Bandcamp.. and behind the scenes + extras on socials; instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, TikTok. Or catch me at a gig!

You can find more of Samantha Sharpe at:

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ciPJgQhchaS9pFfx9SQa6?si=CwamwnisQ8C3fGOJ-ytVKQ

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/au/artist/samantha-sharpe/1485168971

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ywLbk__-h0pcDpNqVxJnw

DEEZER: https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/77344732

BANDCAMP: https://www.samanthasharpe.bandcamp.com

INSTAGRAM, FB, TIKTOK: @samanthasharpemusic

TWITTER, TWITCH: @sharpesings