SAM THACKER

Sam Thacker's musical career began under refreshingly unassuming circumstances. As a college freshman in Atlanta he began playing songs by his favorite artists around campus and at bars in the surrounding areas. “I think I got paid something like $25 and a pitcher of PBR,” Thacker recalls of his first gig. After just a few weeks of playing other people's songs, Sam decided to try his hand at writing his own material and soon began recording what would eventually become his debut album, Above the Underneath .

Thacker released Above the Underneath independently in April of 2005. Sam's powerful and dynamic vocals come across as strikingly honest on the twelve-song album and gracefully compliment his rhythmic guitar grooves and infectious melodies. As Above the Underneath began to spread throughout the Atlanta area and across the southeast, Sam quickly began making fans out of the most discerning listeners and believers out of the most jaded critics.

Today is seems as if Sam's days of bumming around a college campus with his acoustic guitar are just distant memories. But the spirit behind his music remains undeniably the same. “No matter what happens I'm always going to be a writer, always going to be playing for someone, somewhere,” he says. So keep your eyes and ears open. At this rate, you may not have to look very far to find him.



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INTERVIEW WITH SAM THACKER

1. How old were you when you wrote your first song and what was it about?
When I was in 5th grade, my best friend Dan and I decided to start a band. I can’t remember what we called it or what any of our songs were about but I do know that we were convinced that we were destined for rock stardom. He had a snare drum (and only a snare drum) and I had an acoustic guitar. We set up a tape recorder in his living room one afternoon and recorded a song and sent it in to the local radio station – to this day we have no idea why they didn’t put it at the top of their rotation.

2. What is your favorite tv show?
If I’m up early, I love catching the end of Mike and Mike on ESPN 2 in the morning. I’ve also been digging Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” lately. The Daily Show and Colbert Reports are also always at the top of my list.

3. What is an interesting fact about yourself that most people would not know?
I was born in Japan.

4. If you had to recommend one artist/band to a friend to check out right now, who would it be?
I’m a big fan of Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers. Stephen is a fantastic songwriter and I love the energy that the band brings to the stage. They’ve got a new record coming out this month and I’m definitely picking it up as soon as it’s released.

5. If you could relive one day of your live, which day would it be?
That’s a really difficult call. I feel so lucky to do what I do everyday and I have so many incredible memories of being on the road and playing cool shows – it’s hard to single one of those out so I guess I’d have to pick something non-related to music. When I was in sixth grade, I was a HUGE basketball fan. I was growing up in Houston and the Rockets made it all the way to the NBA Finals. By some amazing stroke of luck my Dad scored a couple of tickets to game 7 and we got to watch our team beat the Knicks and be the first team from Houston to win a championship. That was pretty awesome.

6. If you weren't a musician, what job would you pursue?
I studied English and philosophy in school and was planning on being on teaching high school English. I think I’d like to do that.

7. What celebrity would you be totally starstruck to meet?
Bono. Not only is he an amazing musician, but he’s an inspiration in the way he uses his celebrity to help people all around the world.

8. What has been your greatest accomplishment as a musician?
I always get a kick out of it when I get to play a show or write a song with someone who’s in a band that I used to go and see when I was younger.

9. What was the most recent album you purchased?
Charlie Mars – Like A Bird, Like A Plane

10. If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your live, who would it be?
Hmmm. Today, U2 – The Joshua Tree. Ask me tomorrow and I’m sure I’ll have a different answer for you.

11. Did you play an instrument as a kid?
I started playing guitar when I was 11 or 12.

12. Is there an instrument you wish you could play?
Piano. It was my new year’s resolution last year and like most of mine, I did alright with it for a few weeks and then lost focus. Maybe next year...



You can find more information about Sam at www.myspace.com/samthacker.