Exclusive Interview: Sam MacPherson Talks Powerlines EP, Upcoming Tour, and More

Sam MacPherson is an emerging singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer whose unfiltered honesty and nuanced approach to his craft have made him one of the most exciting voices of his generation. Whether he’s writing about quiet moments of a tense goodbye or the end of a doomed relationship, his words have resonated with millions of listeners around the world. Today, he makes his major label debut with the release of Powerlines. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Sam to talk about the EP, his upcoming tour, and more.

PC: You were studying nursing and playing soccer in college. What ultimately led to that pivot into music?
Sam: At the time, I was figuring out what I wanted to do. Then I had the realization that I could create music, which was something that was foreign to me. I didn’t know I could sing, write, or play. Realizing that I could do all those things and that I had a passion for them is when I made the shift. I was passionate about playing soccer. I enjoyed nursing in school. Those were things that I really loved. But when I started creating music, I put all my energy into that.

PC: Powerlines is out now. What inspired this body of work? What do you hope to say as an artist?
Sam: What inspired Powerlines was my inability to disconnect from things in my past, whether that’s people, moments, or experiences that I felt like I was carrying with me still. Not by design but more by necessity or inherently being at this place in my life. As I was writing these songs, I was circling back to those same feelings, people, and experiences. I wanted to document how I was feeling. The EP is a good mix of a history lesson in things that I’ve been through and experienced and how I’m feeling now.

PC: What did you learn from putting together Songs for Sam that you were able to bring to Powerlines?
Sam: I took my time with this one. I was very intentional with all the details—sonically, visually, and lyrically. Not that I didn’t with Songs for Sam, but I’m a better singer, songwriter, and live performer now. It was taking those same tools that I had and sharpening them.

PC: You co-wrote this project with a few writers. How have those collaborations grown over time? How have you continued to push each other?
Sam: Adam Yaron executive produced the EP. He’s been one of my best and closest friends in music. We did five of the eight songs together. He’s essentially family at this point. He knows me well enough to know when to push or when we have something or if it’s not quite there. That’s a really invaluable person to have in the room, especially when you need something to be looked out for from a more objective point of view. Because when I’m writing it’s easy to get wrapped up in all of the emotions, thoughts, overthinking, and the analytical part of it. A lot of the time, you need someone there to make sure that it doesn’t feel like you’re doing math or a puzzle and that you’re able to communicate the emotions of what you are trying to say that day.

Emma Rosen wrote “Backseat” with me. She’s amazing. Mags Duval wrote “Play Dumb,” and Gabe Simon wrote “Powerlines.” Gabe is one of the most inspiring people that I’ve ever been around in terms of songwriting and artistry. Tommy English and Jeremy Hatcher worked on “Stretch,” which is very fresh and upbeat. It touched on a new sonic direction for me, which was really inspiring to work with. All of these collaborators are relatively close to me as humans. They’re just really great people, and we got along well. I would hang out with all of them.

PC: If you had to pick a song off of Powerlines that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
Sam: At the moment, I would say the title track. Because it’s very visual and detailed in the storytelling. It’s the closest to the mission statement of the EP in terms of how I feel about all the songs. It has the most connective tissue between all the different songs. That’s the one that I’m most excited to play live.

PC: You’re also heading your own tour. What can fans expect when they head to one of your shows? Is there a different level of appreciation for the live stage just given the past few years where we’ve all been unable to enjoy that setting together?
Sam: There’s definitely a heightened and renewed appreciation for live music because it wasn’t an option for a while. I’ve always loved it. It’s always been special to me. That really put into perspective how important it is for people to go and experience live music together and how it completes the loop of putting out a song. That’s the complete experience when someone comes to a live show. Anything south of that only checks 92% of the boxes.

Fans can expect a pretty up-and-down, all-over-the-place experience. There are happy songs, sad songs, upbeat songs, and slow songs. I’m really trying to give everyone something, which is hard. You have to be really intentional, but I think there will be something for everyone that comes to a show. It’s going to be really, really great.

PC: With such a large body of work, how do you decide what makes the set list? Is there a song that always makes it? Is there one that will never make it?
Sam: There are definitely a few that I’m leaving off the set list just to check the temperature on. But if people are like, “What the heck? Why didn’t you play that one?” I may consider playing it. I heard someone recently say that there’s a difference between putting on a good show and having a good show in that my own experience as a performer could be very different from that of an audience member. I could have a great show and maybe not put on a great show, or I could put on a great show and feel like I haven’t. The set list is trying to walk that line and play both what people might want to hear and what I enjoy playing. It’s about finding the middle ground between those two things.

PC: How do you prepare for a live show?
Sam: I do voice warmups. I do some stretching the morning of. I usually work out, have a great meal at lunch, and then probably not eat until after the show. That’s my pre-show routine. I don’t have any rituals. My band, manager, and I have a little pre-show handshake that we do and get fired up together. It sounds like a locker room a lot of the time.

PC: How much do you use the stage to test out new material?
Sam: On this tour, I’ll definitely be doing that a good amount. There are songs that are unreleased that I want to come out later this year that I’m definitely going to beta-test live in front of an audience, which will be terrifying, fun, and exciting. It’s always interesting to see how people react.

To keep up with Sam, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music. See Sam live at a city near you.

Photo Credit: Maxwell Goldberg