December 22, 2023 • 30 mins
On season 2, episode 14 of U&I, Kickoff Kevin sits down with California native, Samica. Kevin came across Samica over the summer after a video she posted went viral about her move to Nashville, which ultimately led him to her YouTube channel where she does multiple series, including one where she cooks called "Lazy Girl". She also talks about where her musical inspiration came from and how joining choir as a child inspired her to start singing in front of people, and much more!
Socials:
- Instagram: SamicaMusic
- TikTok: SamicaMusic
Follow: @KickOffKevin
Podcast Description:
Unsigned and Independent is a six episode season podcast hosted by Kevin O’Connell that features unsigned and independent artists and bands in Nashville. The purpose of this podcast is to highlight the journey and grind musicians go through trying to make it in the industry; the journey most fans don’t see leading up to national success. People move to music city from all over the country to chase something they have only dreamed of – making music and performing for a living. This podcast will dive into stories on the road, late nights and early mornings on the infamous Broadway, their background story, and if there is an ultimate goal for each artist or band. The artists featured on this podcast don’t have the backing of a label or sometimes even management, or a publishing team to handle their bookings, travel, etc.… But what they all have in common is a genuine passion for the love of music and performing. There is hidden talent spread throughout music city and the aim of this podcast is to give this hidden talent an opportunity to have a platform for an audience to hear their story, what the process is really like in the industry, and hopefully gain a new fan or two.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to Unsigned and Independent. And so this is a
show where Kickoff Kevin goes and talks to artists who
you think they have something going on, they just haven't
been discovered yet, right correct. And a lot of them
are spending their own money to fund their career until
somebody steps in to help them in whatever way that is. Yeah.
Would you say most are looking for like a record
deal or a publishing deal or most that you talk
to have one or both.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I would say most are not like searching and seeking
for it unless the right opportunity comes along.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Thing that must be awesome, Yeah, because I was always
seeking for money. Yeah. I was like, I'll do anything.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
What do you want me to be?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Yeah, So tell me about Samika.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Samika has got the social media thing dialed down where
she has a couple outlets, a YouTube show and she
went viral for yeah show like a cooking kind of
like a funny little show. It's like little clips.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Here and there.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
And then she went viral when she first moved to
thatville for cooking or for music, No, for music. She
made a video in her car where she went to
the store and this guy said something to her, Welcome
to America. Because she came from LA and it was
just a funny video. You've probably seen him before actually,
so and then she went viral. That's how I came
across her. So she's got the whole thing down.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
She is a first generation Indian America and moved to
Nashville earlier this year to pursue her music career. And again,
this is very much about being good but marketing yourself
through social media through different ways, and all with the
idea of leading people to her music.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Even if she's cooking a keysh it's to get people
to her music, exactly. I don't even know if she
cooks keish.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
It's probably been on there, but I just.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Said cooking akish. That's alliteration almost.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I don't even really know what Akeisha is.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I've had some and I don't either. That's the thing
all right. Here she is unsigned and independent. It is
Samika here with kickoff Kevin Samika.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
How are we doing?
Speaker 3 (01:48):
I'm good? How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
I'm good? Good. I want to start this off with
how I came across you. Yes, of course, like so
many other things nowadays, it's social media. I had a
friend actually and me a video of yours. He's from
I grew up in California like yourself, which we'll get
into a little bit. But I knew him from California
and he sent me this video because you posted a
(02:10):
video about how you just moved to Nashville. Yeah. I
don't know how he came across it, and he's like, hey,
this video is funny. And it was a video of
you talking about moving to Nashville and somebody says, like
you came, or you said I came from California and
somebody said what do they say? How did it feel
to like be free or something like that.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Yeah, he said.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
So. It was at a thrift shop and I just
I told the guy I was really excited that I
was here, and I was like, hey, I just moved
here from la And then he said, oh, Laurel, Alabama,
like I heard it's real nice.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Down there, Like, no, it's from California.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
But and then anyway, he just said welcome to America,
and I said thank you know, thanks sir.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
But yeah, that video, that's so funny.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
That video went so crazy and I really had no
expectation of it, and then it started something on social
media and how.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Many views have what's your latest number on that?
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Honestly, I posted it everywhere, so I think on Instagram
it had like three and a half million. On TikTok
it was at three and a half almost four, and
then on YouTube some politician reposted it and it became
his most viewed video, and then I think that one
has like five or six million.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
No way, I know. It was so wild, So you
post that obviously it was.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Like a really nice, warm, welcome to Nashville. But yeah,
it's crazy, but.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
You post that without expecting it to do what it did. Yeah,
So when did you, like, was it one of those
you hear about where you post this video, you go
to bed and you wake up next day and you're like,
holy crap, this has got over a million views. Was
it one of those or did you see it kind
of coming together or did it take a while like
some people just it kept going.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Like I went to the DMV the other day literally
I posted that video. I've been here for almost like
three months, and at the DMV, the lady at the
DMV was like, I just saw you on TikTok really
like this is a DMV. I don't look nice, Like,
don't say that.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, okay, So how many people have noticed you from
that video? Like so many, especially in Nashville.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Yeah, especially in Nashville and New York. I went to
New York.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Yeah, it just really helped people kind of also just
come to the page and see that I make music
and all of the other things that I do.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
So it was pretty crazy, though.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yeah, because that's how I always It came to you,
like I said, and then I saw your musician, listen
to your music and watching your videos, and we'll get
into some of your other stuff too. You make all
kinds of videos and all kinds of and it's intriguing.
I mean, you do a great job at it. You
have what over one hundred and ninety thousand followers on
TikTok one hundred ninety thousand on Instagram. I mean, you're
(04:48):
up there. And with all that being said, you've been
here for a few months, you said, three months, And
how is America?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
What they say America? It's been good, you know.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
I first when he said that, I didn't really understand,
and then now that I've been here, I'm like, Okay,
I had a little bit of a culture shock, and
I actually really like it though, everybody's been so nice
and so warm. Southern hospitality, as I'm sure you know,
is a real thing. So it's been good. It's it's
starting to feel a little more like home, which we love.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah. Did you move out here by yourself? I basically yeah, yeah,
And you live by yourself and you're doing everything by yourself.
You're an independent artist obviously, that's why you're on here.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
What's the Nashville scene musically been like for you in
comparison to LA And how long were you in LA? First,
let's go on.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I was in LA for about six years, seven years,
and I was there.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I was from the I'm from the Bay.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
And then I moved to LA for six seven years
and I was doing the whole music thing and then Yeah,
it's been interesting.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Out here, Yeah, interesting way, just.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Music wise, it's been really nice. I mean in LA,
I I was working with a lot of people that
it was hard to find people that kind of made
the same music I did. And I find it a
lot easier here to find.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
People like that.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
What kind of music is that?
