NEW SINGLE
Honest, fragile and timeless.
Samantha graces us with a lush, organic sound of hope and healing.
Hi Samantha, welcome to VQS!
Tell us a little bit about you and your music.
My name is Samantha Schultz and I’m a Canadian-Filipina singer-songwriter from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I grew up in the folk music communities of my hometown and country, and I played clubs, festivals, and conferences across Canada all the way through high school. In my senior year, I was awarded a full-ride scholarship to Berklee College of Music which began my move to America.
©2019 photo by Chris Greenwell
After graduating, I moved to Los Angeles – simultaneously my unintentional hiatus from writing original music began. Needing to pay the bills and survive only with jobs that were within the restrictions of my artist immigration visa, I had to completely shift my relationship with music to find work.
In the process, I’ve gotten to do some really amazing things like sing at The Hollywood Bowl, become a COVERGIRL, and perform with artists like ZZ Ward and the iconic Darlene Love, but it took me too long to realize that writing original music was and always has been a huge part of who I am.
©2020 Ash Ajukumar
I finally made the return to releasing new music at the beginning of 2020 after almost 10 years and it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made.
Congrats on the release! What was your inspiration for this new single?
Released 3/5/21. I was dealing with depression and anxiety for the first time in my life when I wrote “The Quiet”. When the pandemic hit back in March 2020, all my gigs and performances were immediately cancelled – I felt like the rug had been pulled out from underneath me.
I’d spent nearly 7 years trying to find some stability and regularity with gigging and in a split second it all seemed to disappear.
Like everyone else, I couldn’t see my family, friends, or colleagues and that was really difficult for me. Never in my life did I think I’d have to be figuring out how to apply for unemployment either. Watching the news every day was horrifying and heartbreaking; everything was just so much that I felt completely helpless over my own life and the world around me.
A mentor of mine had suggested a writing prompt about “truth”, and what was happening about a month-and-a-half into the world shutting down and “The Quiet” is what came of it.
It’s an honest take on the moments of overwhelming pain and unrest.
It was a year packed with the explosion of a global pandemic, vast unemployment, police brutality, systemic racism, and political corruption and divide. What was originally written about my own ways of coping in moments of darkness…
…this song took on a greater meaning as the rest of such a tragic year unfolded.
What was your vision for this song? What lessons would you like to impart to your audience?
My vision and hope for this song is that it reaches anyone in need who feels alone, helpless, or unsure of what to do next. It’s okay not to know the next step. Sometimes when it’s too much in a loud, chaotic world, a quiet moment with someone we trust or being in a space that brings…
…stillness is what we need in order to reset and move ourselves toward a better day.
What is your favorite part of this song?
The bridge is my absolute favorite moment in this song. The way that producer Dave Mackay’s piano, organ, and synth playing become the emotional sonic forefront while my ad-libs float in the background is just so dreamy and melancholy, yet hopeful at the same time.
Anything else we should know about it? Future releases? Upcoming events?
