It wasn’t too long ago that we introduced you the the particular americana-ish sounds of Sam Himself, the Swiss songwriter and musician who is currently settled in Brooklyn. This unique combination of places, with their contrasting cultural influences, has led this artist to coin his own description – “fondue western”. There’s no escaping his European roots, but Sam Himself is determined to embrace his love of all things country-western. You’ll see one expression of this obsession in the music video for new single ‘Golden Days’. The retro film style takes direct inspiration from the US’s rich tradition of showcasing up-and-coming folk artists in full technicolor; it’s where the likes of Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline got their start.
Sam Himself isn’t one for pure and unoriginal impersonation. Instead, he takes a cheeky jab at those TV shows with his golden-faced band, over-the-top dramatics and shiny-shiny suits. He clearly doesn’t want to take himself too seriously here and this casual playfulness gives the tempered indie-synth sound of ‘Golden Days’ a different angle. The main view of this song is of course bittersweet nostalgia, as the Swiss songwriter longs for “back then” and the previously happy times of a long-gone relationship.
You might expect heaps of melancholia with such a theme running through the track, but it’s strangely uplifting due to the full energy of the instruments, particularly that guitar melody that really stands out amongst all the thickly laden synths, flurried drums and shoegazey strings.
With this new release, Sam Himself has also announced a new tour for early 2023, so look out for dates in Switzerland and Germany next year.
You can also listen to ‘Golden Days’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
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