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Just more live music because Nashville is kind of the
capital of live music, so it helps to have commonality
with the people who are making music. I think LA
is really good if you're into more like house music,
more DJ vibes, R and B hip hop, like, it's
(06:33):
really good for there. I was just told to write
over beats over there. But here I get to take
my songs that I wrote on guitar and kind of
create something with other people here.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
So what moment did it hit you in LA where
you said I think I need to move to Nashville.
Did you visit here before?
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I was.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
I was coming out here every few weeks and for
weeks at a time, so it kind of was pretty
natural just to make the move. It was supermanous and
it just I was here all the time, so it
kind of felt right.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, And you haven't looked back since and three minuts.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I haven't looked back since.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
I've been going to New York a lot, just because
a lot of my best friends live out there and
it feels a little more homy sometimes.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
But yeah, I haven't gone back to California yet, So.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Not at all.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
No, not yet.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Okay, you miss it. I do your family in the
Bay or in the Bay, Okay.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
And then all of my best friends that I made
in LA, they're all still in LA so that way,
it's been hard to kind of meet or create close
friends here, but that's comes with just moving new a
new place.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
And you talk about that on some of your videos
that you have on YouTube. So what's uh, well, you know,
a first, let's talk about a few things that you do.
You do a lazy girl series. Yeah, is that your
what started? First? You have a lazy Girl we'll first
explain the Lazy Girl series.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Yeah, it's so random. Thanks.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
So basically, I was posting all this music stuff online
and I realized that people don't really go online all
the time just to listen to music. So I was like, okay,
maybe I should start telling stories and doing other things
that I like. And I just posted one video on TikTok.
It was a lazy Girl doll. So it was an
easy way to make Indian food and it's just like
(08:20):
super chaotic cooking. I was burning food on the internet
and it just did really well and people really related.
And then I was like, okay, what else can I make?
And I didn't know how to make anything, and that's
why it's so chaotically wild cooking. But I do that,
and yeah, it's crazy that that kind of started blowing up.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
No, where did that inspiration come from for you? Or
was it just kind of winging it or.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
It was one of my cousins.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
I was visiting my cousin and I told her, like,
I just I feel like I'm finally an adult, Like
I just realized how to make doll like one thing.
And she asked me how to do it, and I
was like, oh, don't worry, I'll make a video for you.
And then I made a video and yeah, I sent
it to her and I'm like, here you go.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
And it does very well. I mean, when, like I said,
when I came across your page and I saw those
videos and I was like, oh, she does more than music,
and you see these cooking videos and then obviously you
post quite a bit of those, so it's a whole series.
And they do they do well for you and they're funny.
They're funny, So can you actually cook or is it
just winging things?
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Honestly?
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Sometimes they come out good. I mean actually at the
end there all is good. I kind of fix it.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
But it's like a mess just the whole time. So
I don't even know at.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
This point, And do you have somebody help you out
with those as far as filming and production. Yeah, yeah, okay,
that's funny. Go check out that's all on YouTube and
your Instagram. You can follow out Samika music. We'll get
to as well. Going back to music here, who were
some of your inspirations growing up? I mean, did your
was your family involved in music? Is that where it
started at a young age.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
So, my grandma's from my mom's side and my dad's
side both sing, so I was always and my sister
sing super super well, my older sister, and so music
was always a thing in our household. My mom was
an Indian classical dancer growing up. She did this dance
called Gutuck, and we kind of grew up in dance
(10:13):
studios with Indian music all around. And then just being
raised in America, born and raised here, we grew up
with you.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Know, normal radio station music as well.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
So it was always around, and I just listened to
all different kinds of music, and so I think that
kind of translates into the music that I make now too.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
It's a little bit of everything.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Did you have a certain artist or group that you
wanted to or that you admired as a child.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
I loved like Avril Lavine, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift when
she first came out, just all of so many different people,
and then there was like Green Day, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte,
all these boy bands, you know, like emo bands that
would come onto the scene, and so yeah, it was
(11:01):
a bit all over.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Really yeah, and that's kind of what your music reflects.
I mean, I don't know where to really put.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
I don't know either. People always ask.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Me, right, which is a good thing. I mean, I mean,
it really is a good thing. It's good especially nowadays.
I feel like with the social media and with the
people you're able to reach without even a radio play,
where as long as you put what you want to
put out there, people will come across your videos and
your music and whether it's with a lazy curl and
then they get onto your music kind of thing. How
has that been for you, just being able to use
(11:30):
social media to put the music that you want to
put out there.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Honestly, I've been doing everything myself independently, so it's really
freeing to use social media and decide when I want
to release a song and what content I want to
create around it, and nobody's really telling me how to
do it, and I've gone through a lot of trial
and error to figure out what works and what doesn't,
(11:53):
and it's been really nice. Social Media is definitely the
only way that I've been able to start to break through,
and I really don't know how anybody else did it before,
but it's been really helpful for me.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Have you had any influences since you've been in Nashville yet?
People you've looked up to worked with it so far?
I know you're still fairly new. But the great thing
about the city is I feel like if you make connections,
a lot of people are willing to help you out here.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Yeah, a lot of people and a lot of people
are just so nice and just like as you said,
just willing to help and they know a guy who
knows a guy you know, and so all of that
kind of starts, and that has started for me. So
it's been really good.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Are you playing anywhere out here right now?
Speaker 3 (12:41):
I am.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
I'm gonna play Whiskey jam nice And so I hit
up Ward who's like the guy in charge, and sent
him some of my stuff and he's like, okay, cool,
here's an open date for you.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
So yeah, it'll be fun.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
How does that go about then for you for an
independent artist, like reaching out to somebody local, because I mean,
Whiskey Jam is a local, national thing, but they're getting
i mean pretty nationwide now. They're traveling with Luke Combs. Yeah,
you know, doing opening acts for him. Do you just
literally just email or message war So.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
I emailed a bunch of different venues to play and
nobody responded. Then I messaged Whiskey Jam on Instagram and
then they responded and it was a yeah ward. So
he was like here, text me, here's my number, and
so I just hit him up and but yeah, just
again all on social media crazy.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
That's awesome. And then just welcome you with open arms,
like I said, just giving you a shot. Yeah, is
really cool of him to do Whiskey Jam. I mean
they're great. Everybody knows all their their stuff is really good.
