IN CONVERSATION WITH SAM SHI

Interview by Samo Šajn

Los Angeles-based artist, songwriter and producer SAM SHI combines electronic music with personal songwriting. After recent collaborations with Enamour, Nico Szabo and Aske Izan, she returns to her own music with the new single “Comfort Zone” and Live From Santa Monica, a live EP and performance film recorded with her band on the California coast. We spoke with SAM SHI about the new projects, her path into music and what she wants to do next.

You’ve had quite an unusual journey into music, from studying physics and working in tech to becoming an artist and producer. When did you know you wanted to fully focus on music?

Truthfully, I think deep down I’ve always known. But in the past, I didn’t take myself seriously enough, as if a career in music was this unattainable goal that only otherworldly people could achieve. I look at my life now, feeling proud of what I’ve accomplished with my career in tech, and wonder how many people would love to have my current job. Maybe my current life seems unattainable to some. I feel like life is all about practicing being present, being grateful and having the agility to shift one’s perspective.

This year has been instrumental in me actually facing myself and asking: What do I actually want to do with my life? This is it. I attribute a lot of this clarity to my 200-hour yoga teacher training program. The dedication I had to myself and the practice during those 200 hours was insane. I truly couldn’t escape myself. It was a lot, but it was beautiful.

Your new single “Comfort Zone” is about leaving behind things that once made you feel safe. What inspired you to write this song?

I spent most of my life avoiding being alone, jumping between relationships and needing someone else in the room just to feel okay. I didn't realize how codependent I was until I finally sat still long enough to see it. Around the same time, I was looking at my career, a decade in tech and a career that I am proud of, and realizing I'd been using it the same way: as a safe place to stay instead of a launchpad to build from.

“Comfort Zone” came out of that recognition. It's not about resenting what made me feel safe; it's about understanding that safety was never the final goal. I wrote this song in the middle of waking up and choosing myself, for the first time, all the way.

Live From Santa Monica was recorded live with your band in one session. Why did you want to capture the songs this way?

When I was planning this production, I remember thinking to myself: I really enjoy rehearsing and performing live with Eric, my guitarist, and Florian, my drummer. So why not capture that experience? One of my favorite elements of working in music is finding people you genuinely enjoy collaborating with and building those relationships. Also, I’m a sucker for a challenge and a deadline, and this project was a fun way to give myself that.

The EP brings back five songs from your catalogue in a live setting. How did it feel to return to these songs and hear them differently?

While “Comfort Zone” and “No Love” are more stripped-back versions of the originals, the first four tracks in the setlist are actually quite true to their original form, except for “Unbury Me.” I was going back and forth with Florian about whether or not we were going to include “Unbury Me,” and I’m so glad I followed my intuition because I LOVE the live version of this song. I feel like it’s sassier than the original record with the live electric guitar and drum kit. I grew up listening to Michael Jackson, and for some reason, this live version of “Unbury Me” reminds me a little bit of his song “Bad.” I think it’s the unmistakable presence of the bassline progression with the electric guitar following it.

Performing “No Love” alone with just my vocals and the grand piano was a surreal experience. It’s so much more emotionally raw compared to the original record. It’s also weird because when I released “No Love” in 2024, it really didn’t feel personal. It was just a song that I wrote, which I didn’t relate much to. Fast forward to 2026, after some misunderstandings, miscommunications and betrayal, and now I relate to bits and pieces of this song. I feel like you can really hear that in the performance. I honestly gave myself goosebumps.

You’ve recently worked with artists like Enamour, Nico Szabo and Aske Izan. What do you enjoy most about collaborating with other artists?

I LOVE collaborating with other artists. It makes the process so much more enjoyable for selected tracks. I love that other artists bring their unique perspectives to the creative process. I want to hear what they hear, feel what they feel and explore our creative depths together. The mind of an artist is such a beautiful world to explore, and I love when I have the opportunity to explore it and make something from that exploration together.

Your music brings together songwriting and electronic influences. How do you find the balance between these different sides of your sound?

I love this question. I would say that finding this balance is something I’m actively working on and continuously refining. I would describe this process as refining my taste profile as a writer and producer. I see it this way: If I can’t perform the song with just my vocals and one live instrument, then it’s not really a song, it’s just a collection of sounds. And if the production doesn’t breathe new life into the song, then it’s not a production, it’s just a polished take.

The electronic music producer in me wants something more formulaic, something that’s going to work on the dancefloor. The songwriter in me wants an anthem that people are going to sing along to, whether I’m at a campfire or in a stadium. I appreciate the constraints that my electronic influences bring to my production because creativity thrives under constraints. But sometimes that tension is annoying, not gonna lie. I'll have a super sick lyric and then I'm like, okay, but does this actually go anywhere sonically? I think that friction is ultimately what gets represented in the sound. Pausing and making an informed decision at that moment is the purpose. If it were easy, it'd probably mean I was leaning too hard into one side.

You’ve performed both behind the decks and with a live band. What do you get from playing with other musicians that you don’t get from DJing?

A metronome in my ear? LOL. Jokes aside, DJing and playing with other musicians are two completely different skill sets. Wow. Where do I begin?

When I perform with other musicians, I get to play off their energy. When I DJ, it’s just me and my tracks on stage. As a DJ, I get to play my own music, music that I like, and build an energetic journey with the crowd. As a live performer with other musicians on stage, I have the world of the stage and the world of the crowd, and these two worlds collide and meet in the middle. It’s a very different experience. I feel like I have more to discover here. I can see myself having a lot of notes on this in 10 or 20 years, lol.

The common thread is that you are in charge of the entertainment.

A lot of your music explores personal themes and self-reflection. Has making music helped you understand yourself differently?

Absolutely. To some degree, I process my life through making music. Without music, I would be a very sad, unexpressed version of myself.

You release your music independently through your own label, But Did You Dance. Why was it important for you to have that creative freedom?

Because I'm an Aries and no one can tell me what to do, LOL. Jokes aside, I never wanted to feel as if my art wasn’t worthy of being expressed because I know that my art is worthy the moment I create it. So why wait for someone else to give me permission when I can give that to myself?

Looking ahead, what are you most excited to explore next with your music?

I am really excited to create more genre-fluid dance-pop records. I want to dance with people all around the world. I want to inspire people to confront themselves and do the thing they’ve been wanting to do but haven’t dared to start. Nothing brings me more joy than being a source of inspiration to people in this world.