Samantha Crain

Samantha Crain

Crain in concert in LA at the Wiltern
Background information
Birth name Samantha Jo Crain
Born (1986-08-15) 15 August 1986
Shawnee, Oklahoma, U.S.
Genres Americana, Singer-Songwriter, Folk rock, indie
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter, singer, producer
Instruments Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active 2004–present
Labels Ramseur Records in Concord, North Carolina and Full Time Hobby in London, UK
Website www.samanthacrain.com

Samantha Crain (born August 15, 1986) is an American songwriter, musician, producer, and singer from Shawnee, Oklahoma, signed with Ramseur Records (North America) and Full Time Hobby Records (UK/Europe).

Early life and education

Crain was born and raised in Shawnee, Oklahoma and is of Choctaw heritage.[1] She attended Grove School in Shawnee and Dale High School in Dale, Oklahoma.[2] Crain taught herself to play guitar and wrote songs based on her short stories the summer before her senior year at Dale High School. Crain began touring when she was 19.

Controversy

Crain made the news in 2014 for staging a peaceful protest against the band Pink Pony, whose singer is the daughter of Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin. Christina Fallin had previously defended act of being photographed in a feather headdress, when called out for cultural appropriation by upset Native Americans. When “I heard Pink Pony was wearing full regalia tonight.” was posted by the band, to their own Facebook page, Crain said, "whether it was a publicity stunt or not, we needed to rally together” and organized a protest at the Norman Music Festival where demonstrators stood to the side of the stage, holding signs bearing messages like “Don’t tread on my culture” and “I am not a costume”.[3] Ultimately the outcry led to Governor Fallin issuing a statement against her daughter's actions.[4]

Discography

The Confiscation EP: A Musical Novella

Crain's first recording was the self-released EP The Confiscation. It was produced by Joey Lemon of the Chicago-based Berry and later reissued by Ramseur Records in 2007. It is based on five short stories by Crain.

Songs in the Night

Crain's first LP with the Midnight Shivers was the April 28, 2009 release Songs in the Night. The album was produced by Danny Kadar and recorded at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, North Carolina. Songs in the Night features Crain on acoustic guitar and vocals, Jacob Edwards on drums, trombone, and harmonica, Andrew Tanz on bass guitar, keys, and vocals, and Stephen Sebastian on electric guitar. Arizona's Benjamin Wigler provide vocal harmonies on the track "Get the Fever Out".

Songs in the Night was met with critical praise. Paste magazine gave the record a rating of 78 out of 100 and featured it many times online and in the magazine. Rolling Stone magazine reviewed it with 3.5 stars out of 5, saying "Her voice is gorgeously odd — all fulsome, shape-shifting vowels that do indeed billow like fog."

You (Understood)

After the Midnight Shivers disbanded, Crain released her second LP on June 8, 2010. The album was recorded in 7 days in Joey Lemon's studio in Wichita, Kansas. It features Crain on electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, and keys, Joey Lemon on bass, percussion, and vocals, Arizona's Ben Wigler on vocals and electric guitar, Eric Nauni on drums and percussion, and Sherree Chamberlain on vocals on "We Are the Same". Frontier Ruckus's Matthew Milia and David Jones are featured on the song "Santa Fe" with Milia on vocals and Jones on banjo. The album release was followed by an NPR Weekend Edition feature. This album was released in UK and Benelux on November 8, 2011

A Simple Jungle

Crain released the 7" vinyl single, A Simple Jungle on January 10, 2012. Its two tracks ("It's Simple" and "Cadwell Jungle") were produced by John Vanderslice in San Francisco and features Anne Lillis on percussion.

Kid Face

Produced by John Vanderslice in San Francisco, Crain's third album Kid Face was released on February 19, 2013. John Calvin Abney, Kyle Reid, Brine Webb, Daniel Foulks, Anne Lillis, and Anna Ash contributed to the album. This album was released in Europe and UK by Full Time Hobby Records on January 13, 2014.

Under Branch & Thorn & Tree

Crain returned to Tiny Telephone to record her 4th full-length album "Under Branch & Thorn & Tree" again with John Vanderslice producing. The album also features the Magik*Magik Orchestra led by Minna Choi. It was released July 17, 2015 on 200 gram audiophile quality vinyl boasting its fully analog recording, mixing, and mastering process.

01. Killer - 3:26
02. Kathleen - 3:22
03. Elk City - 4:42
04. Outside the Pale - 3:48
05. You or Mystery - 4:24
06. When You Come Back - 3:06
07. Big Rock - 3:55
08. All In - 2:55
09. If I Had a Dollar - 4:37
10. Moving Day - 3:21

Collaborations

Crain has lent her voice to recordings for Murder By Death, Ali Harter, Matt Hopper, Penny Hill, Small Houses, Beau Jennings, Parker Millsap, and others.

She has toured with the Avett Brothers, Langhorne Slim, Neutral Milk Hotel, Murder By Death, William Elliott Whitmore, Josh Ritter, Adrian Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds, First Aid Kit, Ha Ha Tonka, Deer Tick, Smoke Fairies, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Sister Suvi, Ingrid Michealson, Meiko, Racheal Yamagata, Jenny Owen Youngs, Jessica Lea Mayfield, American Aquarium, Parker Millsap, Broncho, Ali Harter, Beth Bombara, Berry, Ben Weaver, the Everybodyfields, Bombadil, Gregory Alan Isakov, Ninja Gun, and others.

Crain has self-produced many of her own recordings, but in 2014, produced the debut record of Oklahoma-based country singer-songwriter, Kierston White. The album was recorded at Blackwatch Studios in Norman, Oklahoma. It is entitled "Don't Write Love Songs". She also recently produced the album "Thought of You A God" by the Oklahoma-based band, Annie Oakley.

References

  1. ↑ "Samantha Crain on Mountain Stage". NPR Music. NPR. June 23, 2010. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  2. ↑ Brandy McDonnell (4 July 2008). "Samantha Crain feels Woody Guthrie's influence". NewsOK.
  3. ↑ Wofford, Jerry. "Christina Fallin's band sparks controversy with performance at Norman Music Festival". Tulsa World.
  4. ↑ Adler, Lindsey. "Daughter Of Oklahoma Governor Provokes Protests Over Her Use Of Native American Symbols". BuzzFeed.
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