Firsts With SamRecks

Words Liam Cattermole

March 24, 2023December 23, 2024

SamRecks takes us through his musical firsts, from overcoming rejection to what inspires him the most.

All the best artists build worlds and place their listeners within them. It’s a practice that everyone from Tyler, The Creator to FKA Twigs have done so whimsically over the years, and SamRecks is beginning to do the same. Vibrant and vivid, the nostalgic tones in his music and visuals throw us back to our adolescence, helping us to realise the journey that we’ve all been on. “BACK PACK”, the south London native’s latest single, sticks to this formula, as he analyses the moment when he realised music was the deeper calling.

SamRecks has been making waves on his own terms. Polishing an unmistakably London sound, the wordsmith’s developed a dedicated network of listeners who thrive on his cheeky chappy punchlines. The Nigerian-born artist continues to go from strength to strength, mixing lo-fi textures with skittering 808s whilst staying true to his experimental mantra.

Filled with languid lyricism, “BACK PACK” sees SamRecks harking back to simpler times. Unwilling to be confined to music, the 22-year-old directed, edited and styled the visuals, which sit handsomely on over 100,000 views. “This guy is coming up fast” reads one of the comments, and it’s hard to disagree.

Catching him in a rare creative rest, we spoke with SamRecks about his musical firsts, from overcoming rejection to what inspires him the most.

First song you ever made?

I can’t remember the first ever song that I made but I can remember the first song I released on YouTube. It was called “Lowkey”.

First CD or record you owned?

Kendrick Lamar – ‘Section 80’.

First time you realized you wanted to be an artist?

When I was in primary school writing songs and poems.

First gig you went to?

Davido’s performance at the O2.

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First time you faced an obstacle in your career?

Dropping a song and not getting the reception I thought I would get. That’s when I knew if I was gonna do this I have to put my all into it and stay consistent to make it happen.

First instrument you owned?

The guitar.

First time you felt like giving up?

I’ve felt like giving up many times but I never have. When I was younger and I’d drop music, it didn’t really get taken in the way I wanted it to but I just loved making songs and writing bars and always felt inspired when I heard my favourite artists drop new music.

First time you felt starstruck?

I don’t think I’ve ever felt starstruck, just inspired! I’ve met a lot of artists that are big now when they were still on the come up and it always made me think one day that could be me if I just keep going.

First time you ticked off a bucket list goal?

Reaching my first million streams on Spotify, and I’ll never forget it. It was on the song ‘Love & Attention’ which dropped on my birthday May 8th 2022 and it reached 1 million streams on December 17th 2022. That’s my most significant milestone and it was in a song that I really put my life and emotions into. Every word was things I was going through and reflected that period of my life.

Firsts With SamRecks

Stream "BACK PACK" below: