Samantha Crain

Young artist Samantha Crain doing what she loves

By: Nancy Dunham
Special to The Examiner
July 9, 2009

Samantha Crain (Courtesy Photo)

22-year-old Oklahoma native earning buzz with creative, earnest storytelling

In this celebrity-crazed culture where everyone seems to want 15 minutes of fame, Oklahoma native Samantha Crain, 22, is a world apart.

Currently touring behind her second album "Songs in the Night," Crain has won plenty of hard-earned buzz and top critical acclaim even though she hasn't sought it.

"I am really, really influenced by Cass McCombs," said Crain. "He represents to me the way I felt when I first started getting into Bob Dylan -- a really mysterious troubadour. Of course I've watched every documentary on him but he doesn't do interviews, there isn't much information on him. That makes him and his music even more magical."

Magical is a term that Crain wouldn't use about her music but is used by plenty of others including critics at Rolling Stone magazine. What's enchanting about her pure, honest songs is that she came to them so naturally. Strumming a guitar as a teen led to her participation at an artists' workshop on Martha's Vineyard a few years ago. From there, a singer/songwriter was born.

"I have been writing stories ever since I was a little kid," said Crain. "The music thing came later, just as a different way to tell my stories."

And the flow is becoming different now, even more personal as Crain and her band - the Midnight Shivers - continue to meld their musical talents. That's one reason this latest release sounds so different from her debut, "The Confiscation."

"My writing process is a lot different now because I'm writing with the band in mind, thinking of things they could do in a song," she said. "I also like to think the newer album isn't as dark as the first one. I think this LP is more hopeful."

It's easy to love the album, which still has themes tipping toward darker moods but tells the tales with hopeful, catchy melodies that are generally upbeat. It's clear that since "The Confiscation" was released, Crain and her band have become more of a unit as evidenced by the melding of her sweet, yet strong vocals with the band's effervescent backing.

So just how does a 20-something break out on her own to create such high-intensity buzz while satisfying the various members of her musical team? Her answer -- do what you love.

"It's hard. Sometimes you get it stuck in your head that someone expects something, and that's not always the case," she said. "Any pressure on me comes from within É I wouldn't necessarily say I'm not a train wreck. I don't think that I'm wise beyond my years or anything. I think I have a really good work ethic and pull it together when I need to pull it together."