SAM SHINAZZI

by Andrew Worotniuk

Sam Shinazzi is a very busy man. With a career spanning close to ten years and showing no signs of slowing, he's also a very talented, hardworking fellow. Having released a handful of EPs and completed a long list of support/headline tours, he and his band are currently promoting their third full length album Then I Held My Breath.

Produced by Sam and his longtime collaborator Adam Wes Gregorace, with mixing from Wayne Connolly (The Vines, Youth Group), Then I Held My Breath is another immediately engaging, perfectly put together piece of material. In this sense, it's surprising when Sam explains how quickly it came to be.

"The bulk of it was written over three weeks" he admits. "I had a bit of downtime in my life, and I just wanted to be creative. I just started writing a few songs and a few songs turned into a good ten songs." While some might think this all sounds a bit rushed or too easy to warrant great art, nothing could be further from the truth.

The album has a naturalness and honesty that could only be helped by such a process. Like the great works of Bob Dylan and Hank Williams, the songs sound as if they need to be sung. In stark contrast to today's industry-driven, hit-producing culture, Shinazzi has again managed an album that, while easily accessible, still sits outside the mainstream. And although Sam knows his music may not be pop-chart material, he doesn't see himself as an underground figure either. "I think we're playing music that really is not mainstream but that doesn't mean it's alternative."

Still easily shelved under the alternative banner, he makes a good point. While his music is not mainstream it certainly has that classic structure and appeal. But rather than this being a long thought-out process, Sam puts it down to nothing more than doing what he does. "I've never really sat around and played covers of the Rolling Stones or whoever, I've never been that guy that just plays music. You know, I like doing that, but I'm not one of those guys who can pull out a guitar and go 'let's play that song, let's play this song'. So I've always done my own thing" he explains.

This is one of the nicest aspects of Shinazzi's music. Unlike those flash in the pan acts who vary their style according to trend, Sam's sound has remained his own from the get go. Certainly those who have followed his career would see a definite sonic progression, but the timeless Shinazzi sound remains. In this day and age it's refreshing to hear an artist speak about their work the way Sam does. "If I try and sound like something I don't really want to sound like, it's kind of pointless to me" Shinazzi says, referring to his commercial viability. And although his hook laden records are still being overlooked by major radio stations, the indie elite are all over him.

With the latest album out through Black Lodge Audio Recordings, Shinazzi's been keeping company with the likes of Sydney cult hero Tom Morgan. "I was dragged onstage by my hero/pal Tom Morgan to do 'Divan' as an encore with Smudge at the Hopetoun" he explains. "It was like 'wow', one of the better moments in my life."

Ever humble, he neglects to mention the pair have released a split 7" and shared stages with the likes of Buffalo Tom and more. Then again, judging from his perfectly simple and down-to-earth recordings, Shinazzi doesn't seem like the bragging type. But credit where credit's due, he's not afraid to throw a few words of praise towards lead guitarist Adam 'T-Bone' Taylor. "Some of those parts, which are pretty clear on the album, I can clearly rememeber him doing them. I was so amazed. I'd never seen him play like that."
Unlike most of the album, it took a couple of attempts to get the guitars just right. "He turned up to do his parts and they were really good but he was a bit sort of hesitant about it all," Sam says again referring to Adam and the recording process. "But we really made him cut loose and rather than him kind of faking it or whatever, he just went 'look, I'm going to go away for a couple of days and come back.' And he came back and he was just on fire," Sam earnestly adds. Maybe there's some devil, soul selling stories to Then I Held My Breath that are yet to be explored.

Sam Shinazzi plays The Empress this Saturday October 25 with Blake Scott and Lindsay Phillips. Then I Held My Breath is out now through Black Lodge Audio Recordins.