Tag: Sam Farrar

Interview: Sam Farrar

I sat down with Sam Farrar of Maroon 5 to talk about his pre-show rituals, world map drawings, and favorite Phantom Planet album.

We also discussed the ups and downs of starting a music career at a young age and how the music industry has changed over the last 20+ years.

Photo courtesy of Maroon 5

You’ve performed at venues from the Troubadour and Roxy to the Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden, and SNL stage. Do you have a favorite and least favorite type of show to play?

They all have their advantages and their disadvantages. I’ll always be a lover of The Troubadour because it was the first place we [Phantom Planet] ever played. The intimacy you get, being able to hear everyone, see everyone’s face, the reactions are way more intense, and I like that. I also like the way a small club sounds — you can hear your own band.

But then you play Rock in Rio, where there’s 120,000 people, and people would think you’d be more intimidated and scared by it, but actually when there’s that many people, it just sort of looks like a wall that goes forever. And it’s crazy, and amazing, but it’s not nearly as intense to me for some reason.

Playing a song on an acoustic [guitar] in front of 5 people in my living room is way scarier than that.

Are there any tricks or techniques you use to amp yourself up or get in the zone for a performance, particularly if you’re not feeling in the mood to go out on stage?

I always have a cocktail [laughs], that’s pretty typical. I don’t drink too much because there’s a lot of responsibility on my plate, for how I play, but a shot of tequila is pretty nice, that calms me down a little bit.

But you also have to do things like make sure you don’t eat too close to the show. I try to put an hour and a half in between [eating and performing]. If you’re going to work out, that feels good, as long as you do it during the day.

And honestly I can’t figure out why some days I play really well, sometimes I won’t. I’ve really tried to get scientific about it: figure out how much I’ve eaten, and how much water I’ve had to drink. Some days my hands work better than others.

What about temperature, if you’re playing an outdoor show?

If it’s really hot and humid, it’s amazing because you can sing really easily. The humidity makes your vocal cords all soft and squishy — you can hit the high notes really easily.

When it’s really cold, it’s the opposite. But for the most part, I have to do a little bit of singing, stretch the hands out.

Photo courtesy of Maroon 5

You’ve created a mural, had an art show, and sell Samaps prints online. Where do you see yourself taking that project in the next few years?

It’s one of those things that just sort of happened and people reacted to it. I’ve always done art. I’ve drawn my whole life, I have tons of journals. People really reacted to the maps, they have a nostalgia. It’s very reliant on touring, though, so I wanted to do it in the city with a map that I got there. About 90% of the maps I’ve drawn are like that.

So the big question for me is whether or not I want to keep doing it this year. We have a couple tours coming up, and it’s a lot of work. It got creatively exhausting by the end of the last tour, so I’m not entirely sure I’m going to keep it up. I still do commissions for people, but I might have to adapt it into something else that’s a little easier.

Photo courtesy of Sam Farrar

How do you balance all your projects with your other responsibilities — music, art, family, etc?

Time management as a dad and a musician is so hard. It’s crazy. I write and produce music when I’m home – that’s basically my job — working with bands, trying to write songs for [big artists] and I’ll produce stuff.

My typical week is three or four days a week I have sessions with other writers or artists. The mornings before [the session] I’m up at 7, I get the kids to school. I finish up any work that I had from the day before, a mix or vocal editing. After the session, I get home, give my kids baths…it’s a long day.

But to me, the worst thing is being bored, as a creative person. I tend to be more creative and have more output when it’s constant — I don’t have time to think about anything but work, or kids.

It’s hard for me to do art full-on and music full-on. Touring is one thing because it’s a different side of the brain, but when you’re trying to write (or produce) songs and try to create art, they are hard to do at the same time. I kind of have to go back and forth.

I love the bass parts on “Always On My Mind” and “Hey Now Girl.” What do you remember about writing and recording those parts?

