From the recognition and traction that his astonishing single ‘This City’ bought singer-songwriter Sam Fischer, to rubbing shoulders with the biggest names in pop, all the while remaining authentic and grounded in his originality, songcraft and musical evaluation of self, it’s safe to say Fischer has much more on his horizons.
The Australian artist brings us yet another pop anthem amidst ‘The Something to hold onto Tour’, this time featuring pop queen Meghan Trainor and producer RyKeyz, yet another collaboration to add to Fischer’s list of impressive successes.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Sam Fischer in anticipation of the release of ‘Alright’, alluding to the creative vision and direction behind his upcoming album in the following months. This breakthrough artist guided me through the journey of this single, explaining its early life as a hook that came to the artist in the shower.
During a moment of anxiety and distress, Fischer curated a catchy affirmation to depict a relatable inner conflict, walking listeners through the motions of telling yourself ‘I’m gonna be alright I swear’, despite feeling far from it.
The first question asked Sam to explain the curation of his hooky chorus that soon blossomed into the full song that Sam had been performing live as a bonus unreleased gem for his budding audiences. This later led to an unintentional collaboration with Megan Trainor as the song became the full-bodied bop that can be heard today.
“This song has had a really long life; I wrote it in 2018, suddenly overwhelmed with anxiety, I was having a panic attack in the shower… I began telling myself ‘I’m gonna be alright I’m gonna be alright’… that chorus kind of came to me in that moment. Then later whilst on tour with Lewis Capaldi, I was introduced to Meghan Trainor through a mutual friend, and we just became homies. I never wanted to push a collab, but Megan was at Lewis’ LA show and texted me afterwards ‘Yo, what was that song you sang, if you ever wanted me to jump on this I would love to’ and I was like ‘Okay!’.”
Sam continued to explain how the song came together in the studio with Meghan and producer RyKeyz in 2019, following the pandemic ‘Alright’ became a track that lived in the archives until post-COVID when Trainor reconnected with Fischer at a wedding “What are we doing with ‘Alright’? Let’s put it out!”.
The professional and personal acquaintance between these two artists is apparent in the seamlessness of this feature, both perspectives narrating a mental battle with yourself as you convince yourself to remain calm despite a whirlwind of emotions simmering on the inside.
When discussing the musical and thematic approach to this track, Sam described his love for deep concepts that are contrasted by a “happy-go-lucky” instrumental, comparing the inspiration for his song to ‘Hey Ya’ by Outcast.
“The lyric of ‘Hey Ya’ actually describes the breakdown of a marriage but musically it’s a party! That was an inspiration to the music behind ‘Alright’, I’m not doing well but I’m still alive and I am going to be alright. Its full of affirmations that people can say to themselves every day. I want people to have fun with this track.”
The singer-songwriter went on to describe his take on the universal phrase ‘I’m fine’, “Fine to me stands for freaked out, neurotic and emotional” an honest and relatable take on this white lie that people often say to convey a strong front, despite feeling despair or anxiety on the inside. ‘Alright’ embodies this raw take on mental health and self-assurance. I feel Fischer explores this concept with a positive spin that grounds the track in classic pop roots and is in touch with his audiences and values, that his music continues to portray.
I was interested to delve into Sam’s experiences of poignance and self-discovery, to gain insight into his approach to mental well-being and self-exploration in his lyric,
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been very conscious and aware of those around me and have always been concerned when others seem sad or ‘not okay’. The overachieving kid to people-pleasing adult pipeline is very real, and it’s me to a T.”
“Songwriting is my outlet, and where I can talk about what’s really going on. I grew up being told off for being myself, I’ve really struggled with my identity as I was always told my identity or just being myself was a nuisance. So, my songs really just show the inner workings of my mind and show me trying to fall in love with myself again, the real person, knowing who I truly am.”
“It’s hard to figure out who you are when the whole world throughout your entire childhood is telling you who you are was not what everyone else wanted you to be.”
This authentic, self-therapeutic perspective the Australian songwriter has coined with his most recent releases led me to enquire how Fischer feels when writing new material. Given the growing audiences worldwide who are now hanging on his every word, finding comfort and safe spaces in his music and live shows, as well as falling in love with his artistry and personality, I wondered if Sam now writes with an awareness of his fanbase or even anxiety at the thought of what reception each deeply personal track could get when shared with the world.
“I don’t think of anyone else when I’m writing. When the song is done, there is a period where I’ll think about how people will receive it, but my writing is very me. I write for myself first. I think if you’re writing to please anyone or fill a whole in your catalogue, or for Tik Tok, it ruins your creative process. You feel quite boxed in, so when I’m writing whatever comes out comes out. Music is totally subjective so if people like it, love it, if not-oh well!”
I was particularly impressed by Sam’s honesty and genuineness; he hopes that mental health awareness is “not just a trend or a hashtag”, he defines success by measuring the love he is surrounded by, despite the rose-tinted glasses sometimes setting him up for disappointment (as he puts it), he chooses to romanticise his experiences through his music as well as speaking his truth.
Sam expressed his gratitude for having a platform to tell his story and is beginning to realise that his music is much bigger than him, not only reaching people across the globe and gaining streams or radio plays, but also touching hearts and allowing a community of positivity to grow around him.
This track is not the last we’ll hear from pop sensation Sam Fischer, formulating his iconic ‘night-time pop’ sound and supportive fan community with each display of realism and personality.
The track ‘Alright’ featuring Meghan Trainor and producer RyKeyz, set to be released June 2nd, coinciding with Sam Fischer’s Germany show for his highly anticipated ‘The Something To Hold Onto Tour’ across Europe this summer.
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