Canadian-Filipina singer-songwriter, Samantha Schultz has unveiled a video for her latest single, “The Quiet”, a fervid and immediate piano-ballad that showcases Schultz’s raw talent and sophistication as an artist. The piece is a cathartic one for Schultz and her cherubic tone and range sets the theme perfectly while slowing the heart rate of its listeners.
“Sometimes when it’s too much in this loud, frenzied world, a quiet moment with someone we trust is what we need in order to reset and keep going to work toward a better day,” she says. “I don’t know if I’ve ever released a song as important to me as this one; I’ve never openly addressed my anxiety and depression before, making this song intensely personal, and I want others to feel they have someone to relate to if they feel the same.”
Musically, the track tiptoes in a slightly dark jazz realm with its captivating rhythm section of emphatic percussion, vintage organ synth, and minor-keyed chords.
The video is also quite an accomplishment for Schultz. As she sings, the camera pans, only revealing glimpses of her features until she looks and sings directly at her audience. It really works with the isolationist theme of the song.
“I’ve never had a music video before so I am super excited for this one to get out into the world,” she says.
Check out the video below, and find out more about Samantha via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
What’s up, everyone! My name is Samantha Schultz and I’m a Canadian-Filipina singer-songwriter born and raised in Edmonton, AB. I graduated from Victoria School of The Arts in my hometown and went on to attend and graduate from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. After college, I moved to Los Angeles, California, and have been living here as a full-time musician ever since. Music really has been my whole life and I’m grateful for the chance to chase these crazy dreams out here in Lalaland, while repping Canada all the way!
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
Since I was 11 I’ve been writing songs and playing guitar, always with the goal of creating authentic, relatable, and emotionally-connecting music. As such, relationships have been at the core of my songwriting with a style reflecting both the folk communities I grew up in and also the incredible singer-songwriters I loved to listen to when I was young (Sheryl Crow, India.Arie, Amos Lee, and more). I have always been inspired by guitar players like James Taylor and Jason Mraz, but my style of playing was very much shaped in my time at college where I received a huge injection of jazz influence. As for singing, there are so many influences! I’m madly in love with R&B and soul singers, new and old…there’s just something so incredibly expressive in this genre of music that you don’t find anywhere else.
What have you been doing to keep yourself creative during the pandemic?
In all honesty, like so many others, my world was completely turned upside down when the pandemic hit last March. It took me a long time to be able to find motivation and purpose again in my life. After nearly seven years of establishing myself as a working musician in L.A., it was like the rug got pulled out from under me; I went from gigging five to six nights a week to completely unemployed seemingly overnight. I eventually came to realize that as much as I loved my life as a live performer, COVID in a way finally allowed me the time to focus on my original music and artistry – and for that I am thankful.
At the end of last year, I started “The Artist’s Way” course. This workbook for artists stressed that if you’re constantly pulling from an empty well when it comes to creativity, you’re never going to come up with anything – that leaning into things in life other than music will actually help you begin to regain that creativity. I took that to heart! So, I love going hiking around L.A. and taking walks around my neighborhood; I love hitting shuffle on any Spotify lo-fi playlist or putting on an acclaimed album that I’ve never had the chance to listen to all the way through; I love a good hard workout (only after it’s done and definitely not while it’s happening haha), and I’ve discovered a deep love of cooking and food culture. Plus, I get to do all of this with my amazing husband, who’s pretty much the best ever!
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
I would love for them to check out my single, “Out of My Head”. It was released in January 2020 and was the first recorded music I put out since the release of my sophomore album, Ink To Paper, in 2011. It talks about not letting someone stick around just because you have an idealistic version of who they are or could be in your mind. The feel of the song is groovy and vibey, complete with a live-off-the-floor performance by a band consisting of my dear college friends and colleagues. I’m super proud of this tune being my comeback song after so many years of not releasing music and I hope that anyone who hears it will love it as much as I do.
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?
JJ Adrian is an amazing artist (and old Berklee friend!) based out of Vancouver; Jordan Hart is currently blowing up with some of the most intentional, gorgeous music I’ve heard in a really long time; The Command Sisters are a bad-ass sister duo now based in Toronto…and those are only a handful of incredible artists that come to mind! I also grew up with so many phenomenal artists in Edmonton, like Joe Nolan, Cayley Thomas, Jenie Thai, and Scenic Route To Alaska, who are all doing amazing things these days. And I wanna take a moment to plug my sister, Emily Schultz, who has blossomed into her own gorgeous artist and blows my mind with every song she writes – keep an eye out for her!
Connect with Samantha Schultz:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram