Sam Herrera Discusses Her Inspirations, Song-Writing, and Creative Process

Here at AEMMP Records, we are always privileged to interact with new up-and-coming artists in Chicago. Sam Herrera is no exception. Label member Cameron Henry got a chance to sit down and ask her some questions about her music, life, and inspiration.

Cameron Henry- “So, Sam. First question: What inspires you to create music?”

Sam Herrera- “My creative process is rooted in personal experiences, but mostly in a commitment to creating music that resonates with my audience on a deeper level. While I do get inspiration from my personal experiences, my main goal is to create music that serves as a mirror for listeners, and their own stories and emotions. I try to go into topics that are often overlooked, but that most people have lived one way or another. Then, I dig into them to express them in a way in which it becomes versatile and allowing listeners to find their own meanings within the music.

The physical world around me is also constant source of inspiration. Simple things like a flickering candle, a gentle breeze, or warm sunlight are Earth’s metaphors to me. I associate these sensory experiences with specific emotions, and in my daily life, I am constantly observing and translating these small details into lyrics.

But on a more personal level, simply playing with words and sounds is a great motivator. It’s just so interesting and fun to play around with sound and words and see the different effects it can have on myself and other people.”

CH- “That’s awesome! How has being a student at Columbia College Chicago influenced that musical process?”

SH- “One of the best things that Columbia has provided me for my artistry is the people in it. I am surrounded by people from different cultural contexts which is incredibly nourishing for me as a musician. I think it’s so important to recognize music as a universal language, but also to understand how everyone creates, listens, and connects to music or any art they’re doing. I believe Columbia has allowed me meet so many incredible people that share this passion to learn and tell each other’s stories. The way this has influenced my own music creating process is that it gives me a much more open mind and a broader palette to work with, so I feel like I’m constantly growing as a person and artist at the same time.”

CH- “Shout out to those friends. I’m glad you have such great people in your life. Here’s another question for you: what is your favorite part of the song-making process?”

SH- “My favorite part about my songwriting process is when I already got my song set in terms of chords, lyrics, form, and then I get to play around with the instrumentation, especially with vocal arrangements. If you listen to my music you can probably tell vocal harmonies are my favorite thing, because I think it just infuses the song so much more texture and layers that can really paint the picture of the narrative I’m trying to tell in a musical way. And of course, getting to record these vocals is so exciting because I can see the idea in my head brought to life.”

CH- “Definitely, one of the things I associate with your music, I always know I’m gonna hear some astounding vocal harmonies. Ok, one last question for you Sam. I know you play guitar as well as sing, how and when did you learrn to play guitar? Also, how hard is it to play and sing at the same time? The people want to know!”

SH- “I learned to play guitar when I was around 13 years old at a local music school in Monterrey. It was relatively comfortable for me to learn, because I started getting formal musical training since I was younger. However, I stopped taking lessons when I started high school, so ever since, any new stuff I’ve wanted to practice has been self-taught. So, if I’m being honest my guitar skills are not perfect, but it is something I’m always looking to improve at. But from the moment I picked it up for the first time, the guitar became an essential partner to my voice. I have always accompanied myself with my guitar, from when I did covers only, to when I started to experiment with songwriting, until now.  Singing and playing at the same time was very hard when I first started, but I was subconsciously aware that it was such an important thing to do, that I just had to get used to it. Also it was something that brought me joy, so it was never tedious, and eventually it just became a natural thing for me.”

Thank you Sam Herrera for taking the time to answer some questions on behalf of AEMMP Records. You can listen to her EP Diecinueve on Spotify or Apple Music right now, and her new song “Hay Que Cantar” is coming out December 8th!