Answers to Lilly’s Questions for Interview

What first got you into Music?

I’m Sam Castell-Ward, a singer songwriter and poet. I started writing poetry when I was in school and when I was a teenager; I got into music through listening to bands like Guns N’ Roses, The Sex Pistols and Nirvana.



Who inspired you to make music?

I started learning guitar when I was a teenager. When I started singing my own songs, I was influenced by artists like Bob Dylan and Tom Waits.
I was also influenced by a lot of poets who I’d seen perform at some of the same of the same gigs and open mics as myself, as well as poets that I’d heard on the radio or social media; such as Hollie McNish and Benjamin Zephaniah.



How would you describe the music you typically create?
I always found it hard to describe the style of music that I create. I found it hard to describe my sound. I used to think it was folk, cause I was influenced by people such as Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie; but people thought it sounded more rock, more raw and I was told there was some punk in my sound.
I later on realised that to be the case when I listened more to my stuff and realised how punky it is and how raw it. It’s experimental and poetic
The style of poetry I’ve been doing recently, where I’ve been performing it to music made by musicians from Heart n Soul was compared to Anne Clark.

What is your creative process like?
I often suddenly think of things I could say in a poem or song. I write ideas down to go back to when I have inspiration more so. Sometimes I don’t know if what I’m writing will become a poem or a song; sometimes I do have a good idea, sometimes I don’t and I often just write about things.
If I think strongly about something, I sometimes think ‘I need to write about this’. If something’s on my mind, I’ve been thinking about it a lot and thinking I need to say something about it or do something about something or something needs to be done, I often feel I should write about it.
If I’m gonna write some music to it, if it’s a song, I’ll often write the words and create what music feels like it works with the words.

Who would you most like to collaborate with?
I’d most like to work with one of my favourite singer songwriters and performers, Tom Waits. I always liked his unusual style and thought we could create something that works well together.

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?

I’d really like to be a support act at one of Killing Joke’s shows. They’re one of my favourite bands and a big influence on me. It would be great to perform at one of their shows and hopefully other Killing Joke fans and Killing Joke themselves would appreciate and get my stuff and it would be great to have my audience there at the show.

 
What is one message you would give to your fans?

I’d like all my fans to know I really think it’s great that they’re into what I do. It’s hard to imagine a lot of people liking the unusual stuff that I write and perform; so I’d like people to know that it really means a lot, I’d like them to know how much it means that they are into what I do and they wanna listen and support what I do


Do you have any upcoming shows?
I’m going to be performing with my band at Liberty Festival in Deptford Market Square on 22 July, I’m going to be performing my poems on 29 July at a gig at the Tate Modern, hosted by Anahita Harding and I’m also looking forward to performing at Heart n Soul’s Beautiful Octopus Club on 15 September at The Albany in Deptford.

How do you feel the internet has impacted the music?
I feel the internet has had a positive and a negative impact on music. When I was a teenager, me and some of my classmates at college had thought music could change and the industry could change if everyone downloaded music and if bands made their money from gigging and we were told by our tutors that there was no chance that anyone could change anything in the industry; but then, years later, we were right.
I think it’s good to see some big record labels not make as much money, because of how exploitative they are of artists; but the sad thing is that the artists suffer as well, without getting the money that they deserve for their work, even though they were only getting a small amount anyway, but being ripped off of that even more, because music is so often just given away for free now .
The internet, in some ways is great; cause it’s easy to share your music, your poetry and whatever you create, but it is also sad; because it’s a bit like the equivalent of going into an incredibly crowded street and just shouting about what you do, cause who’s gonna hear you over everything that’s going on? There may be so many people shouting about what they do as well. How are you gonna get heard? You’ve got a small chance.
It has been great how the internet has been able to be used recently for doing streamed shows. A lot of shows can be streamed now. I think that it would be great if every show could be streamed, including shows that are in person; so that people can watch them if they can’t go to shows in person, cause not everyone can, for different reasons, so that’s a way to make shows accessible to everyone.

What is your favourite song to perform?
A favourite song of mine to perform is my song, Let Me Live My Life. I really like the way I feel I’ve managed to make the song quite simple and to have a clear message that needs to be heard about the inequality disabled people face with pro assisted suicide ideas, with bullying and with all the types of ableism there are.
One of my favourite poems to perform is my poem, Isolation Doesn’t End. I really feel I’ve managed to sum up a lot of my experiences of lockdown, of shielding during Coronavirus and inequality; not just from my experiences, but from the experiences of a lot of other autistic people and a lot of other disabled people in general. I’m really proud of that one.

If you could change anything about the industry what would it be?

The thing I’d most like to change about the music industry is I’d like creativity to be seen as more important than making a quick bit of money.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received has been to keep doing what I do; keep working on what I do, keep doing it, instead of worrying about not being as successful as I’d like to be. From doing that; after some time, I kept developing and getting better and better and then I did get more opportunities; such as Heart n Soul wanting to support me as an artist, such as Andy Bungay playing my work on his radio show. Just developing and not worrying about success is what helped me the most.

What is one message you give to your fans?

When deciding what songs or poems to put on an album; I will think of what I think are my best songs, my best material, and I’ll ask other people for feedback and also look at what works well together to make a whole thing; not just what’s the best material, but what works well together, making it a bit like it’s a story, like you’re listening to a full thing; an album, not just a collection of songs or poems.

What’s next for you?


I continue to write poems for Carousel Radio, where I’m a resident poet. As I continue to work on my poetry and my music, I continue to perform and promote what I do and try and sell my music and my poetry.
My new poetry EP, Trapped in this Life, and the poetry book, which features all the poems, is my newest release; so promoting that, as well as my music, and I’d really like to release a full length album, that’s always been something that I’ve wanted to do since I was a teenager.