Bay Area singer Samaria remembers singing in front of her elementary school class every week as a key turning point toward a music career. “I just ran into one of my old elementary school teachers,” she tells Audiomack World. “I told him that and he was like, ‘Make you? You forced us to listen!’” A hearty laugh makes it clear there is a baked-in confidence to her approach as an artist.
“Growing up, that was always my thing. ‘Samaria is the singer of the family,’” she recalls. Initially interested in film for the storytelling and dialog, once Samaria got out of high school—college wasn’t in the cards—she found herself at a series of dead-end retail gigs, wondering what she was doing with her life. A self-uploaded Drake cover gained some traction and helped confirm that it was time to leave the hostess stand and pick the mic back up for good.
When Samaria sings, her delivery packs a swagged-out elegance. That youthful confidence comes through in her savvy approach to breakup songs (“That’s all I make!”), which she regards as more twisty and fun than love songs. This month’s Didn’t Start With You EP, out now, was ready back in 2021, but Samaria happily says timing always works out for a reason. She’s excited for the songs to finally be out for fans, even if her vault is bursting with records she thinks are “so much better.”
Didn’t Start With You may be “old” to the artist, but for fans, there’s a power to these records. Her vulnerability and emotionality are superb. Samaria takes on the important role of artist-as-mirror, helping fans see themselves through their tough times, something she credits Lauryn Hill for instilling in her as a listener. She’s got the writing skills and the vocal tricks to become the next breakup song maestro coming out of the Bay.
These days, Samaria is at home making cornbread that’s better than store-bought and surfing to clear her head. The anxiety of “making it” melts away when she catches a wave.
On fear… If I’m not doing it somebody else is gonna come along and make better music than me because they’re working harder. They’re gonna get it before I do. For a long time, that fear scared the hell out of me. Recently, I’ve started to feel like if God forbid this doesn’t work out, I don’t feel like it’ll be the end of the world for me. It’s a lot less scary to me now.
On surfing… I just started surfing in May of this year. It’s been the most profound thing for me. I’ve been skateboarding since I was 11, and that was a big destresser for me, growing up. Now, I skateboard on the water, which is a lot more dangerous, because there’s things that could eat me. But the minute I start feeling any anxiety or stress, I go take my board to the beach. As soon as I get into the ocean, I feel a million times better.
On Lauryn Hill… I put myself in the position of a listener. I’m a huge Lauryn Hill fan, and I always think, “What if Lauryn was too scared to be vulnerable?” She poured her heart and soul into Miseducation, and if I didn’t have that to get me through, I don’t know where I would be.
On breakup songs… Breakup songs are just more fun because you get a chance to really talk. Love songs, you know what to expect. With a breakup song, there’s so many different scenarios. It’s more fun to tell those stories, especially when you’re in the midst of it.
On homemade cornbread… I love cornbread. I’ll eat cornbread any time of day. The special ingredients are honey and cinnamon, and I put a little vanilla extract in my mix. Mine’s just a little more flavorful than anything you buy in a store. I make it with love.
On “crying too much…” In the past, I have allowed my emotions to get the best of me and let them dictate so many things. Every time, I’ve looked back with regret. Handling things that way taught me to compartmentalize my emotional side. Being emotional is my superpower. So many people used to tell me, “Oh, you cry too much.” But I think that’s why I’m able to make the music I do. I am emotional, and I feel it.
Photos by Alondra Buccio.
