Whether it be through the journey of his first band, Maybird, or later during his endeavours as Overhand Sam, Sam Synder is a constant provider of that essential psych fairy dust.
As you’re about to find out, the Rochester, New York artist is a lifer in every sense. Perhaps better known to many during his involvement in the psych-pop three-piece Maybird, Synder has garnered moderate success throughout the band’s three albums, Down & Under (2013), Things I Remember from Earth (2019) – both via Dangermouse’s 30th Century Records – and last year’s Wonderland. A trifecta soaked in ’60s reverence with warm atmospheres and imagery of wide, open spaces.
Through a similar psychedelic lens to Mr. Joy and Matthew ‘Doc’ Dunn, Maybird emits the kind of sounds that form the civic vitality of a record shopping escapade. We’ve all rifled through the vinyl crates with those warm psych sounds providing the necessary backdrop, and Maybird land in this particularly orbit.
In between the Maybird experience Synder birthed Overhead Sam, releasing the one-two combo of Long Legs (2016) and Longer Legs which followed 12 months later. Now on the other side of the pandemic and joined by bassist Benton Sillick and drummer Dennis Mariano, Overhand Sam emerge with a renewed vigour on their latest release, Bad Weapon.
It’s a record where the colours override sound. Just imagine Hendrix and the Kinks in a room together all those years ago. It’s close-your-eyes-and-just-smile kind of stuff, with highlights aplenty. The reverie of Pebbles; the tears of joy vibe of Fear Itself; the sugar rush melodies of These Days; and the ghost of Alex Chilton during album highlight, Zoo.
On Bad Weapon, Overhand Sam create the kind of milieu to sit back, relax and just let things wash over you. Allow this record time and you’ll have a mate for life.
In a back and forth that has lasted over the summer (life’s busy, you know), we finally got this interview down, in what is perhaps my favourite 13 Questions feature since Sun 13’s inception. So with that, we hope you enjoy.
1. Can you tell about the history of Overhand Sam?
Sam Synder: “The short version is I simply became obsessed with music in my early teen years. I began playing guitar while I had a cast on my left wrist, which I’d broken pretty badly. I couldn’t turn my hand over to fret the guitar in a conventional way, so I played it on a table or my lap for a long time. My dad used to bring me to the local blues clubs in Rochester NY (where I’m from), and I got really immersed in the blues scene here by the time I was maybe 14-15. The gimmick of playing the way I do was fortunate because everyone simply remembered me – and the veteran blues guys began calling me ‘Overhand Sam’. By the time I was ready to start writing my own music, and not being a sideman, I thought it made sense to keep using the name. While the music isn’t particularly blues, it’s still all from the same place somewhere in my wiring.”
2. Your latest album, Bad Weapon, dropped earlier this year. What was the process and key inspirations behind the record?
SS: “Before the Bad Weapon record, I was writing and performing all the instruments myself. It was a little lonely, but I think it gave me insight into how to orchestrate for a band. Once I needed to play those songs live, I had my friends Dennis Mariano and Benton Sillick join me, and we went at everything from the classic power trio format – which I’ve always liked, having been really inspired by Cream and Hendrix. So, this was the first record I’d made with my own band, which we dubbed Bad Weapon.
“The name came from a feeling I had about the state of art at the moment, and the commodification of creativity. It’s commercially no longer the weapon it used to be for taking on poetry, politics, or social commentary. I’m not really sure what commercial music/art has become. The term ‘Bad Weapon’ felt simultaneously like a threat and a joke which I also found fun and appropriate in the context.
“I mixed and mastered the record, along with the help of The Lullabye Factory in Denmark. The record was pressed in France and shipped to me using excess cargo space on freighters heading here anyway. The record did fairly well, with no initial release on Spotify. It’s made its way into a handful of countries, and lots of different states across the US, so I feel like my mission was accomplished.”
3. Listening to Bad Weapon, and I have a feeling that you grew up in a household that was full of music. Was that the case?
SS: “I was very fortunate because music has always been prevalent growing up. My grandfather on my mother’s side was a pretty famed woodwind player named, Valentine Anzalone. He wrote one of the most iconic books for students to learn how to play clarinet, saxophone etc. My uncle, Dan Snyder, was a professional musician his entire life with his bands, North, Danny & The Bleeders, Communist Sex Camp, and Range War. My dad, as I mentioned before, was a huge music fan, and took me out to see everything we could, including the weekly blues gigs all over town (almost nightly). My mom took dance classes, and has always been exploring new and old music, bringing that energy to old folks’ homes and dancing with the people. My older brother grew up a metal head, which was very inspiring. He always has been so motivated to support musicians and enjoys music of all kinds. Ha, so yes, music was always big in the household, and that’s something I’m forever grateful for.”
4. And on that, have the influences of your formative years remained, or have they shifted as you’ve become older and discovered new things?
SS: “I spend a lot of time thinking about this. Early on I was obsessed with the British Invasion, ’60s AM pop radio and blues guitar playing. None of that has really changed, but it was a bit funny to be in middle and high school listening to fairly esoteric music and missing out on so much great stuff that was coming out. During my ’20s, I think I was exploring more new music that was on the rise.
