Photo credit: Austin Rhodes
Born out of the original DIY punk scene of 924 Gilman Street in the late 80s and 90s, we’ve seen the likes of Green Day, Operation Ivy, and Rancid change music history. Another legacy to grace their stages in 1988 are Cali punk royalty Samiam.
After experiencing some major label frenzy in the 90s, eventually life slowed for quintet, and after their 2011 release Trips, the band put themselves on quasi-hiatus. But now, after 12 years, they are back with their brand new record Stowaway. Founding member and guitar, Sean Kennerly, shares now “a very slow accretion of pressure over many years led to the decision to make a new record. We had been lazily working on a few new songs here and there for years–as far back as 2014, when we tried and failed to record a little demo after Riot Fest. But Sergie [guitarist] and I just kept writing the
beginnings of songs and sending them around to everyone, and suddenly one day about four years ago we were like, ‘This is enough for an album!’”
Recorded at Billie Joe Armstrong’s Otis Studio in early 2020, until the project was once again put on hold due to the pandemic. But here we finally are. Set for release 31st March via Pure Noise Records, the band unveil their lead single Crystallized.
A record that reckons with “time, failure and frustration” perfectly wrapped in a classic Samiam bow, guitarist, Sergie Loobkoff, explains how “If you’re lucky, you get this sort of sense when you’re in a band that you’re participating in something that’s important to other people. And I still get that with Samiam.” So whilst it might have been a decade in the making, each roadblock, deterring and defeating moment is what makes this album a must hear in our books.
Pre-order Stowaway HERE.
