Melbourne based jazz/ soul singer Damen Samuel recently launched his brand new EP Odyssey. Often drawing comparisons to Nick Drave and Ben Harper the talented solo artist started his music career in New York, performing his soulful roots folk across the five boroughs.
Samuel was kind enough to give us a track by track run down of the meanings and making of his stunning new EP.
Misty
“I wanted something beautiful and kind of mysterious at the start of the record. The image I had in my mind was a ship that slowly appears through the mist. The cello part at the end was taken from a song (Miracles) of my debut album ‘A Gypsy’s Lullaby’.”
Where Do We Go
It was the last song written (just 1 week before the recording sessions started), but the first one to be released – as the current single. It has a lot of drive and it comes across as quite upbeat, but the topic is a more serious one. It speaks of the state of the world and it asks the question- “where do we go?”
The Whisper
“This song feels like a perfect fit, for a scene out of a road-trip movie. Kieran’s guitar sound reminds me of the dreaminess of Chris Isaac’s ‘Wicked Game’. The song is looking back at a relationship, trying to figure out what went wrong: “Tell me in a whisper what happened to our love? Is there anything left of that feeling that made us both fall?….”
Noah’s Ark
“This song went through the biggest change during the recording session. It originally was in a 6/8 tempo and very slow, but it turned into a faster 4/4 tempo. It now has a funky feel to it, mainly due to the beautiful horn arrangements by Andrew Darling.”
The Gates
“Feels a bit like a spiritual anthem and people quite often ask if it is a worship song. The song is about equality and the simple fact that at the end of the day we’re all the same: “The gates are wide, wide open for all the misfits, the outcasts and outspoken…”
My Way To You
“Is a very personal song and the most important one on the record. Written just days after my father passed away. There was a very special feel during the recording session and everyone seemed to connect with the song on a very deep level. The first time we all played it together in the studio, it turned into a one-hour jam session and it felt like the perfect song to finish the album with.”
For more info visit www.damensamuel.com