Have you had a moment, not even here in national
because it's very new, maybe in LA where you thought,
I don't know, music is something I want to do anymore.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
I never had a moment of I don't want to
do it anymore. It was almost like, why is it
not happening for me right now? It was never a
moment of it's not going to happen. It's just like, oh,
I'm just not at the place where I need to
be yet. So I kind of but I've really tried
to shift out of that mindset, and I think the
(14:15):
minute I kind of let go and let things like
I never thought that these story videos are a cooking
video was gonna be the way that somebody would find
me and listen to my music. But it just comes
to show like you just have to try everything and
just keep at it, and you never know how it's
going to happen.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
But as long as you know that it will, it
eventually will.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
How long did it take you to build up that
social media following?
Speaker 4 (14:40):
So I've been doing it for years, as you know,
just as all of us kind of have been on
social media now. But really it's blown up the past
year and a half. I'd say maybe just a year
just about yeah really still really new. Yeah, yeah, it's
pretty exciting.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Still, it's not old yet.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
You've got to be exhausting, right, I've talked about this
a couple of times on the pat on This podcast,
and me personally, like I I don't post every day
because it's just exhausting. But for an artist like yourself,
like you kind of have to to remain relevant and
to people will move on to the next thing if
you don't post for a week or whatever it is. Yeah,
that's got to be exhausting.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
It's super exhausting and it takes it's hard to balance
creating music and creating content, and you have to realize
that that's just the age we live in. And when
you get over that hump in your mind, then you
kind of realize, well, the only way people are going
to listen to the music that I want people to
listen to is if I do the work, which is
(15:39):
to create the content kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
So, yeah, it's funny that you say that, because a
few people have said that one here where they're like
it just they just kept doing it and doing it
and doing It's kind of getting out of your comfort zone.
And then once you realize like it's okay, then you
kind of just get used to it and it turns
into a routine almost.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, and obviously.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Start to think in terms of you know, just I
have to record this video today and you have like
a schedule and it's like a whole thing.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
What does it you come up with all the ideas.
I mean, are you laying there, are you waking up
in the middle of the night, kind of like songwriting,
where you wake up with this idea and you're like,
I got to film this tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
Yeah, Like I'll get an idea and I'll write it down.
It's like a I don't. I'm not a very organized person.
So I have like one note with like a million ideas,
and half of.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Them I don't even know what I was saying. So
probably a lot of missed opportunities.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
But yeah, just kind of anything that you think of,
anything that I think of, I just write it down
and if I want to do it, I do. If not,
then no, it's a good try move.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
What do you enjoy more making music or cooking videos?
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Oh gosh, no, definitely making music.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
It's just making sure.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah, No, definitely music. I mean I do have to eat,
you know, you got to eat, so might as well
record it.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
That's the one thing with food is like everybody can
relate to food. Yeah, find of like music, but in
a different way, right, totally different way. You're feeding your
soul in a different way, I guess. Yeah. Exactly, what
are some of your goals out here? Then like your
mindset coming in, what was your mindset coming in from LA?
I'm moving to Nashville, and this is what I want
to do, Like, what is that thing that you want
to do or make it?
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I think for me, I moved out here because again,
like what I was saying a bit earlier, the people
that I was working with out here just kind of
got it, and I've kind of struggled.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
At least in LA.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
I was writing songs on my guitar and I would
take them to producers and kind of say like, this
is what can we create something around it? And they
would say, you know, it's it sounds great acoustic, you
should just put it out the way that it is. Like, well,
I don't want to just put out, you know, just
me and the guitar. I want to actually build something
kind of epic around it. But at least for me here,
(17:49):
I just want to meet a bunch of great songwriters
producers and just work with as many people as I
can and really grow my craft and feel like when
I do walk into the room that you know, I
can hold my own and be at that level of
just making great music.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
That's definitely a goal of mine.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Do you write all your songs I do. Yeah, Okay,
where does that? Does that come from? Life experiences?
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Just and also like dreams like you were saying, just
like dreaming out songs. Yeah, a lot of life experiences
a lot of just different things, you know, friends, stories
that they tell me, kind of turn it into something.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Just all over really.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Yeah. And do you wake up every or not every day,
but you wake up different days and with some type
of inspiration and you know, kind of like a video
content where you're just talking about and you start writing
stuff down. Yeah, is that where your songwriting kind of
comes from?
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Yeah? It definitely.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
It just comes from sitting down and sometimes it'll come
out in like thirty seconds.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Sometimes it'll come out in three hours.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
But as long as you just sit there and kind
of not fight it, it'll eventually it'll eventually happen.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Okay. And I want to go back to your family
a little bit here Indian heritage, Yes, And can you
kind of explain that more because you know, Nashville you
got to be a different scene for sure.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
You're from the Bay, like you said, then, La, So
what are your I mean, what's your parents? Your family are?
They're very supportive of you.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Yeah, they are.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
You know, I've been really lucky, I think because growing
up my parents were always I was always a really
confused child on what I wanted to do because I
told them when I was a kid that I wanted
to do music. And obviously, you know, what are you
going to do with a kid that wants to sing.
It's like any parent would be like, Okay, well go
back to class, you know, go do your homework, as
(19:40):
they probably should. But yeah, I think they always kind
of knew that I wanted to do music, and I
really felt like it was one of the only things
that I felt really good at and I knew it
could be a thing. And I think when they saw
me take it into my own hands and kind of
do the work, it wasn't just me with a dream
telling people. It was more like, oh, she's actually, you know,
(20:03):
in her room writing songs and performing and putting up
YouTube videos, you know, once a week, all of that.
Then they kind of were more on board, and I've
been really blessed that they're super supportive.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Yeah, yeah, that always helps. Did you have a moment
when you were a kid, like I've had people in
here tell me a talent show maybe or something like that.
Did you ever have a talent show where you're but
you entered and you're like, yeah, this is what I
really want to do and maybe a humbled you or
anything like that.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
You know, I did not a talent show.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
But that's so funny that you asked me, because I
actually I just am remembering this memory, but it was.
I was in a really private school up until seventh grade,
and it was just academic focused. It was not for me,
and I ended up going to a public school in
the middle of seventh grade where we moved towns and
(20:52):
then there was choir for the first time, so I
joined choir and I was a really really shy kid.
So every Friday you would have to at least you
would have to at least sing a song alone once
and every Friday we would have opportunity to do that,
and for months I pushed it off until finally the
teacher was like, Okay, you have to, you know, sing
(21:13):
your song in front of the class. And I sang,
and for months nobody even looked at me. And then
after I sang, everyone was like, whoa, you can actually sing,
like you actually should be in this class. And that
was my aha moment. I was like, oh, okay, I
think I'm like a good singer.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Well, did you have doubts going into that, like did
you know or believe in yourself or did you need
to hear?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
I think I was just like a kid and I
always loved singing, but my sister was the one who
was really the singer of the family, and she had
no fear, and so I was always kind of in
the back, like singing harmony with her, but she was
always the one to sing in front of everybody, so
I don't I think it was the first time that
I was singing alone though, I was like, oh, okay, really
(22:00):
do that older sister?
