LISTEN AND SHARE “AIN’T IT ALWAYS” HERE
NEW AGILE FREEDOM EP, FEATURING GUEST APPEARANCES FROM TERRA LIGHTFOOT AND MOLLY JENSON, OUT AUGUST 31
EXTENSIVE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR CONTINUES THIS WEEK WITH STOPS ACROSS CANADA
PHOTO CREDIT : Robbie Jeffers // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
Sam Weber is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in the vein of Jackson Browne, The Band, The Wood Brothers, and Gillian Welch. Years spent refining songs at home in North Saanich, BC, attending Berklee College Of Music, and working in studios in Los Angeles have honed Weber’s craft to a fine point. With two LPs already released, Shadows in the Road (2014) and Valentina Nevada (2016), Weber is now releasing, New Agile Freedom, a seven song EP which features guest appearances from Terra Lightfoot and Molly Jenson (Sam Outlaw).
The first single and first track from New Agile Freedom, “Ain’t It Always”, begins with the lines: ‘Ain’t it always true the one you really want is far away from you on another’s arm’ over a bed of syncopated electric guitars and rhythms. The song is about “how love and human attraction can feel like such a game,” says Sam. “As blinding as love can be, I think people are capable of changing and controlling those feelings over time, even though it's always easier to submit to your instincts about something and letting that influence important decisions.”
LISTEN AND SHARE “AIN’T IT ALWAYS” HERE
While touring Valentina Nevada, Sam and long-time drummer and collaborator Marshall Wildman caught the ear of LA producer and musician Tyler Chester (Blake Mills, Margaret Glaspy, Jackson Browne). Through Tyler’s friendship and guidance, Sam and Marshall began spending more time in the Los Angeles music scene exposing them to a community of world- class players and writers.
During their extended visits and the 20 hour red-eye drives to and from Los Angeles, Sam began writing New Agile Freedom, a seven song self-produced collection of tracks recorded on and off the road between California and home in North Saanich, BC. All the songs on New Agile Freedom feature minimal production and were recorded live either at his home in North Saanich or in Los Angeles.
Following album opener “Ain’t It Always” is the sprawling five-minute live bass and drum saga “Ex-Lover”, padded with cutting three-part harmony, virtuosic piano lines and no-frills, organic production about abandoning a lover for the love of touring. Track three, “I’ll Let You Know” is Weber’s first published co-write. It features his longtime friend and critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Terra Lightfoot singing and playing her signature vintage Gibson SG named Veronica. The song is a duet between the two songwriters, showcasing Lightfoot and Weber’s unique guitar playing styles respectively and supported by Wildman’s deep, Jim Keltner-esque drum feel. The song sounds like explosive Ry Cooder meets T-Rex.
Track four, “Burn Out”, is a re-hashing of a ten year-old song Weber originally wrote and released for Shadows In The Road. Chester’s stately piano playing and the accrued maturity since his initial performance of the song make the arc of Weber’s perspective during his career all the more apparent. The song features guest vocalist Molly Jenson (Sam Outlaw).
Track five, “Pure of Heart”, Weber narrates a sprawling ballad about a young woman struggling to stay true to her passions, feelings and relationships. Track six, “To Fall”, speaks to the unpredictability of life and the inevitability of tragedy. The final track, titled “Unrequited”, is the most vast piece production-wise of the whole collection. Featuring the best studio players Los Angeles has to offer, the song is a self-depreciating ballad about longing and unrequited love.
Sam boasts an expansive tour schedule with few days off for the remainder of 2018. The road has already taken him and band, Marshall Wildman, Jacob Weil, Chris Van Sickle, and Peter Day across the globe. Beginning their summer with dates in Sweden and Norway, the band is now back home for an extensive routing through North America. Landmark dates include a slot at Supercrawl Festival in Hamilton, a Wednesday night residency at the historic Cameron House in Toronto in September, a headlining show at The Bootleg Theatre in LA and many, many more. Full tour dates from August to November can be found below.
Read more about Sam Weber’s musical upbringing and his time at Berklee College Of Music in the full bio here.