We did that record [The Guest] with [producer] Mitchell Froom. We sat down in rehearsal and I’m pretty sure Mitchell got me playing a certain motif and I went with it. The bass parts were always very, very well-thought out. We spent a lot of time on them. Alex [Greenwald] and I always wrote most of the bass lines together, he always had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do. It was always about making the rhythm sections unique and not straightforward, but also catchy and not distracting.

We were such big fans of Elvis Costello, and their rhythm section was pretty much perfect, so I think we took a lot from that.

If you listen to a lot of those bass lines, the bass line always worked with the melody first and foremost, almost more than the drums. In fact, when we recorded The Guest, the bass was always the last thing we recorded. We’d track it as a band, and everyone would finish their parts, then I would come in at the end and make sure the bass parts fit with everything. There was definitely an importance placed on it, which was nice.

Is there a Phantom Planet album that sticks out as the one you’re most proud of?

 

You’ve been on a bunch of labels, including Geffen, Sony, Interscope, and Fueled by Ramen. How much impact did changing labels have on your work?

We [Phantom Planet] signed a record deal when I was 16 or 17 — I was in high school. And back then, it meant something. We were signing to the label that had Nirvana and Pearl Jam and all my favorite bands.

I think when you’re that young, you feel like you’re invincible and your band’s amazing and it’s going to sell a lot. It didn’t sell a lot, but it got us on the map and we played some shows. And then Geffen got bought and we went to Interscope.

I remember going in to Interscope and we had a meeting with Jimmy Iovine, and we had “California” but they didn’t get it, they didn’t think it was a single…which is fascinating. Jimmy Iovine played us “My Name Is” by Eminem a week before it came out, so they were very occupied with hip hop stuff.

Long story short, they let us go, and we went to Sony. And it took a while. I think we must have had 50 or 60 songs lying around, including “California.” And Sony believed enough in “California,” which was great.

So we went in with Mitchell Frooom — this is after trying a few different producers. Those transitions are hard because you lose a lot of time and you lose a lot of energy. But we made it, we did The Guest, it was great and it did really well.

Then once we did the second record for Sony, they realized that we weren’t seeing eye to eye. Money was running out, streaming was starting to happen. So then it got a little tricky.

And I think after we left Sony and [before we signed to] Fueled By Ramen was a few years of trying to figure out where to go. We were watching the [music] industry collapse, while enduring it, so it was scary.

We got through it by playing a lot of college gigs, and “California” blew up. We were very blessed to have enough momentum to keep going.

Every label has been a very different part of our career and our taste and how we’re feeling about the industry. At the beginning it was all about not “selling out” and not putting your stuff in commercials, and being a true artist, and by the end of it, we’re touring with bands we don’t sound anything like just because we know kids will see it.

Photo courtesy of Maroon 5

Looking back now, are you happy that you started playing music professionally so young? How has that timing impacted your career choices and trajectory?

I wouldn’t change anything because I’ve had a really good ride. But the only thing that worries me is I’m turning 40 this year, and I only know how to make music and art. So if this industry collapses, and I can’t keep working in it, I don’t know what else I would do. And that’s a byproduct of starting so young.

I’m not proud of this — I’ve never had a “real” job or a boss, per se. I think those sort of experiences are really important as an adult, for work ethic reasons. So that’s a weird thing that I have to grapple with as I’ve gotten older.

Having said that, it’s awesome that I’ve been in a successful enough band. And now I’m in a really big band. And I don’t have to stress that much. I consider myself very lucky that I can make a living in the music business because it’s really hard to do.

Thanks Sam! Check out Maroon 5’s upcoming tour dates and the SAMAPS print shop to see more of Sam’s artwork.

Interview with Jacques Brautbar

Jacques Brautbar is an LA-based songwriter, producer, and founding member/guitarist of Phantom Planet.

I talked to him about the typical day of a songwriter, music licensing, and getting signed to Geffen as a high school senior. Check out the interview below!

Jacques Brautbar After The Show Interview

After The Show: You co-produced and co-wrote Jasmine Ash’s album Beneath The Noise, which has been so successful getting sync placements. Do you approach songwriting thinking about what would appeal to supervisors, or is licensing an after-thought, completely separate from the creative composition process?


