An effortless blend of tones and an intriguing fusion of South Asian, Afro-Caribbean and Western influences, rising London stars S.A.M and Pritt showcase their concept EP 'Take 2’ - a narrative streamlining young love and testing challenges in a toxic relationship.
Drawn into catchy melodies and lyrical proficiency from their feel-good hit ‘356’ to cathartic and pensive feelings expressed in ‘Drowning’, the duo are making waves, keeping us on our feet as we are eager to listen to more.
They have also championed individual success; Pritt being the first Tamil woman to perform on BBC Asian Network’s Future Sounds 2021 and S.A.M’s recognition on Rated Ones To Watch and GRM Daily.
S.A.M expands on the project, “I remember watching this documentary one day and just thinking that the sea can be the most peaceful place to be on a Summer’s day but in a storm can be the most destructive. It just reminded me of a toxic relationship.”
Pritt adds, “Reminiscing the good times but the bad seems to outweigh it. The back and forth between S.A.M and Pritt sounds like a conversation, where they don’t see eye to eye, eventually ending the relationship for good.”
A contagious energy from the pair and skillful musicianship throughout - keep an eye out for S.A.M and Pritt. Read below for more.
Interview:
Can you share with us your creative process? How did the concept project come about?
Pritt: I think for me, I've never collaborated on a whole project with anyone and I'm always looking to challenge myself and expand my skills a little more so when this project came about, I was a little sceptical but very excited! Everything was over Facetime due to lockdown so we just bounced off one another and here we are with an 8 track EP. I am pretty much a loner when it comes to writing music, I enjoy writing stuff by myself so being able to work with S.A.M was interesting and definitely allowed friendly competition haha!
S.A.M: I think in my eyes I’ve always wanted to work more closely with female artists, especially singers to not only challenge myself as an artist but to break the norms. I see a lot of singles that come out from make/female duos however, very very rarely do you see a whole project and a conceptual one at that. Pritt & I had always talked about working together on something bigger than just a single and then the national lockdown hit and gave us the chance to really build this body of work.
What were the highlights of working together?
P: It was sick to work with a rapper and an amazing pianist, I've known S.A.M for quite a while
and I'm surprised that this project did not come sooner. Being able to go to the studio and bounce off each other and come out with a produced, mixed and mastered song every session was a gratifying feeling!
S: The highlight for me was definitely being able to execute a joint project for the first time in my career. Pritt is an amazing songwriter and being able to feed off each other and learn during the process was amazing. We’ve known each other for 5+ years now so have really seen each other grow since our first ever single releases, this was definitely a pivotal part of our musical journey.
Can you tell us more about how it feels and what it means for you to be representing South Asian music in the UK? P: We need more at the forefront of it all, I can't really point at anyone of Tamil or South Asian descent that I've looked up to in the past, it's literally been me imagining a potential future with that kind of talent! There are so many talented South Asians that it would only be right if we shine! Taking that first step for the future is a big job but if not us, then who? or when?
S: It’s a huge honour first and foremost. With most of my musical influences not coming from a South Asian background it’s always been a goal of mine to really be an Asian artist that can be mentioned amidst the conversations of British homegrown artists. There are only a handful of us and not a lot of representation in the Western mainstream. I really hope I can leave a mark and legacy so that those who are younger, especially from the South Asian community can see that music is a viable option for them and a dream worth chasing.
What would you like to achieve for the future? P: So much! I feel like I'm getting there and I have so much yet to achieve but I'm learning to be appreciative of where I am right now because I prayed to be in this exact spot a year ago and God came thru. I would love to expand on A collective: SOUL and keep releasing music, keep encouraging my friends and family to see music and the arts as an option and basically change this negative trajectory of creatives into a positive one! S: Just to release some of my best music that I’ve been holding hostage for a while, bout to come out with some really different, era defining music in my opinion. Looking forward to getting that out, working with a ton more people & really setting pace in being a British homegrown artist from a South Asian background. Wembley has got to get sold out for 5 nights!
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