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Older?
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Older? Okay, how has she been an inspiration for you
or or mentor maybe?
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Yeah, definitely she's still she sings, but not professionally in
any way. She does at like family events and everyone
always bugs her to sing, but she's great. So yeah,
she's the first person that I always send every song
to and ask for her opinion because I know she'll
be brutally honest. So so it's good to have someone
(22:27):
who's like, yeah, you probably shouldn't release that one.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
So yeah, she's great.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
She so who's a better singer. You know, I got
to ask that.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
And I think we both have really different voices, which
is a very diplomatic answer, but it is very true,
and I know she would say the same. But hers
is like like, if you want like a Whitney Houston covered,
that's just like pure belt and epic. She's your girl
and I can do that, but it's not like at
that you know, that level.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
But yeah, I think we balance each other out really well.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Okay, good. It's it's funny because you say that your
sound is a lot more soft quiet, and like you said,
you're all you don't have like a necessarily like oh
I'm gonna sound country, I'm going to sound rock. Yeah,
you have different sounds for each song, which is awesome too.
And we're going to talk about an album that was
just released. I want to play one track real quick
called Red Ferrari and then we'll talk about its.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Tassara joun this.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
And re.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Okay, so Red Ferrari drove right up the sound in
Red Ferrari? What's that about?
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Red Ferrari is a song about just kind of running
away from your problems really and just.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Kind of just leaving everything behind.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
And and being excited about the future and leaving small
town at home and kind of realizing that there's greater
things to come, and just living in that dream state really.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
And speaking of leaving and greater things that come. The
album name is Laurel Canyon, Yes, which is in La. Yes, right, Yeah,
so I know that if you know, if you're from La,
if you know anything about LA, you'll know that. But
that's obviously on purpose. Yeah, you're done with LA, and
then red Ferrari. Is that you're leaving in a Red
Ferra from LA to Nashville or what's going on? Why not?
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Like, Yeah, I named it Laurel Canyon because all the
songs I wrote were all in Laurel Canyon. And as
you probably know you just drive through the drive through
Laurel Canyon is one of a kind and and the
history of Laurel Canyon is so iconic too, musically and
in the seventies, and I felt like the music that
(24:51):
I made for the project really kind of fit that time.
It had like some sort of nostalgic era and sense
to it, So it just made sense to name it that.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
And yeah, it was like an ode to Laurel Canyon.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
In La in a good way though, right, Yeah, not
necessarily in a bad blood thing.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
No, not at all.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
It was it was more like just the place and
time for where I was, and that it just made
sense to time stamp it to that.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
And did you record that out here though? Like you
said you wrote, I recorded.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Half of it out here and half of it in LA.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
How do you? I mean, this is me just being
totally dumbfounded the whole thing. I'm not embarrassed to say that, Like,
how do you record half of an album in one
studio and then another half in totally different state? Yeah,
so that's you obviously just buying out or getting time
or whatever in a studio to record this album somewhere
and then a totally different state. Is that hard to do?
Speaker 4 (25:47):
I don't know, yeah, I mean so that's why it
was kind of the EP first Laurel Canyon EP, and
that was all done in LA And I recorded that
with one of my friends, Luke Kylo and who's a
producer out there, and we just we recorded all those
songs and then we just never were able to reconnect.
I mean, he was always out of town at the
(26:09):
same time I was, and we just never had a
chance to finish out the rest of the songs. So
I kind of had to reach out to other people.
And I had been dying to come to Nashville because
I just heard so much about it.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
And this was when I had no following.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Like I think I had maybe like nine thousand followers
or ten thousand on Instagram, which is still, you know,
a good amount, but not anything compared to.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Now, not one hundred and ninety two thous Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Yeah, so a lot of people, know, nobody responded to me.
To be honest, I messaged about like one hundred people
and honestly, just one one guy responded, yeah it's different now,
which you know, I don't know if I love or hate,
but yeah, so this guy Ross, he responded and he
I just I came out here and I just did
(26:57):
one the first song we did.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
I it was like, okay, great, you.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Completely understand what I'm going for, and we were able
to finish the rest of the album.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Is that tough to find a producer to you have
to click with him obviously, And I watched some of
your YouTube stuff when you were still in LA. I
can't remember the producer's name off the top of my head.
But you went to his house and you have to
have a connection, right, I mean, I know, as a
producer in radio or whatever, it may be, like, you
can't just meet somebody in two seconds and be like,
let's make a song together.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Yeah, it's it's like a very spiritual kind of thing
and you just have to exactly, you have to click
and you know immediately when you don't, like, you don't
have another session with that versus.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
So do you leave there saying like, hey, thanks for note,
thanks or do you wait till like a bit.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Like all right, Like that was fun. It it was
as fun.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
But yeah, like it just depends if you ever see
him again.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Yeah, I guess it's nothing personal. Yeah, what have you
seen since your success? So you just said, you know,
you've messed all these people, you didn't hear anything, and
then now it's different. So what do you mean by that? Ever,
since you've gained this huge following, do you have people
producers and people around town reaching out to you know?
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (28:05):
Actually, funny enough, that's exactly what it is. And I'm
really really grateful because that was one of the hardest
things that I went through, was trying to find people
to work with that wanted to work with someone who
you know, I I know that I can sing, and
I know my songs are good, but how will somebody
somebody else if I feel like sometimes people need to
(28:26):
be told what's good nowadays and so but that's just
how it is.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Now, I guess.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Yeah, it's crazy how fastic can all change.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Right, I know, and I'm not even nearly at the
level that I'm hoping to be and my goals, but yeah,
I am lucky that at least people are reaching out
now and really nice people, not like some people I
wouldn't work with really good ones.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Right, what are your goals in?
Speaker 3 (28:52):
I just I really want to go on tour.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
So that's a really big goal of mine and has
been for a really long time. And I love performing
and so I think that's really what makes the music
worth creating, is when you perform it live. And now
that I'm kind of starting to create a bit of
a fan base and people relate, I mean, I just
(29:16):
want to have that moment where you know, you see
people singing your songs back and you're like.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Whoa you know?
Speaker 2 (29:21):
And I imagine you were a big following, you have
people reaching out, Hey, when you come into my sne
I do.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
I do? Yeah, So, but I want it to be
like really epic because now I've waited long enough that
I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
I want to do it right.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Yeah. So if you listening to this, somebody to bring
out on tour, Yeah, says Mika's here for you. But
it's got to be epic.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
It's got to be epic.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Well, let's close out on this then real quick. Like
I said, you have a new album. We listened to
Red Ferrari. Is there another song single that's coming out?
