Search - Sam Thacker :: Lines

It's been over three years since Sam Thacker released his debut album, Above the Underneath. And while much has happened in those years (Thacker has enjoyed success at both commercial and satellite radio, toured tirelessly across the country, and collaborated with Grammy-winning artists), he still harbors the same simple desire to make music that connects with listeners. It is this full-circle mentality that Thacker displays on his brand new album, Lines. Taking such a substantial amount of time between albums was a conscious decision; one that afforded Thacker the opportunity to develop as an artist in a way that seems to have been forgotten by most of the music industry today. He honed his skills as a songwriter and a performer over time and, perhaps most importantly, on the road. I ve spent the better part of the last three years between a van, an SUV and a bus driving across the country playing music following broken lines along highways and back roads to and from places I d never been before, he says. Every song on this album was shaped, in some way, by those stripes that lead me away from and back to my home...the lines that have made me the artist and person that I am today. They represent loss and appreciation for the past, growth and transformation, hope and excitement for the future. So this album is called Lines. It is about crossing lines and drawing new ones. It is about the lines that bring us to where we are and the lines that will lead us to what we will become. Thacker s journey thus far is evident on Lines. Recorded in the spring of 2008 with renowned Atlanta producer Russ-T Cobb (Avril Lavigne, My Chemical Romance, Butch Walker), the album represents a remarkable growth for Sam both as a songwriter and a performer. The twelve songs drip with relentless reality and emotion that demands notice, yet he manipulates melody and rhythm in a way that allows the songs to remain accessible to his diverse audience. Performer Magazine notes, Thacker writes lyrics that are personal while at the same time easily relatable. While Thacker s sincere songwriting remains rooted in singer/songwriter tradition (think Bruce Springsteen meets John Mayer), he delivers his tunes with sweeping anthemic choruses that point to the influence of larger-than-life rock bands (like U2 and Coldplay). Atlanta Music Guide writes, Thacker combines the expected folk and country guitar riffs with an unexpected rock edge. Indeed, one listen to Yes (the opening track on Lines) forces the listener to immediately dispel any inclination to pigeonhole Thacker as just another guy-with-guitar singer/songwriter. Fans and critics are not the only ones drawn to Thacker s unique blend of songwriting and performance. Artists like Corey Smith, Ryan Newell (Sister Hazel), Aslyn, and Joe Stark (Sons of William) make guest appearances on Lines. Their contributions are testaments not only to the quality of the album but also to its broad based appeal. There is something for everyone on Lines and the collaborations seem to embody the overall feel of the album the lines of which Thacker writes unite rather than divide, explain instead of exclude. Like Thacker s songs and endearing performances, they connect.