In this interview spotlight, I chat with Sam Era about her latest single, motivations, challenges and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Where are you from and what style pop do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

I’m from Phoenix, Arizona. I create pop that has a more urban appeal to it. My version of pop is a little more dark and gritty which comes from my life experiences, but it also has a much more blues influenced chord structure to it, which comes from my jazz background.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?

I honestly have tried to pursue other avenues in terms of a career, but nothing else seemed to click for me the way music was. It’s weird, I just feel like my entire life, ever since I was a kid, I’ve just known that I needed to be a musician. Nothing makes as much sense to me or is as sustainable in my day to day life as writing music is. What motivates me to stay the course is the simple fact that I really don’t see any other options working out for me or giving me the same happiness music does.

How is “Nothing Was The Same” different than previous releases? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?

“Nothing Was The Same” is my debut release as an independent artist. That meant so much to me. Everything you hear and see about it, from the writing, the cover art, the promos, everything was me getting the opportunity to define myself and who I am as an artist for the first time to my audience. I got to play a huge hand in the production, which Devon Hancock did an amazing job with, and that really helped redefine my sound as well. You never really get a second chance at a first impression, so it was so important to me to absolutely nail my identity as an artist as much as I possibly could through this release.

Do you face challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? How has technology helped you (assuming it helps)?

There are challenges definitely, but this is how the world of music is evolving so I don’t want to oppose something that is inevitable. For smaller independent artists, I think a lot of it can be viewed as positives in terms of exposure. So many more people across the world can access my music, my social media, and the brand I am looking to build through the internet, that would never have had access to it without these resources. And if I can reach more people, I’m happy with it.

Where can we connect with you online and discover more music?

My music is available on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Itunes, GooglePlay, etc. The best way to connect with me is through my Instagram, which is @sameramusic I am super active on there! All of my other socials as well are @sameramusic.