Sam Shinazzi

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C-Minus Project Story by Ross Clelland

Sam Shinazzi wishes to make one thing clear. He is not miserable, despite the word 'melancholy' being one of the most often used to describe the music of The C-Minus Project.

"I think I'm a fairly happy-go-lucky guy", Sam smiles. "And you're never quite sure what category people are going to put you in. But it's all good if they want to".

Some currently fashionable terms for The C-Minus Project's intimate and sometimes confessional muse as found on the recent released and well-received Less Than Perfect Day album: 'indie folk', or perhaps try 'alt.country'.

"I still quite like being called a 'singer-songwriter'" Sam says. "But then, that's a little old fashioned word, and seems to put me in with Cat Stevens - and I don't think I'm that".

It wasn't always so quietly introspective. C-Minus starting life as a rather more orthodox indie-pop band, before the 'Project' was added to describe Shinazzi's then-solo work. Mr S explains : "It just kind of happened - I was listening to some new music, and it seemed what I did best was singing more quietly rather than trying to yell over a band. I worked out my limitations - the shy guy in me won out".

"But there's even a contradiction there. I really do love getting up on stage. I just get in a determined mood to do it".

And with music that sounds so personal and revealing, it makes you wonder how he does it. "Yeah, it is about 95% autobiographical, there's a small proportion that's made up. And if it's not me, it's somebody I know".

So, do friends and family have to worry about ending up in a song if they tell you a secret?

"Not often. And my family has never appeared at all - which is funny, coz they're as nuts as anybody's".

There's a more nervous smile as he wonders if he should have said that. There's further insights to Sam's life and enthusiasms when you visit the Project's website. The good reviews and pointers to upcoming shows tending to take second place to his (some might say) misplaced loyalty to the Cronulla Sharks, and diary excerpts covering subjects ranging from his fear of flying to connecting with some of his musical heroes in some unusual ways.

Heroes like Evan Dando. Getting a CD through to him, but then "just not wanting to bother him about it - he
was just standing around after a gig at the old Newtown RSL enjoying himself. You don't want to annoy somebody".

But contact was made, and Dando enthused to Sam about his work. "To get that nod, it is amazing. But then, he might say that to everybody who hands him a record" Sam laughs. Ah, that lovely self-doubt that is in the songs comes to the fore again. The fact that Sam ended up supporting Dando on his next Australian tour seems to suggest that he did get around to listening to it, and did think it more than good enough. Reviews for the album have been similarly complementary, even if not from the sources expected.

"Yeah, they have been good, haven't they?", Shinazzi answers and asks. "But it hasn't seemingly made as big
an impact amongst the indie crew - how did I get a review in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age? It must have been on the top of the pile".

"It is flattering, like the worst thing that seems to have been said is that I'm a little daggy, but in a good way. My heart still does stop when somebody says they've seen a review somewhere. I cringe, and would probably take the bad ones to heart for a while. The other side to that is if one says it's great, I don't think I'm great".

It's that nice mix of honesty and dagginess that almost makes you forgive his support for the Sharks. There are worse sins.