Every now and then a homegrown artist comes along that’s been floating under the radar just long enough that we feel we have to shine a little light on them and let them know we see just how much they’re grinding.
Sam Foxx is one of those artists. As his discography continues to grow and his contributions to Reid Speed’s Play Me Records in particular continues to impress, his latest release comes at a time when the young artist finds himself at a turning point in his career.
As many know, toiling away in the studio is no easy feat but to not only see your music released and received by fans but have an iconic figure like Pendulum drop one of your tracks at EDCLV without warning makes it all worth it.
We’ll dive deeper into Sam’s reaction to this very real story below as well as dig into the inspiration behind his latest sci-fi influenced release on Play Me, “The Martian” and “Phantom” which is out now so lock yours in here.
Introduce yourself the Bassrush fam and let us know where the name Sam Foxx came from.
I am just a simple man from a really small town in Central California, trying to follow a dream (laughs). I moved down to LA to go to music school in 2016 and the rest is history.
The name Sam Foxx is just me, Foxx is one of my middle names and its a staple in my family. Long story short my great grandpa was a big baseball player and Foxx was his last name so I want to bring that legacy back. But at the end of the day it’s just me. I just want to be me and share my vision and soul with people. Music has saved my life so many times, without it I wouldn’t be here today and if my music can touch someone the way music has touched me, that’s all that matters.
So, the short version is: Sam Foxx is just a grown man that loves making music, video games, comic books, Pokémon cards etc and does what he loves.
When and how did you fall in love with drum & bass?
I have always been in love with dnb since I was a kid but never really knew it. From hearing it in video games, cartoons, and a bit at raves, its always been in my blood. I still remember the very DNB first tune I fell in love with (Sub Focus – Tidal Wave) and it just blew me away. It’s still my favorite DNB tune to this day. But going to music school (Icon Collective) I got out of my comfort zone of making dubstep and tried different genres. And of course I wrote a dnb tune and just fell
in love and I realized I was pretty good at it. So at that point it was game on. Just living and breathing DNB.
What’s this story we’ve heard about Pendulum playing your track live at EDC!? I can’t even imagine how you felt in that moment.
That was one of the craziest things that has happened to me so far! It was my first time going to EDC, which to some is kind of mind blowing, and hearing my track live at one the biggest music festivals in the world and from one of the biggest groups in the world is just completely insane to me. And to top it off I was trying to leave because I was having a major panic attack a couple hours before Pendulum went on. One of my friends I was with helped me through it so I could stay. Then out of nowhere I hear “Money” playing over the speakers! I cant express how crazy it was.
What is the inspiration behind your latest pair of tunes: “The Martian” and “Phantom”?
Most of the time when I write songs I just sit in the DAW and let it flow. I don’t usually have a direction. These ones were about the same. So something inside of me was saying, yo make some dark outer space type of shit (laughs). I think I did pull some stuff in my subconscious from past movies I was watching, Mars Attacks, John Carter, The Martian, etc. I honestly just love having an empty DAW with no direction and just let things come out from the heart. Its kind of like therapy for me, in a way. And I couldnt be more greatful for Reid Speed and the Play Me team for seeing and feeling what I’m making.
How do you feel about the current state of DNB in the U.S.?
It’s growing and I absolutely love it! It has definetly been tough trying to get that breakthough moment in a scene that people still think is really underground. But with Reid and Play Me really pushing up and comers and just so much more solid DNB, its is a huge step, that’s why they are my home and love em to death! The same goes for Bassrush always putting on massive DNB shows/supporting/releasing DNB and even more “major” US labels putting out stuff too.
But to be honest I wish more “big labels” would push the “smaller” artists that have been grinding drum and bass for years and have crazy talent. I hear so much insane DNB in the North American Discord (created by the homie Justin Hawkes) and from friends, but labels wont give them a chance because maybe they don’t have enough social media followers or the tracks might be too “different”. Which i think is really wrong in this industry.
I think people need to realize the USDNB scene isn’t just 3-4 people. We have an army! But we all just keep grinding and pushing because we love it! And at the end of the day thats all that matters. The love for music and the happiness it brings. Oh and cant forget the homies over at Respect! They are a huge staple in the LA scene and seeing more new faces show up to the shows and seeing people bring their friends to share the culture is amazing! Playing with them last year, opening for Mat Zo, was a huge milestone for me. And I couldnt have been more greatful.
What’s next on the horizon for Sam Foxx?
So so much! I have songs coming out almost every month till the end of this year. A couple more Play Me releases, a very special remix coming out on Yana Music (UK) next month (June 17th), some bootlegs that I will be giving out for free plus the team and I are working on restructuring the Sam Foxx brand that I’m really excited to share with everyone! I am also moving out of LA to be with family and work on my mental health but also having more time for music. But currently I am working on music for 2023. A couple EP’s, a bunch of singles, some collabs with some amazing producers and an LP is potentially in the works. Im just excited for the future with this brand, music and whats to come!