SAM WEBER TOUR DATES
08/09 • Anelia's Kitchen & Stage - La Conner, WA
08/10 • Old Schoolhouse Brewery - Winthrop, WA
08/11 • Emerald of Siam - Richland, WA
08/17 • The Legion - Tofino, BC
08/19 • Realm Food Co. - Parksville, BC
08/20 • The Outback - Kelowna, BC
08/21 • The Rockwater - Golden, BC
08/22 • Owl Acoustic Lounge - Lethbridge, AB
08/23 • Bo's Bar and Grill - Red Deer, AB
08/24 • Ironwood Stage & Grill - Calgary, AB
08/25 • Ironwood Stage & Grill - Calgary, AB
08/26 • The Buckingham - Edmonton, AB
08/28 • Capitol Music Club - Saskatoon, SK
08/29 • Revival Music Room - Regina, SK
08/30 • Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club - Winnipeg, MB
08/31 • Junkyard Brewing Company - Moorhead, MN
09/04 • Sofar Sounds - Chicago, IL
09/05 • The Cameron House (Night 1) - Toronto, ON
09/07 • Peter's Players - Gravenhurst, ON
09/08 • The Garnet - Peterborough, ON
09/10 • The Brownstone - Orillia, ON
09/11 • Hugh's Room Live (songwriter circle) - Toronto, ON
09/12 • The Cameron House (Night 2) - Toronto, ON
09/13 • Supercrawl - Hamilton, ON
09/14 • The Dakota - Toronto, ON
09/15 • Abe Erb - Waterloo, ON
09/16 • Phog Lounge - Windsor, ON
09/19 • The Cameron House (Night 3) - Toronto, ON
09/20 • The Toucan - Kingston, ON
09/21 • Court House - Perth, ON
09/22 • CyberCafe West - Binghamton, NY
09/23 • Two Goats Brewing - Burdett, NY
09/25 • The Mansion House - St. Catherines, ON
09/26 • The Cameron House (Night 4) - Toronto, ON
09/27 • New American - Sault Ste. Marie, ON
09/28 • Kohne’s House - Thunder Bay, ON
09/29 • From the Grind Up - Fort Frances, ON
09/30 • Junkyard Brewing Company - Moorhead, MN
10/01 • Aster Cafe - Minneapolis, MN
10/02 • Haufbrau Bozeman - Bozeman, MT
10/04 • Murray Bar - Livingston, MT
10/05 • Highlander Beer - Missoula, MT
10/06 • Lewis and Clark Brewing Company - Helena, MT
10/07 • Tim's Tavern - Seattle, WA
10/19 • The Cellar Door - Port Townsend, WA
10/21 • Terminal Gravity - Enterprise, OR
10/22 • The Range Rider - Enterprise, OR
10/23 • The Riverside - Maupin, OR
10/24 • The Rack and Cloth - Mosier, OR
10/25 • 7 Devils - Coos Bay, OR
10/27 • Landers Brew Company - Landers, CA
10/28 • The Bootleg Theater - Los Angeles, CA
10/30 • Arcada Coffee - Riverside, CA
11/01 • 1st Street Bar - Encinitas, CA
11/02 • Lou’s Records - Encinitas, CA
11/03 • Ebullition Brew Works - Vista, CA
11/04 • Julian Station - Julian, CA
11/08 • De Oro Mine Co. @ El Cajon, CA
11/09 • Raven Café @ Prescott, CA
11/10 • Lost Leaf - Phoenix, AZ
11/13 • Sancho’s Cantina Cochina - San Antonio, TX
11/14 • Hole in the Wall - Austin, TX
11/15 • Iron Monk Brewery - Oklahoma City, OK
11/16 • Opening Bell Coffee - Dallas, TX
11/17 • Shipping and Receiving - Fort Worth, TX
11/19 • Performance Lab - Oklahoma City, OK
11/20 • VZD’s - Oklahoma City, OK
11/21 • Corrales Bistro - Corrales, NM
11/23 • Wanderlust - Flagstaff, AZ
11/24 • The Pour House - Paso Robles, CA
11/25 • Ukiah Brewing - Ukiah, CA