And then what's going on in the new year? Anything
planned as of now?
Speaker 4 (29:56):
Yeah, I do have another song called never Ever, and
I shot a music video for it with another person
who reached out just from that Nashville video and he's
super great, and so yeah, that's coming out the next year.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
I have no idea.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
I'm kind of in this place where I just are
letting things happen, so I couldn't tell yet keep.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Putting in the work, and it all happened exactly.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
Well.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Go follow her on TikTok, Instagram, Samika Music, Samica Music.
She's great, Her cooking videos are great, her music is great.
Stream her Samika, thank you so much for coming.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
In, Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Of course, love this episode of The Bobby Cast.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Subscribe on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Welcome to Unsigned and Independent. And so this is a
show where Kickoff Kevin goes and talks to artists who
you think they have something going on, they just haven't
been discovered yet, right correct. And a lot of them
are spending their own money to fund their career until
somebody steps in to help them in whatever way that is. Yeah.
Would you say most are looking for like a record
deal or a publishing deal or most that you talk
to have one or both.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I would say most are not like searching and seeking
for it unless the right opportunity comes along.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Thing that must be awesome, Yeah, because I was always
seeking for money. Yeah. I was like, I'll do anything.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
What do you want me to be?
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Yeah, So tell me about Samika.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Samika has got the social media thing dialed down where
she has a couple outlets, a YouTube show and she
went viral for yeah show like a cooking kind of
like a funny little show. It's like little clips.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Here and there.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
And then she went viral when she first moved to
thatville for cooking or for music, No, for music. She
made a video in her car where she went to
the store and this guy said something to her, Welcome
to America. Because she came from LA and it was
just a funny video. You've probably seen him before actually,
so and then she went viral. That's how I came
across her. So she's got the whole thing down.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
She is a first generation Indian America and moved to
Nashville earlier this year to pursue her music career. And again,
this is very much about being good but marketing yourself
through social media through different ways, and all with the
idea of leading people to her music.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Even if she's cooking a keysh it's to get people
to her music, exactly. I don't even know if she
cooks keish.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
It's probably been on there, but I just.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Said cooking akish. That's alliteration almost.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I don't even really know what Akeisha is.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I've had some and I don't either. That's the thing
all right. Here she is unsigned and independent. It is
Samika here with kickoff Kevin Samika.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
How are we doing?
Speaker 3 (01:48):
I'm good? How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
I'm good? Good. I want to start this off with
how I came across you. Yes, of course, like so
many other things nowadays, it's social media. I had a
friend actually and me a video of yours. He's from
I grew up in California like yourself, which we'll get
into a little bit. But I knew him from California
and he sent me this video because you posted a
(02:10):
video about how you just moved to Nashville. Yeah. I
don't know how he came across it, and he's like, hey,
this video is funny. And it was a video of
you talking about moving to Nashville and somebody says, like
you came, or you said I came from California and
somebody said what do they say? How did it feel
to like be free or something like that.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Yeah, he said.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
So. It was at a thrift shop and I just
I told the guy I was really excited that I
was here, and I was like, hey, I just moved
here from la And then he said, oh, Laurel, Alabama,
like I heard it's real nice.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Down there, Like, no, it's from California.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
But and then anyway, he just said welcome to America,
and I said thank you know, thanks sir.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
But yeah, that video, that's so funny.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
That video went so crazy and I really had no
expectation of it, and then it started something on social
media and how.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Many views have what's your latest number on that?
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Honestly, I posted it everywhere, so I think on Instagram
it had like three and a half million. On TikTok
it was at three and a half almost four, and
then on YouTube some politician reposted it and it became
his most viewed video, and then I think that one
has like five or six million.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
No way, I know. It was so wild, So you
post that obviously it was.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Like a really nice, warm, welcome to Nashville. But yeah,
it's crazy, but.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
You post that without expecting it to do what it did. Yeah,
So when did you, like, was it one of those
you hear about where you post this video, you go
to bed and you wake up next day and you're like,
holy crap, this has got over a million views. Was
it one of those or did you see it kind
of coming together or did it take a while like
some people just it kept going.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Like I went to the DMV the other day literally
I posted that video. I've been here for almost like
three months, and at the DMV, the lady at the
DMV was like, I just saw you on TikTok really
like this is a DMV. I don't look nice, Like,
don't say that.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, okay, So how many people have noticed you from
that video? Like so many, especially in Nashville.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Yeah, especially in Nashville and New York. I went to
New York.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Yeah, it just really helped people kind of also just
come to the page and see that I make music
and all of the other things that I do.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
So it was pretty crazy, though.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yeah, because that's how I always It came to you,
like I said, and then I saw your musician, listen
to your music and watching your videos, and we'll get
into some of your other stuff too. You make all
kinds of videos and all kinds of and it's intriguing.
I mean, you do a great job at it. You
have what over one hundred and ninety thousand followers on
TikTok one hundred ninety thousand on Instagram. I mean, you're
(04:48):
up there. And with all that being said, you've been
here for a few months, you said, three months, And
how is America?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
What they say America? It's been good, you know.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
I first when he said that, I didn't really understand,
and then now that I've been here, I'm like, Okay,
I had a little bit of a culture shock, and
I actually really like it though, everybody's been so nice
and so warm. Southern hospitality, as I'm sure you know,
is a real thing. So it's been good. It's it's
starting to feel a little more like home, which we love.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah. Did you move out here by yourself? I basically yeah, yeah,
And you live by yourself and you're doing everything by yourself.
You're an independent artist obviously, that's why you're on here.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
What's the Nashville scene musically been like for you in
comparison to LA And how long were you in LA? First,
let's go on.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I was in LA for about six years, seven years,
and I was there.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I was from the I'm from the Bay.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
And then I moved to LA for six seven years
and I was doing the whole music thing and then Yeah,
it's been interesting.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Out here, Yeah, interesting way, just.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Music wise, it's been really nice. I mean in LA,
I I was working with a lot of people that
it was hard to find people that kind of made
the same music I did. And I find it a
lot easier here to find.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
People like that.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
What kind of music is that?
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Just more live music because Nashville is kind of the
capital of live music, so it helps to have commonality
with the people who are making music. I think LA
is really good if you're into more like house music,
more DJ vibes, R and B hip hop, like, it's
(06:33):
really good for there. I was just told to write
over beats over there. But here I get to take
my songs that I wrote on guitar and kind of
create something with other people here.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
So what moment did it hit you in LA where
you said I think I need to move to Nashville.
Did you visit here before?
