Excited to release his debut single, ‘Grow Old’, to the public, Exeter’s Sammy Kettell wants to connect with his audience through heartfelt songs about his life.
Relaxed in a way that only comes with self-confidence and contentment, Sammy Kettell lounges on the sofa with a constant smile on his face that somehow brightens even more when he begins to discuss his music. His debut single ‘Grow Old’ was released on 13th November, Friday the 13th in fact, but surely his day won’t be an unlucky one.
Kettell’s excitement about the release is evident by the way he enthusiastically discusses the ins and outs of its creation. He’s fascinated to see how the whole process has come together and is more than satisfied with his final result. Though certainly not lacking his own conviction, he is eager to find how his audience receives the track.
‘Grow Old’ is just a taste of Kettell’s self-titled EP that he is hoping to drop in February 2016, shortly followed by a release show at Southampton’s renowned venue Joiners. “Recording in the studio is fun but when you actually go on the stage and perform that’s like the best thing in the world,” he states. “That’s what I want to do.” Looking to the future, his plans include a trio of self-released EPs before the creation of a full-length album.
While Kettell is a second year on the Music Promotion course at Southampton Solent University, his main goal is to eventually become a full-time musician. Music promotion is currently allowing him to gain the insight and knowledge needed to understand the working gears behind the music industry before he earns a steady place in front of the curtain. Meeting colleagues and having full access to a recording studio are also added benefits.
Music allows Kettell to express himself in a positive way, letting out his emotions through song writing. Rock & Roll is the genre under which his tracks are categorised, but the subtle folk undertones and catchy pop phrases create a sound that demands something more than a simple classification. “Acoustic folky rock,” he suggests for ‘Grow Old’. “I’m gonna go for that.”
Gaining new memories and experiences while on nights out with his mates only fuels Kettell’s musical inspiration. “I’m just telling a story about my life through my songs, and if that affects people in a way that they can relate, and they dig it, that’s great.”
If there’s only one thing to know about Sammy Kettell, it’s that he is always going to stay true to himself in life and in his music. He’s not trying to glamorise the fact that he’s a musician and he’s not trying to look ‘cool’ in the way that the music industry sometimes demands. “I’m just writing music that I like and if people don’t like it then that’s fair enough I guess, but hopefully other people will. I’m just being me.”
Sammy Kettell Facebook
Words by Kaitlyn Ulrich