About
“It’s all about making a connection.”
Sam Hamdy, the creative force behind Blue for Black, says the intention behind his music is different than what most people would think. “I actually find dark music uplifting, as strange as that may sound. When I listen to something that’s dark and heavy, I find it relatable. When someone pours out their soul in their music, it makes me realize that others are going through the same kind of stuff I am. And there’s a certain amount of comfort in that. We’re all in this together.”
Hamdy started as a guitarist, first picking up the instrument at age 10. “My parents asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I said I wanted a drum set. They gave me an acoustic guitar. I’d guess they didn’t want to deal with the noise (laughs).” When he was 16 he got his first electric guitar. “I initially wanted to play guitar because I wanted to be a rock star. After I started to learn about how to play and music in general, I realized I actually wanted to be a musician. I’m kind of an ‘accidental manifester’ in that way. There have been many times I’ve been led in the direction I really wanted to go, but I didn’t realize it until after it happened.”
Hamdy worked primarily as a guitarist early in his career, playing in touring bands and working as a session guitarist. He then took a break from music to pursue other interests, but says returning to music was never far from his mind. “I always knew I’d return to music, it was just a matter of when. When I ultimately decided to return, I was stunned at how much technology had changed the game. And leveled the playing field.”
At that point he decided to work solo, rather than join or form a band. “I really wanted to have creative control, so I’d have no one to blame but myself (laughs). I started experimenting with some instrumental stuff, then decided to add lyrics and vocals to reach a wider audience, and ultimately discovered there’s a part of me that needs to be expressed with words.”
When it comes to his musical style, Hamdy is quick to cite his influences. “My music is really just a fusion of what I like in other artists’ music. I like the heavy, driving sound of Tool and Alice in Chains, for example, so I just naturally write that way. I’ve always been drawn to thick, layered vocals like those of Queen and Boston, so I add some of that where it fits. I started on guitar, and have always loved the soloing of artists like Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Joe Satriani, and Steve Vai, so I try to incorporate solos wherever I can. And Trent Reznor has been one of my biggest influences. I love the way he layers textures and sounds, and that’s something I strive for with a lot of my songs.”
His current project, the Esoterica album, is just what the title would imply. “There’s no overarching theme to this album. The individual songs aren’t really related in any way. Most of my seed material comes from my own experiences, the experience of others that I’ve witnessed, and a whole lot of imagination.”
The intention, he says, is that every person who listens to his music has their own personal experience with it. “When someone listens to one of my songs and it reminds them of a personal experience, that’s as good as it gets for me. It’s all about making a connection.”
