Sammythesinner is a force to be reckoned with, and although totally unique in her journey, her love for music and rave culture started with a tale as old as time. At just 15 years old, she discovered the rave scene, frequently losing herself in the sounds of heavy bass in the backwoods of Bunbury, Australia. An important discovery period for her, and the first taste of the scene she would soon grow to adore.
Flash-forward just a few years, Sammy now stands tall as a renowned promoter, producer and DJ, playing alongside the likes of Netsky, Dimension, What So Not, Mala and Troy Boi. She is – time and time again – a key player mentioned by other Australian artists. Not only for her bass-driven, relentless sets with buckets of energy but for her care and devotion to supporting and nurturing the Perth D&B scene. As a promoter, she strives to provide opportunities for others through her events Euphoria Festival, Dipped in Candy, Utopia, and Dystopia.
With her latest EP dropping on Riot Records, it was time to bring her in for questioning.
Sammythesinner – how did this artist name come about?
Ha! I knew I’d eventually be asked this question. I’ll give you the mild version, I used to be pretty wild back in the day and my friends started calling me sammythesinner. It became more of an alter ego then it kind of just stuck with me. A lot of people online assume I’m a satanist but the truth is I’m scared of the dark so there’s no way I’d praise Lucifer. I just love being able to unleash this bad girl alter ego when I’m on stage.
You’re a frequent name mentioned when it comes to both Perth but also the wider D&B scene in Australia. Talk to us about your many ventures!
That’s awesome to hear! I’m currently juggling a few event brands (Euphoria Festival, Dipped in Candy, Utopia, and Dystopia) as well as my sammythesinner project. I’ve been running events for 3 years full time in between touring. I’ve done some pretty crazy things over the past year. I ran my first festival last year – Euphoria in the Fields – whilst running two weekly events, club shows and a few beach raves. This year I decided to pump the breaks on the amount of shows I was running so I could focus on music. I moved. Lots of crazy stuff, I make it work!
There’s no rest for the wicked. What’s it like balancing life as an artist, and a promoter? Does one end up taking the lead?
It’s chaotic to say the least. It can be a hard one to juggle at times. Trying to do music and organise events is very time consuming and straining on my mental health. When I first started my events company 3 years ago I quit my job and invested all of my time into my business. This meant I had little time to produce but at the start of this year I decided to run larger capacity shows less frequently so I could spend more time in the studio.
Your new EP is about to drop on Riot Records – what’s the vibe? Was there any specific aim with this project?
This EP is a hybrid of dancefloor and 4×4 DnB. I wanted to create a fusion of all the styles and genres I love playing in my sets. These sub-genres have been dominating my sets so naturally it started itching its way into my productions and now it’s a fundamental element to a lot of my music. This EP was by far my best work to date and I was over the moon when Georgie was keen to sign it to Riot Records. I couldn’t have found a better home for it.
We’re taking it back a little bit now Sammy; why did you start a career in music? What’s the driving force behind your work?
I have been obsessed with discovering new music since I was in school. I bought my first set of controllers when I was 14 so I could teach myself how to mix. I had no idea what I was doing back then but, I threw myself in the deep end and played at house parties. When I turned 18 I moved up to Perth to do a DJ course at Lab Six. I then decided I wanted to delve deeper into music so I studied a Diploma of Sound Production at SAE Institute. I would say the driving force was the fact that I had this unhealthy obsession with music and I couldn’t picture myself in any other career.
Love that. How has your sound adapted since ‘Sweep’ and ‘Purgatory’?
My sound has evolved massively since ‘Sweep’ and ‘Purgatory’. I came from a trap / future bass background so naturally those elements trickled into those productions. My sound has become a lot heavier, deeper and darker.
Last but not least: How has the scene changed in Australia/Perth over the years and what do you think needs to be done to help further develop it?
The Australian music scene as a whole is struggling, festivals are getting cancelled due to the lack of ticket sales, talent pool is limited, cost of living is high so people aren’t going out as much and tend to invest in the bigger-scale shows. Although the D&B scene here is strong. Especially in Perth, our community is forever expanding. There is a lot of saturation in the market, however, I have been quite fortunate as my brands are unique in their offerings. I think if there was more fairness in the scene in terms of getting talent, that would lead to more successful events.
READ