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I was.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
I was coming out here every few weeks and for
weeks at a time, so it kind of was pretty
natural just to make the move. It was supermanous and
it just I was here all the time, so it
kind of felt right.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, And you haven't looked back since and three minuts.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I haven't looked back since.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
I've been going to New York a lot, just because
a lot of my best friends live out there and
it feels a little more homy sometimes.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
But yeah, I haven't gone back to California yet, So.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Not at all.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
No, not yet.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Okay, you miss it. I do your family in the
Bay or in the Bay, Okay.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
And then all of my best friends that I made
in LA, they're all still in LA so that way,
it's been hard to kind of meet or create close
friends here, but that's comes with just moving new a
new place.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
And you talk about that on some of your videos
that you have on YouTube. So what's uh, well, you know,
a first, let's talk about a few things that you do.
You do a lazy girl series. Yeah, is that your
what started? First? You have a lazy Girl we'll first
explain the Lazy Girl series.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Yeah, it's so random. Thanks.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
So basically, I was posting all this music stuff online
and I realized that people don't really go online all
the time just to listen to music. So I was like, okay,
maybe I should start telling stories and doing other things
that I like. And I just posted one video on TikTok.
It was a lazy Girl doll. So it was an
easy way to make Indian food and it's just like
(08:20):
super chaotic cooking. I was burning food on the internet
and it just did really well and people really related.
And then I was like, okay, what else can I make?
And I didn't know how to make anything, and that's
why it's so chaotically wild cooking. But I do that,
and yeah, it's crazy that that kind of started blowing up.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
No, where did that inspiration come from for you? Or
was it just kind of winging it or.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
It was one of my cousins.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
I was visiting my cousin and I told her, like,
I just I feel like I'm finally an adult, Like
I just realized how to make doll like one thing.
And she asked me how to do it, and I
was like, oh, don't worry, I'll make a video for you.
And then I made a video and yeah, I sent
it to her and I'm like, here you go.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
And it does very well. I mean, when, like I said,
when I came across your page and I saw those
videos and I was like, oh, she does more than music,
and you see these cooking videos and then obviously you
post quite a bit of those, so it's a whole series.
And they do they do well for you and they're funny.
They're funny, So can you actually cook or is it
just winging things?
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Honestly?
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Sometimes they come out good. I mean actually at the
end there all is good. I kind of fix it.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
But it's like a mess just the whole time. So
I don't even know at.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
This point, And do you have somebody help you out
with those as far as filming and production. Yeah, yeah, okay,
that's funny. Go check out that's all on YouTube and
your Instagram. You can follow out Samika music. We'll get
to as well. Going back to music here, who were
some of your inspirations growing up? I mean, did your
was your family involved in music? Is that where it
started at a young age.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
So, my grandma's from my mom's side and my dad's
side both sing, so I was always and my sister
sing super super well, my older sister, and so music
was always a thing in our household. My mom was
an Indian classical dancer growing up. She did this dance
called Gutuck, and we kind of grew up in dance
(10:13):
studios with Indian music all around. And then just being
raised in America, born and raised here, we grew up
with you.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Know, normal radio station music as well.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
So it was always around, and I just listened to
all different kinds of music, and so I think that
kind of translates into the music that I make now too.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
It's a little bit of everything.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Did you have a certain artist or group that you
wanted to or that you admired as a child.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
I loved like Avril Lavine, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift when
she first came out, just all of so many different people,
and then there was like Green Day, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte,
all these boy bands, you know, like emo bands that
would come onto the scene, and so yeah, it was
(11:01):
a bit all over.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Really yeah, and that's kind of what your music reflects.
I mean, I don't know where to really put.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
I don't know either. People always ask.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Me, right, which is a good thing. I mean, I mean,
it really is a good thing. It's good especially nowadays.
I feel like with the social media and with the
people you're able to reach without even a radio play,
where as long as you put what you want to
put out there, people will come across your videos and
your music and whether it's with a lazy curl and
then they get onto your music kind of thing. How
has that been for you, just being able to use
(11:30):
social media to put the music that you want to
put out there.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Honestly, I've been doing everything myself independently, so it's really
freeing to use social media and decide when I want
to release a song and what content I want to
create around it, and nobody's really telling me how to
do it, and I've gone through a lot of trial
and error to figure out what works and what doesn't,
(11:53):
and it's been really nice. Social Media is definitely the
only way that I've been able to start to break through,
and I really don't know how anybody else did it before,
but it's been really helpful for me.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Have you had any influences since you've been in Nashville yet?
People you've looked up to worked with it so far?
I know you're still fairly new. But the great thing
about the city is I feel like if you make connections,
a lot of people are willing to help you out here.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Yeah, a lot of people and a lot of people
are just so nice and just like as you said,
just willing to help and they know a guy who
knows a guy you know, and so all of that
kind of starts, and that has started for me. So
it's been really good.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Are you playing anywhere out here right now?
Speaker 3 (12:41):
I am.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
I'm gonna play Whiskey jam nice And so I hit
up Ward who's like the guy in charge, and sent
him some of my stuff and he's like, okay, cool,
here's an open date for you.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
So yeah, it'll be fun.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
How does that go about then for you for an
independent artist, like reaching out to somebody local, because I mean,
Whiskey Jam is a local, national thing, but they're getting
i mean pretty nationwide now. They're traveling with Luke Combs. Yeah,
you know, doing opening acts for him. Do you just
literally just email or message war So.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
I emailed a bunch of different venues to play and
nobody responded. Then I messaged Whiskey Jam on Instagram and
then they responded and it was a yeah ward. So
he was like here, text me, here's my number, and
so I just hit him up and but yeah, just
again all on social media crazy.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
That's awesome. And then just welcome you with open arms,
like I said, just giving you a shot. Yeah, is
really cool of him to do Whiskey Jam. I mean
they're great. Everybody knows all their their stuff is really good.
Have you had a moment, not even here in national
because it's very new, maybe in LA where you thought,
I don't know, music is something I want to do anymore.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
I never had a moment of I don't want to
do it anymore. It was almost like, why is it
not happening for me right now? It was never a
moment of it's not going to happen. It's just like, oh,
I'm just not at the place where I need to
be yet. So I kind of but I've really tried
to shift out of that mindset, and I think the
(14:15):
minute I kind of let go and let things like
I never thought that these story videos are a cooking
video was gonna be the way that somebody would find
me and listen to my music. But it just comes
to show like you just have to try everything and
just keep at it, and you never know how it's
going to happen.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
But as long as you know that it will, it
eventually will.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
How long did it take you to build up that
social media following?
