Sam Weber’s storied exodus from his homeland of Canada to find new footing and opportunity in America resonates like a classic story of pain, loss, and rebirth. That narrative thread is woven throughout his new record, Get Free (due out February 4th), offering a warm, intimate, and multidimensional portrait of the 28-year-old singer-songwriter. With this new collection of material, Weber reaches fresh emotional depths, commanding more expressive personal moments than ever before—at times within the margins of a single verse.
Following the success of 2019’s Everything Comes True—which was recorded live-off-the-floor in the iconic B room at Hollywood’s Ocean Way Studios—Weber ended up taking a necessarily-different route with Get Free. “I wrote most of this music before the lockdown happened,” he says. “We wanted to go into another beautiful L.A. studio with another super band to record these new songs, but when all the plugs got pulled, we were sort of left holding nothing but the material. My partner Mallory Hauser was keen to rally and share production duties with me to make the most of what we had, which was liberating somehow: to have this logistical ceiling on how we could record or approach these songs in our living room. We were forced to be as creative as possible with what we had. I think it was the best thing that could have happened to us.” Mallory Hauser is a solo artist in her own right, performing and releasing music under the name Mal. The two met in Los Angeles in 2018.
Restrictions be damned, the trio emerged more than 14 recordings richer, and Sam and Mal set to curating and completing the 10-song collection, calling on friends near and far to contribute remotely through the power of technology.
A particular sense of grandness is felt in certain songs across Weber’s recorded catalog. Moments that feel lofty, yet devoid of pretentiousness. With more of these moments present and tangible on Get Free than any other of his releases, the listener can effectively observe Sam’s emancipation. With this record, he assumes a creative identity unique to himself.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the standout tune “Get Out Of The Game” and its corresponding lyric video. The tune finds Weber collaborating with Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes, and it’s easy to hear similarities to that band. With his old soul voice, Weber delivers a heartfelt morsel of indie-folk that brings to mind the poppier 70s folk of artists like Emitt Rhodes. He also plays with a melange of instrumental textures and tempos to give the song a truly eclectic and intriguing sound, and the home video footage makes this song feel extra personal as Weber reflects on the changes and passions that come in the artistic journey.
Weber reflects on the meaning and process behind the song:
“I recently experienced my first real bout of career doubt. ‘Get Out Of The Game’ is about quitting everything you’re passionate about and trying something else – and the process of returning to that first thing with a new perspective and taking stock of all your changes. Similar to the video for my recent single ‘Here’s to the Future,’ this video is a collage-style piece I shot driving around California. I grew up where the world was very grey for much of the year. I love how all the colours of this state are so vibrant. After spending enough time in California, the vibrancy becomes normal day-to-day. Watching this now, the drama of the light is stark and beautiful.”
WATCH:
Photo credit: Jacob Boll
