Samantha Rae Bowers, known by her stage name Sammy Rae, always knew that she wanted to be in a band. Not only did she want to create music, but she wanted to collaborate, to build community through sound.
In 2018, Sammy Rae & The Friends released their debut EP. Years of touring since have continuously brought the group closer together, building bonds more familial than professional. Those years on the road have also honed their sound, resulting in the release of their album, ‘Something for Everybody.’
The band is now set to begin another round of touring, beginning with a headline performance in Philly at The Fillmore this Saturday, April 12. Ahead of their upcoming show, Sammy Rae sat down with Metro to discuss the inclusivity in both life and music, and life on the road.
‘Something for Everybody’ is a truly unique album with a wide variety of sounds. Was that the goal, a self-describing album title, or simply the result of collaborating?
It’s kind of like a chicken/egg thing. We are seven musicians who come from seven different studies of music and ways of life and upbringings and cultural backgrounds. It’s very much an eclectic sound, and is always difficult to describe what it is we do, who we are, and as time goes on, how we’re learning from each other.
The kind of ethos of the band has always been creating an inclusive space for everybody, and that’s done in a lot of different ways. We look like a lot of different people on stage, and our audience is 15, 16, 17 year olds… We’re monitoring some of our language—it’s a clean show. But also, we try not to cover any music in terms of our covers that was released after 1978 so we’re making space for the older generation that might be bringing that younger generation.
It’s not the kind of project you can put in a box. We make folk music, disco music, rock, funk, jazz. You know, some of us come from world music. There’s just a little bit of something for everybody, which is, I think, a good way to explain everything that we do.
Was that inclusivity you spoke of an inherent feature, or more so something that just kind of naturally grew as you progressed?
I think it was a little of both. I knew from the time I was young that I wanted to be in a band. I knew that I didn’t want to be a solo artist… I wanted a collective of people who all got along and were different sorts of people, but could exist with a shared, common goal. And hopefully, our audience would see that and be inspired to go and build their own communities and feel at home.
I think the biggest thing is none of us take ourselves too seriously. And I think when people can see individuals who are, I guess, successful in their eyes, just having a great time all together, it hopefully encourages you to not take things too seriously, either.
As a woman, a queer woman, in a predominantly male-dominated space in the early years of my trying to make this thing, I just kind of refuse to acknowledge either of those sorts of identifiers in myself as hindrances. I would just walk into the space and be like, here we are. I’m in charge of this band. This is my project. And we’re going to put on the best show you’ve ever seen.
I hope that when folks look at that, and they see who we are, what we look like, what we do and how we all collaborate—that sense of inclusivity speaks for itself, and not in a way that puts itself on a pedestal. We’re just all existing together.
You’ve played the Fillmore before. What do you think of the venue?
I’ll give you the answer that you want, and then I’ll give you the real answer.
The answer that you want is, listen, it’s a beautiful fan experience. It’s movable. You can fit a lot of people in there, and they don’t feel crammed. The sound system is state of the art. It’s fantastic sound as an audience member in the space and also as a performer on stage. Sound has always been great. The lighting package is fantastic.
People know the Fillmore as a venue where they’re going to have a good time. They’re going to enjoy their concert experience. It speaks for itself. It’s legendary. It’s nice to be a part of [it]. I think of it as joining the list of people who have played the rooms as a great honor. You kind of become alumni and family of that space and the Fillmore is a great family to be a part of.
But also, there’s pinball and a giant Gritty backstage. And you know that you’re going to walk into the green room, and you’re gonna see Gritty, and be like, ‘I’m in Philly. Let’s eat something great and play some pinball and do some laundry.’ There’s laundry backstage, which is very thoughtful, especially if you’ve been on the road with seven men.
Jokes aside, there’s a sense that Fillmore Philly is proud Philly. I like when you go to a venue, and it has touches of: ‘Here’s who we are. Thank you for visiting our city. Let’s kind of create a well-rounded Philly experience for you,’ and The Fillmore’s always been that.
For information and tickets, visit sammyrae.com.