Speaker 4 (14:40):
So I've been doing it for years, as you know,
just as all of us kind of have been on
social media now. But really it's blown up the past
year and a half. I'd say maybe just a year
just about yeah really still really new. Yeah, yeah, it's
pretty exciting.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Still, it's not old yet.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
You've got to be exhausting, right, I've talked about this
a couple of times on the pat on This podcast,
and me personally, like I I don't post every day
because it's just exhausting. But for an artist like yourself,
like you kind of have to to remain relevant and
to people will move on to the next thing if
you don't post for a week or whatever it is. Yeah,
that's got to be exhausting.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
It's super exhausting and it takes it's hard to balance
creating music and creating content, and you have to realize
that that's just the age we live in. And when
you get over that hump in your mind, then you
kind of realize, well, the only way people are going
to listen to the music that I want people to
listen to is if I do the work, which is
(15:39):
to create the content kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
So, yeah, it's funny that you say that, because a
few people have said that one here where they're like
it just they just kept doing it and doing it
and doing It's kind of getting out of your comfort zone.
And then once you realize like it's okay, then you
kind of just get used to it and it turns
into a routine almost.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, and obviously.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Start to think in terms of you know, just I
have to record this video today and you have like
a schedule and it's like a whole thing.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
What does it you come up with all the ideas.
I mean, are you laying there, are you waking up
in the middle of the night, kind of like songwriting,
where you wake up with this idea and you're like,
I got to film this tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
Yeah, Like I'll get an idea and I'll write it down.
It's like a I don't. I'm not a very organized person.
So I have like one note with like a million ideas,
and half of.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Them I don't even know what I was saying. So
probably a lot of missed opportunities.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
But yeah, just kind of anything that you think of,
anything that I think of, I just write it down
and if I want to do it, I do. If not,
then no, it's a good try move.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
What do you enjoy more making music or cooking videos?
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Oh gosh, no, definitely making music.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
It's just making sure.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah, No, definitely music. I mean I do have to eat,
you know, you got to eat, so might as well
record it.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
That's the one thing with food is like everybody can
relate to food. Yeah, find of like music, but in
a different way, right, totally different way. You're feeding your
soul in a different way, I guess. Yeah. Exactly, what
are some of your goals out here? Then like your
mindset coming in, what was your mindset coming in from LA?
I'm moving to Nashville, and this is what I want
to do, Like, what is that thing that you want
to do or make it?
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I think for me, I moved out here because again,
like what I was saying a bit earlier, the people
that I was working with out here just kind of
got it, and I've kind of struggled.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
At least in LA.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
I was writing songs on my guitar and I would
take them to producers and kind of say like, this
is what can we create something around it? And they
would say, you know, it's it sounds great acoustic, you
should just put it out the way that it is. Like, well,
I don't want to just put out, you know, just
me and the guitar. I want to actually build something
kind of epic around it. But at least for me here,
(17:49):
I just want to meet a bunch of great songwriters
producers and just work with as many people as I
can and really grow my craft and feel like when
I do walk into the room that you know, I
can hold my own and be at that level of
just making great music.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
That's definitely a goal of mine.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Do you write all your songs I do. Yeah, Okay,
where does that? Does that come from? Life experiences?
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Just and also like dreams like you were saying, just
like dreaming out songs. Yeah, a lot of life experiences
a lot of just different things, you know, friends, stories
that they tell me, kind of turn it into something.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
Just all over really.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Yeah. And do you wake up every or not every day,
but you wake up different days and with some type
of inspiration and you know, kind of like a video
content where you're just talking about and you start writing
stuff down. Yeah, is that where your songwriting kind of
comes from?
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Yeah? It definitely.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
It just comes from sitting down and sometimes it'll come
out in like thirty seconds.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Sometimes it'll come out in three hours.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
But as long as you just sit there and kind
of not fight it, it'll eventually it'll eventually happen.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Okay. And I want to go back to your family
a little bit here Indian heritage, Yes, And can you
kind of explain that more because you know, Nashville you
got to be a different scene for sure.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
You're from the Bay, like you said, then, La, So
what are your I mean, what's your parents? Your family are?
They're very supportive of you.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Yeah, they are.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
You know, I've been really lucky, I think because growing
up my parents were always I was always a really
confused child on what I wanted to do because I
told them when I was a kid that I wanted
to do music. And obviously, you know, what are you
going to do with a kid that wants to sing.
It's like any parent would be like, Okay, well go
back to class, you know, go do your homework, as
(19:40):
they probably should. But yeah, I think they always kind
of knew that I wanted to do music, and I
really felt like it was one of the only things
that I felt really good at and I knew it
could be a thing. And I think when they saw
me take it into my own hands and kind of
do the work, it wasn't just me with a dream
telling people. It was more like, oh, she's actually, you know,
(20:03):
in her room writing songs and performing and putting up
YouTube videos, you know, once a week, all of that.
Then they kind of were more on board, and I've
been really blessed that they're super supportive.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Yeah, yeah, that always helps. Did you have a moment
when you were a kid, like I've had people in
here tell me a talent show maybe or something like that.
Did you ever have a talent show where you're but
you entered and you're like, yeah, this is what I
really want to do and maybe a humbled you or
anything like that.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
You know, I did not a talent show.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
But that's so funny that you asked me, because I
actually I just am remembering this memory, but it was.
I was in a really private school up until seventh grade,
and it was just academic focused. It was not for me,
and I ended up going to a public school in
the middle of seventh grade where we moved towns and
(20:52):
then there was choir for the first time, so I
joined choir and I was a really really shy kid.
So every Friday you would have to at least you
would have to at least sing a song alone once
and every Friday we would have opportunity to do that,
and for months I pushed it off until finally the
teacher was like, Okay, you have to, you know, sing
(21:13):
your song in front of the class. And I sang,
and for months nobody even looked at me. And then
after I sang, everyone was like, whoa, you can actually sing,
like you actually should be in this class. And that
was my aha moment. I was like, oh, okay, I
think I'm like a good singer.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Well, did you have doubts going into that, like did
you know or believe in yourself or did you need
to hear?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
I think I was just like a kid and I
always loved singing, but my sister was the one who
was really the singer of the family, and she had
no fear, and so I was always kind of in
the back, like singing harmony with her, but she was
always the one to sing in front of everybody, so
I don't I think it was the first time that
I was singing alone though, I was like, oh, okay, really
(22:00):
do that older sister?
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Older?
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Older? Okay, how has she been an inspiration for you
or or mentor maybe?
