Honey bees, sit down for this interview because we have a new obsession for you! Not sure why we were missing out on this one but now we are here. Exactly, you guessed it, we are talking about the Sam Tinnesz, our newest pop/punk/rock obsession. You know, if we get any type of new pop punk, we are ready to line up. Yes, we are dying for those tickets whenever Sam decides to step near us during a tour.
Sam has been teasing his new album, There Goes The Neighborhood, for quite a while now with hit single after hit single, and with his album coming out soon (February 24th is the day mark your calendars), it was the perfect time for us to interview this talented singer! We got to poke Sam’s brain all about his latest single ‘Spaced Out’ and more so read on.
Hey Sam, first of all, it is a pleasure to talk to you today! We absolutely love your latest single, ‘Spaced Out’ as certified pop-rock fans, the single gives us everything we could wish for! What made ‘Spaced Out’ the perfect song to be a single leading up to your new album?
Thank you so much! I really had a hard time getting this one to sound exactly how I wanted production wise and it just so happened that I finished it right around when we were picking the next single before the album drop! The wildly positive feedback was such a pleasant surprise and I’m really glad we released it when we did!
We sometimes get ‘Spaced Out’ and don’t know what we were doing. What is something that makes you ‘Spaced Out?’ What do you usually do when you noticed you ‘Spaced Out?’
I think I’m a phone addict. I would say staring at that black mirror all day leaves me spaced out.
When it comes to new songs, and especially your single ‘Spaced Out,’ what usually comes first? The instrumental? A certain lyric? Or just a story you want to tell?
I love titles. It really helps me to focus all my attention on one thought and really expand it. I love when the music, melody, and lyrics work together in tandem to all make you feel the same thing. ‘Spaced Out’ was no different!
Nick Wheeler of The All-American Rejects is featured on ‘Spaced Out,’ and it makes for the perfect addition to this song! What made you choose Nick for this song? Was ‘Spaced Out’ always meant to be a collab?
I referred to the band in a lyric in the chorus “head in my hoodie an american reject…” so I thought it would be wild to have one of them on it. One of the co-writers on the song named Nick Bailey is friends with him and asked Nick Wheeler if he’d be on the record. To my amazement, he said yes and the rest is history.
The song is about people being sick of being stuck in an, on and off again relationships. What advice do you have for people trying to avoid those kinds of relationships?
The heart wants what the heart wants so it’s really hard to avoid. But, I would say that you should lean into the relationships you feel most secure in and that make you actually happy in more ways than just physically. A lot of times deeper relationships based on friendship and common ground last longer than relationships only based on physical attraction. That’s all I got though, I’m no Dr. Phil!
Your new album, There Goes The Neighborhood, is coming to us soon. What was the process like for this album? How did you decide on the order of the songs?
I spent two years writing the wildest late 90s early 2000s Weezer-meets-Nirvana record with some don’t-give-a-sh*t-hip-hop attitude mixed in. I had very little filter when I wrote these lyrics and very little interest in aiming toward massive commercial success. I really wanted a snapshot of where I was at in this moment and where I felt the world was at. Also, deciding on the tracklisting is a weird and painstaking process for me. I listen to the order over and over and move stuff around until it feels “done.” It’s a ridiculous affair and I hope to one day find a better way!
Is there a song on There Goes The Neighborhood that you are particularly excited for fans to listen to? What’s your favorite song? (Ours are ‘Bittersweet,’ ‘Loser,’ and ‘Antisocial’ thank you for those songs!)
Ah amazing! There’s a song called ‘Prozac Perfect’ on the album that touches a bit on faking it til you make it and all sorts of emo lyrics. My favorite thing about it is the key change that happens in the guitar solo and then the key change back to the original key out of the guitar solo. It’s the little things that give me joy.
We were super lucky and already got to hear your album in advance, and each song just got better and better. If you had to describe, There Goes The Neighborhood with a color and one word, which would it be?
Bright orange! Duh. And the word is nostalgia.
You have had the opportunity to work with Kygo before, which made for such a great song! What was that experience like? How did the collaboration come about?
Man, it was wild. He is a very kind soul and it was cool to dive into his pop/edm kingdom for a second and lend my voice to his record. Some of my heroes were also featured vocalists on that record so it was surreal to me.
And now a burning question: What other artist would you love to work with? What kind of song would you love to make with them?
Hands down, Rivers from Weezer. I would make the most outrageous rock song of all time.
And lastly, is there something else you can spoil for fans? Anything you’d like to add?
I have a few collabs coming out this year after the record that I can’t wait for everyone to hear. The music won’t stop in 2023 after this album is out.
Well, we certainly can’t wait for those collabs and the full album! We would love to hear from you! What’s your favorite Sam Tinnesz song? How excited are you for There Goes The Neighborhood? Let us know by commenting down below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
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