Jacques Brautbar:  The licensing success for Beneath The Noise was a complete afterthought. She and I started the songs with no agenda. She and I just thought it would be fun to write a few songs and make an Ep as a sideproject. Then I got my friend and former bandmate, Sam Farrar, involved and we decided to make a full record. I find, if I try and write something “for sync” it never comes out well. I just write/produce the way I like, and it seems to be what supes [music supervisors] like too! So far…

What do you think about the future of music licensing/supervising? Will getting placements in film, TV, and commercials still be as lucrative or popular in 5 or 10 years?

I have no idea. If I knew, I’d make a killing in Vegas.

You’re a songwriter for EMI (now Sony/ATV?). What does your typical workday as a songwriter and producer look like? How many different artists do you work with at any given time?


I did switch over to SONY. I am constantly working with new writers and artists… A typical work day involves me drinking a lot of coffee and writing a song with a complete stranger. Which is totally bizarre. A lot of my writing sessions are like blind dates. Sometimes the chemistry is undeniable, while other times it’s best to stop early and get a bite to eat. I am, however, starting to have a balance of regulars and new people now in my rotation.

You’re also a music consultant for film and TV. What does that entail?

It basically means I help in whatever capacity the director wants. From authenticity in performance practice, to music suggestions for scenes.

What role has education (music or otherwise) played in your career? You started Phantom Planet at 15, so how did you balance the band with high school and homework? Did getting signed to Geffen & touring come after you graduated?

Phantom Planet got signed during my senior year of high school. By law, I needed to have a tutor at the studio on days I missed school. Other than that, it was just double duty. School during the day. Studio/rehearsal at night. Then homework late at night. We didn’t start touring until after I had graduated, so that wasn’t ever an issue.

What was your experience like at USC School of Music, especially as a musician who was in an already established, successful band?

It was great. I mean, I loved taking the music classes – music theory and music history especially. I never actually graduated though. Phantom Planet’s touring schedule kept me pretty busy. I went to USC off and on as a part-time student for a few years… over about a 7 year period.

You played guitar and toured with Uh Huh Her. How was that? What was it like going from a main band member to a more anonymous backup guitar player?

I had a lot of fun on that tour. At the end of the day, though, I didn’t like being a “hired gun” because I had no real connection to the music.

What songs did you write for Phantom Planet? My impression was that Alex was the primary songwriter, but you’re also credited as a songwriter. How did the band divvy up writing lyrics and music?

Alex was the primary songwriter. I wrote songs earlier on in the band’s career… mostly stuff on our first record Phantom Planet Is Missing and some things on the Polaroid collection.

Thanks Jacques. Check out Jacques Brautbar’s Twitter + Black Unicorn Music bio.

Who Are They Now Game: Round 2 Answers

Scroll down to discover the answers and see who the mystery kids grew up to be.

1. Child #1 is Robert Schwartzman, frontman of Rooney:

2. Child #2 is Jeff Conrad, drummer of Phantom Planet:

3. Child #3 is Sherri Dupree of Eisley:

4. Child #4 is Pierre Bouvier of Simple Plan:

5. Child #5 is Taylor Locke of Rooney and The Roughs:

6. Child #6 is Sam Farrar, bassist of Phantom Planet:

7. Person #7 is Gene Simmons of KISS:

8 and 9. Children #8 and #9 are Weston and Stacy Dupree of Eisley:

10. Child #10 is Tennessee Thomas, drummer of The Like:

Same Title, Different Song

Below are a collection of good songs with the same title — while they may share a title, these songs are definitely different from one another:

“After Hours” (Velvet Underground cover) by Rilo Kiley:

“After Hours” (Acoustic) by Phantom Planet:

“Dance With Me (Tonight)” by The Wonders:

“Dance With Me” by Uh Huh Her:

“Thinking of You” by Hanson:

“Thinking of You” (Acoustic) by Katy Perry:

“Give a Little Love” by Noah and the Whale:

“Give a Little Love” by Rilo Kiley:

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