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Yeah, definitely she's still she sings, but not professionally in
any way. She does at like family events and everyone
always bugs her to sing, but she's great. So yeah,
she's the first person that I always send every song
to and ask for her opinion because I know she'll
be brutally honest. So so it's good to have someone
(22:27):
who's like, yeah, you probably shouldn't release that one.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
So yeah, she's great.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
She so who's a better singer. You know, I got
to ask that.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
And I think we both have really different voices, which
is a very diplomatic answer, but it is very true,
and I know she would say the same. But hers
is like like, if you want like a Whitney Houston covered,
that's just like pure belt and epic. She's your girl
and I can do that, but it's not like at
that you know, that level.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
But yeah, I think we balance each other out really well.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Okay, good. It's it's funny because you say that your
sound is a lot more soft quiet, and like you said,
you're all you don't have like a necessarily like oh
I'm gonna sound country, I'm going to sound rock. Yeah,
you have different sounds for each song, which is awesome too.
And we're going to talk about an album that was
just released. I want to play one track real quick
called Red Ferrari and then we'll talk about its.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Tassara joun this.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
And re.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Okay, so Red Ferrari drove right up the sound in
Red Ferrari? What's that about?
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Red Ferrari is a song about just kind of running
away from your problems really and just.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Kind of just leaving everything behind.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
And and being excited about the future and leaving small
town at home and kind of realizing that there's greater
things to come, and just living in that dream state really.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
And speaking of leaving and greater things that come. The
album name is Laurel Canyon, Yes, which is in La. Yes, right, Yeah,
so I know that if you know, if you're from La,
if you know anything about LA, you'll know that. But
that's obviously on purpose. Yeah, you're done with LA, and
then red Ferrari. Is that you're leaving in a Red
Ferra from LA to Nashville or what's going on? Why not?
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Like, Yeah, I named it Laurel Canyon because all the
songs I wrote were all in Laurel Canyon. And as
you probably know you just drive through the drive through
Laurel Canyon is one of a kind and and the
history of Laurel Canyon is so iconic too, musically and
in the seventies, and I felt like the music that
(24:51):
I made for the project really kind of fit that time.
It had like some sort of nostalgic era and sense
to it, So it just made sense to name it that.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
And yeah, it was like an ode to Laurel Canyon.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
In La in a good way though, right, Yeah, not
necessarily in a bad blood thing.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
No, not at all.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
It was it was more like just the place and
time for where I was, and that it just made
sense to time stamp it to that.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
And did you record that out here though? Like you
said you wrote, I recorded.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Half of it out here and half of it in LA.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
How do you? I mean, this is me just being
totally dumbfounded the whole thing. I'm not embarrassed to say that, Like,
how do you record half of an album in one
studio and then another half in totally different state? Yeah,
so that's you obviously just buying out or getting time
or whatever in a studio to record this album somewhere
and then a totally different state. Is that hard to do?
Speaker 4 (25:47):
I don't know, yeah, I mean so that's why it
was kind of the EP first Laurel Canyon EP, and
that was all done in LA And I recorded that
with one of my friends, Luke Kylo and who's a
producer out there, and we just we recorded all those
songs and then we just never were able to reconnect.
I mean, he was always out of town at the
(26:09):
same time I was, and we just never had a
chance to finish out the rest of the songs. So
I kind of had to reach out to other people.
And I had been dying to come to Nashville because
I just heard so much about it.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
And this was when I had no following.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Like I think I had maybe like nine thousand followers
or ten thousand on Instagram, which is still, you know,
a good amount, but not anything compared to.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Now, not one hundred and ninety two thous Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Yeah, so a lot of people, know, nobody responded to me.
To be honest, I messaged about like one hundred people
and honestly, just one one guy responded, yeah it's different now,
which you know, I don't know if I love or hate,
but yeah, so this guy Ross, he responded and he
I just I came out here and I just did
(26:57):
one the first song we did.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
I it was like, okay, great, you.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Completely understand what I'm going for, and we were able
to finish the rest of the album.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Is that tough to find a producer to you have
to click with him obviously, And I watched some of
your YouTube stuff when you were still in LA. I
can't remember the producer's name off the top of my head.
But you went to his house and you have to
have a connection, right, I mean, I know, as a
producer in radio or whatever, it may be, like, you
can't just meet somebody in two seconds and be like,
let's make a song together.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Yeah, it's it's like a very spiritual kind of thing
and you just have to exactly, you have to click
and you know immediately when you don't, like, you don't
have another session with that versus.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
So do you leave there saying like, hey, thanks for note,
thanks or do you wait till like a bit.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Like all right, Like that was fun. It it was
as fun.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
But yeah, like it just depends if you ever see
him again.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Yeah, I guess it's nothing personal. Yeah, what have you
seen since your success? So you just said, you know,
you've messed all these people, you didn't hear anything, and
then now it's different. So what do you mean by that? Ever,
since you've gained this huge following, do you have people
producers and people around town reaching out to you know?
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (28:05):
Actually, funny enough, that's exactly what it is. And I'm
really really grateful because that was one of the hardest
things that I went through, was trying to find people
to work with that wanted to work with someone who
you know, I I know that I can sing, and
I know my songs are good, but how will somebody
somebody else if I feel like sometimes people need to
(28:26):
be told what's good nowadays and so but that's just
how it is.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Now, I guess.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Yeah, it's crazy how fastic can all change.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Right, I know, and I'm not even nearly at the
level that I'm hoping to be and my goals, but yeah,
I am lucky that at least people are reaching out
now and really nice people, not like some people I
wouldn't work with really good ones.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Right, what are your goals in?
Speaker 3 (28:52):
I just I really want to go on tour.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
So that's a really big goal of mine and has
been for a really long time. And I love performing
and so I think that's really what makes the music
worth creating, is when you perform it live. And now
that I'm kind of starting to create a bit of
a fan base and people relate, I mean, I just
(29:16):
want to have that moment where you know, you see
people singing your songs back and you're like.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Whoa you know?
Speaker 2 (29:21):
And I imagine you were a big following, you have
people reaching out, Hey, when you come into my sne
I do.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
I do? Yeah, So, but I want it to be
like really epic because now I've waited long enough that
I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
I want to do it right.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Yeah. So if you listening to this, somebody to bring
out on tour, Yeah, says Mika's here for you. But
it's got to be epic.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
It's got to be epic.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Well, let's close out on this then real quick. Like
I said, you have a new album. We listened to
Red Ferrari. Is there another song single that's coming out?
And then what's going on in the new year? Anything
planned as of now?
Speaker 4 (29:56):
Yeah, I do have another song called never Ever, and
I shot a music video for it with another person
who reached out just from that Nashville video and he's
super great, and so yeah, that's coming out the next year.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
I have no idea.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
I'm kind of in this place where I just are
letting things happen, so I couldn't tell yet keep.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Putting in the work, and it all happened exactly.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
Well.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Go follow her on TikTok, Instagram, Samika Music, Samica Music.
She's great, Her cooking videos are great, her music is great.
Stream her Samika, thank you so much for coming.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
In, Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Of course, love this episode of The Bobby Cast.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
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