Sam Thacker

Words by Joe Koch

Photo by Angela Morris

Sam Thacker migrated to Atlanta from Houston to go to college and that is where his pursuit of music took flight. He discovered that playing cover songs at the local colleges would allow him to pick up chicks and make money and then he started writing original songs. A friend suggested that he come and record a couple of his originals in his studio. That turned into a year-and-a-half project and his first album, Above the Underneath. As Sam continues to play the Atlanta scene, he has also become a regular the past couple of years on the musical extravaganza called The Rock Boat. An event hosted by the Sixthman group, it boasts 27 musical acts that perform at sea for five days. I met Sam for the first time on this year’s Rock Boat trip and we decided to do an interview after we got back home and I had a chance to listen to an advance copy of his latest release, Lines.

Let’s first talk about The Rock Boat (TRB). When and how did you get hooked up with that?

I entered a battle of the bands in 2004. It was a regional contest so we won a round in Atlanta and then moved on to the next round in Charleston. We won there as well and the final round was on that year’s Rock Boat. It was us, Zac Brown and a couple of other bands. We didn’t end up winning but we had an amazing time. Luckily for us, we’ve been invited back a few times since then.

This was our first time on TRB. But, you’ve been on more than once and it seems that your popularity continues to grow. What were some of your most memorable moments on the boat this year?

I made it a point to see more shows on this boat than I have in the past. I saw plenty of acts that have been favorites of mine for a while — Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, Benjy Davis Project, David Ryan Harris, Aslyn — and got introduced to some more that have since become favorites — Alternate Routes, Tyrone Wells, Green River Ordinance. Actually, speaking of GRO ... I went to high school with their manager. I hadn’t seen him since we graduated and we got to hang on the boat this year. That was pretty cool.

Will you be doing TRB next year?

I can tell you that we’d love to be a part of it again. Hopefully we’ll get the chance to.

I think these cruises are such a great opportunity for musicians to gain exposure. Have you ever done any other ones besides TRB, or is there a loyalty to TRB?

They definitely are. I haven’t played on any others but I have been on a few of Sixthman’s other events. I went on the Mayercraft Carrier last year and will be going on Cayamo this year. It’s cool to go on vacation and see the events from a different perspective.

Photo by Joe Koch

Photo by Joe Koch

Lets talk about your new album Lines. It has been a mainstay in my car player since I’ve been back. I’d have to say you were one of my favorite new discoveries and Lines definitely confirms that. Now I’m not familiar with your first album Above the Underneath. What do you feel is the biggest difference between the two?

There are plenty of differences between the two albums. I wrote all of the songs for Above the Underneath while I was in college. I hadn’t been writing songs for long and I was still very much in the stage of figuring out who I was and what kind of music I wanted to make. It reflects where I was at 20, 21 years old. I still love the album and I’m proud of it, but I feel like I grew up a lot in the time between the two albums. I spent three years touring and writing, collecting my experiences and collaborating with different artists. Even though most of the songs that ended up on Lines were written in the latter part of those three years, the experience I had gained allowed me to make an album that I feel is much more focused. I feel like there’s more identity there.

What are your connections with Aslyn, Joe Stark and Corey Smith? And why did you pick those particular songs for them?

Like I said, I spent a lot time collaborating with other artists leading up the recording of Lines. I wanted the album to reflect the journey I had taken and it made sense to ask some of the people that I’d met and worked with along the way to be a part of it.

Aslyn and I have been friends for a few years now. I’ve always loved her music and her voice and she’s got a great spirit. When we were working on “Tonight,” Russ-T (he produced the record) turned to me and said he thought the song needed piano and a female vocal. It took me all of .2 seconds to pick up the phone and call Aslyn. Joe and I were introduced to each other by a mutual friend. His band, Sons of William, comes through Atlanta quite often and whenever I’m in town I make it a point to go and see them ... They’re fantastic. They had a few days off on one of their trips through and we made plans to spend an afternoon writing together. We wrote “Something” in just over an hour and recorded a rough demo of it on the spot. He sang that low harmony on the demo we recorded and I couldn’t imagine putting the song on “Lines” without his part. It adds so much atmosphere to the song. I love it. As for “Right Where We Want It” and Corey ... I’ve been playing shows with him and his band since he was playing tiny bars in the middle of Alabama. The song is very much influenced by Corey’s music as well as his fans and I never would have written it if I hadn’t had the experience of being on the road with those guys. Originally I had asked Corey to come in and be part of the crowd that’s clapping, cheering, etcetera during the song. The plan was to set up a few microphones, fill the fridge in the studio with beers, have a party and play the song through the PA and see what happened. On the day before the party, Corey called to say he couldn’t make it but was in town and wanted to come by and see how it album was coming along. We played him the song and he said he thought he might have some ideas for a verse. So we set up a mic, hit record and that’s what ended up on the album.

I love albums like this, where every song has a different feel to it. I’m always trying to think of who you sound like or trying to hear who your influences are and then it changes on the next song. So, who are some of your major influences, besides Dave Matthews being that life-changing moment and who do you get compared to most often?

There are so many. It seems like every time I go out and see an awesome show or hear a great record I want to start writing songs like the ones I just heard. That’s one of my favorite parts about music; the ability to capture what you’re feeling at any given moment. Songs that are memorable to me have great melodies and meaningful lyrics. As far as specific artists go, I think Bono is an amazing songwriter as well as being one of the best frontmen of all time. John Mayer has shown that making the music that you want to make is always the right move.

You have some huge potential breakthrough songs on this album. Whether its radio play, movies or TV something has got to come from it. What are some of your favorites or a couple of songs that you would like to see take off and why?

It sounds cheesy but they really are all favorites to me and for different reasons. I do think there are some songs that are more “radio friendly” than others but my real hope is that people will find something in each of the songs that draws them in and makes them feel something.

Will there be any tour to go with the release of the new album?

We try to stay on the road as much as possible so, yes, but maybe not in the traditional “tour to support the album” way. We’ll just be on the road, a lot.

Here are some random questions.

When you decided to pursue music after graduating college, how receptive were your parents and do they support your musical endeavors now?

They couldn’t have been more supportive. My whole family has been that way. I’ve been incredibly fortunate.

You performed the National Anthem at a Braves game in 2006. How much different was that from just playing a regular gig?

It was very different. No sound check, no monitors. You hear yourself through the stadium speakers and there’s about a full second of delay. So that makes it a bit difficult. It was an honor and a lot of fun though. Glad I got to do it.

Looking to the future with album number 3, who would you like to collaborate with if you could choose anyone?

Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. I think we’d make a great record.

Thank You and Good Luck!