Sami Nathan releases song of hope against depression battle

Songwriter Sami has been writing in the background for some big names, but now feels ready to embark on her own career as a recording artist.

Drawing comparisons to the likes of Amy Winehouse with a sprinkling of Janis Joplin, Sami is influenced by a wide range of artists such as Elton John, The Beatles, and Stevie Wonder and like them before her uses a song to tell her story. Chaka Khan is a fan, showering praise on Instagram, having seen her cover of Tell Me Something Good.

You can enjoy Sami’s new song on: https://youtu.be/EOJBhdRAfcU – a song which is particularly important to Sami.

With its Beautiful Outside title, it might sound like a song written for the lockdown. It isn’t – though Sami says you can interpret it how you like in the circumstances.

“I was going to put out a song around this time anyway. I was going to put two songs out now, but I decided to hold the other one back for now. I haven’t got any income from gigs at the moment which is quite worrying because you’ve just got no idea when we are going to get back to normal. But I thought I should get on and put this out.

“It is a song about my struggle with depression, and it is a song about the fact that it is beautiful outside and there is hope. I had quite a few things when I was younger that contributed to depression and that were difficult to process. I have had some struggles over the years, but being outside is just inspirational.”

She’s not necessarily finding that lockdown is triggering depression again.

“I think it is quite worrying definitely, but I think I am lucky. I am not on my own.

“There are moments where there are ups and downs.

“But in a certain way I think it does help knowing that this is a situation that we are all going through together and that we are not on our own with it.

“The whole world is going through this right at the moment.

“It’s a really special song to me. And I think the song can be interpreted how you want to at the moment.”

As she says, she has been writing for other performers for a while, but this is a song which helps solidify the process of being an artist in her own right: “It is a process of identifying yourself as an artist. You need to solidify your inspiration.

“I think I have now got a much more distinctive sound as an artist.

“It is like a soul-driven sound but there is something indie there.”

Artists Sami particular admires include Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse.

“I aspire to be a great singer as much as I do to being a great writer.

“It is all about the song. It is all about the way that you present it.

“I take a lot of inspiration from writers and vocalists and women.

“I would like to release an album.

“I have gone independent so everything is self-funded at the moment.

“Until this one I had always done it at home in my bedroom, but this was one I recorded in a studio with a higher level of production. I know what it is like to be a musician. I didn’t like to ask for too many favours. I like to pay people what they are worth. I did it properly.

“And this is a really special song for me – and I am impressed with the level of quality with which we have done it.”

Releasing it now during the lockdown was, of course, a choice.

“But I think it is the kind of song that you can really listen to at home. The next one will have a lot more attitude. It is the kind of song that you want to go gigging with.

“This is one that you can just listen to.”

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