Sam Varga – Fall Down

By starrymag | December 29, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) New Emo. “Nemo” Shirts coming soon. [winks]

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I really love great lyricists. Jackson Browne’s probably my favorite. But I crave big dynamics in music. That’s why I was instantly drawn to bands like ACDC, who just came out the gate swinging. And if you’re looking for dynamics and deep lyrics, you’re on a crash course for emo. I found Senses Fail, Saosin, Story of the Year, A Day to Remember, etc. in grade school and they haven’t left me at all.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Fall Down.”

 

A) It’s a song about waking up in the middle of your bullsh*t and realizing you don’t want to play this game anymore. Jim Carrey has a great quote about depression. He says it’s “your body saying f*ck you, I don’t want to play this character anymore. I’m done with this avatar.” And that’s exactly what this song was about. Writing it was a lot less serious though. I was at the kitchen table with my girlfriend trying to write a song and I didn’t realize the melody I was singing was “Ring Around the Rosie.” So, I just double downed and pretended it was on purpose.

 

Q) The song has blown up on TikTok! What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think we’ve all taken a look at ourselves and realized we weren’t the biggest fans at some point in our lives. I had so many people commenting and reaching out saying that they wish they had this song when they were going through that period.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) I do a lot of writing in Nashville. Almost every day. There are writes I do for other people, country/pop/rock artists…Then, there are ones I do for myself – whether that’s by myself or with some of my favorite writers. And I used to either have a hook or a musical idea and then write to one or the other. These days it all kinda happens simultaneously. I’ll come into the room with an idea and the music comes with the idea and idk it all just kind of happens.

 

Q) Dan Swank lent a hand in production for “Fall Down,” but how much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) What I brought in was an acoustic song, but I knew I wanted it to go somewhere else. It was missing the groove that Dan quickly found. He built it out beautifully and got it far and beyond where I hoped it would go.  When it comes to being in the studio, I’ll have directional ideas or thinks here and there that will serve the song. Dan is great letting me try things and at translating the nonsense I say about sounds into production. Hands on; other than vocals I play the guitars.

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

 

A) Maybe. It’s not a goal of mine right now. But there may come a time when I look back and want to either collect a specific time worth of materials into a package or decide that I want to do another project like that. The single game is just really fun. It’s instant gratification and you get to see what people vibe with.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) I’ve had my eyes set on the Ryman since I moved to town. It’s a dream of mine to play there. There are also some staples that I’d love to play back in my hometown (Louisville) like Headliners and the Palace, where I got to see my heroes play when I was growing up.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) One day me and Ruston Kelly are gonna write some emo sh*t and it’s gonna be awesome. I’d also love to collaborate with Charlotte Sands or Bre Kennedy. They’re two of my favorite artists out right now.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) Listening to a lot of Bring Me the Horizon right now. Ollie Sykes is just a goddamn rock star and they really have cracked the code on making great heavy music that are lyric forward, which is my favorite.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) They’re everything. This industry/this dream doesn’t exist without them. No needle gets moved without them. I make music for myself because I’m driven to make music and make It about my life. But if people can’t find something inside of my experience that they can relate to…Well, then I’m doing something wrong.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Thank you. And I’ll see you out soon.