“Through my other project Maybird, I was able to meet some of those artists, and we’d worked with guys like Dangermouse, Patrick Carney of the Black Keys – which was really inspiring. That label, 30th Century Records kept me up on what great music was coming out, from artists like Sam Cohen, Autolux and The Babe Rainbow. Brian and I also equally have a passion for finding really obscure music from the past. I’ll DJ around town, and I still find myself putting on deeper cuts. My gaze has been getting wider lately, with a lot more jazz and metal in the regular rotation.”
5. As a current recording artist, are you constantly seeking out new music and artists?
SS: “I tend to gravitate mostly towards things that sound classic, or music that looks to take a timeless perspective. I’ll listen to absolutely anything, and I enjoy almost all music – but in terms of seeking things out, I usually will listen to recommendations from friends, or just keep exploring music I’ve missed out on from whenever past. I crate-dig regularly, especially when on tour, and I’ll usually end up with one ‘new band’ record and about 10 from the international section.”
Overhand Sam - Bad Weapon6. With the shift in landscape with streaming etc., as an underground artist how do you approach music these days?
SS: “I don’t think about it whatsoever when I’m producing or making something. Frankly, I’m making music to make myself happy and cheer myself up. As soon as I invite the thoughts of how it could be perceived into the mix, I feel like not only do I make worse decisions, but I’ll get disappointed and down on whatever I’m doing. The Bad Weapon record was originally only offered on vinyl, of which I sold out of the initial pressing, so in my head that was a win – but once it was added to Spotify, not much happened as I didn’t have the desire to pay influencers and poor writers to ‘care about me’. I’d rather work more directly with people whose work I believe in, like yours with Sun 13, Simon.
“As a vinyl and tape head, I also just don’t believe in Spotify’s longevity as a platform in its current state. That said, I do use streaming a lot, I just don’t think this is a lasting or immersive platform for media that I like to make. For instance, when I was sending out physical copies of my records, I’d included watercolor paintings for some people – just as a small gift in a ‘I see you’ sort of way. I did this for some small mom and pop record stores specifically, and friends in faraway places. If I’d only released the record on Spotify, sure it’s convenient for people to just click on, but I like making things too much to let my music just be a small digital picture with audio attached sitting a click away from someone’s work emails on a device that they use to doom scroll (amongst other things).
“As I mentioned before, in a hot take sort of fashion, I think music has lost some of its ‘guts’ – or the things that made it a weapon in its past. Now, while I appreciate the fact that anyone could throw something up on Spotify and start their musical career, I don’t like that many who use it will hyper obsess over the fame and metrics associated with it rather than just making good music.”
7. Some fun questions now: do you have any hobbies outside of music?
SS: “I love all kinds of things, drawing, painting and designing posters is always fun. I love classic Godzilla and other Kaiju movies. Star Wars is almost always on at home. I like long form media like Tim Heidecker’s On Cinema at the Cinema. I’m not much of a cook, but I enjoy cooking. My day job is at a guitar shop, and in my off time I’m usually mixing or mastering for other bands, but I truly enjoy that too.”
8. Favourite boxset over the last 18 months?
SS: “It doesn’t count as a box set, but I had picked up the Psych France Volume 8 from Rhino, which has been at many DJ sets I’ve done lately. I didn’t pick it up (yet), but there was also an RSD Gipsy Rumba record that I’m sure I’d fall in love with – so that’s on my radar. Typically, I don’t dig the RSD this much, so that was a very nice surprise at a local shop this year.”
9. Favourite records so far in 2023 so far?
SS: “I’m a bit biased here, but I’d say Doug Tuttle’s record Keeping Alive on Echodelick really blew me away. Some could say it’s his best work yet. It’s just always great to hear whatever he makes. I’m also very proud of my friends Mikaela David And Southern Star. They’d put a record out recently with Kill Rock Stars that is fantastic. It’s a very realised record, with solid songwriting and cool production. I had mastered a record for a band Dari Bay out of Burlington VT, called Longest Day of the Year. It’s so great. It’s one of those records that you can put on Sunday morning when you’re making eggs, or even when you’re at a club. It’s just got a lot of everything in it. I’m happy to call them all friends.”
Overhand Sam (photo: Teagan West)10. Your best new music discovery this year?
SS: “Tele Novella’s single/EP Eggs in One Basket has been my newest discovery that I keep finding myself putting on over and over. Classic vibe, with fantastic lyrics and real heart. The melody is haunting and a total ear worm, and I’m excited to hear what they continue to do.”
11. Listening to your music and I think I know the answer to this, but which do you prefer, vinyl, CD or streaming and why?
SS: “Of those three, I certainly prefer vinyl – mostly because it means that I have the moment free to relax or be at a club. I haven’t (sadly) listened to a CD in quite a long time, as I don’t think I have a functional player at the moment, and my CDs have been in storage, and streaming usually means I’m trying to get some other work done at the same time.”
12. What are the plans for the rest of the year?
SS: “I’m planning on finishing up another record with the Bad Weapon band. There is one basically in the bag, and I’m about 50 per cent done mixing it. This one feels like my favourite piece of work yet, and I’m excited to share that one once it’s all done. Hopefully that will be out sometime next year, pending some record label business and whatnot. Otherwise, just getting my home studio setup and spending some time with the family.”
13. Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. Any last words?
SS: “As always, I appreciate talking to people who take the time and converse with good questions –so I appreciate the time with you, Simon!”
Bad Weapon is out now via Turtle Phonic Records.
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