Samantha Sidley

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Miss Samantha Sidley is a queer jazz singer & interpreter from Los Angeles, California. Samantha Sidley’s long-awaited debut record, ‘Interior Person’ was released on September 13, 2019. Declared “quietly radical” by the Los Angeles Times – and named one of its Best Albums of 2019 – Interior Person is a collection of original songs by Alex Lilly, Barbara Gruska and Inara George, exploring the wonders and perils of love, sex, and feminine power through an unapologetically lesbian lens. With longtime collaborators, musical director and multi-instrumentalist Dan Reckard and trombonist Vikram Devasthali – and other surprise guests. Produced by Barbara Gruska.

A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes (single)

Sam’s new cover of the Disney classic from ‘Cinderella’. Out now!

“I’ve always had a fascination with Disney. Especially the older classics. The animation is so beautiful – how you can make a rat the most lovable sympathetic creature is beyond me and I just have so much appreciation for that art form. Also, the music is so so powerful. I think the Peter Pan soundtrack is one of the best scores of all time and some of the best choral work I’ve ever heard. Having said all that – ‘Cinderella’ has always been my favorite. I love the music, I love the characters – villains and all – and frankly, I love a happy ending! The music always rescued me from sadness. I was a sad kid. The music makes you feel alive because it is so alive with hope and wonder. I arranged the song so it would feel trippy and retro – like an atomic aged dream. It’s one of my favorite songs to sing.”

~Samantha Sidley, excerpted from Esthetic Lens interview

Interior Person (LP)

#9 on Los Angeles Times’ Best Albums of 2019!

Released Sept 13, 2019. Produced by Barbara Gruska, featuring original songs by Alex Lilly, Barbara Gruska and Inara George. With longtime collaborators, musical director and multi-instrumentalist Dan Reckard and trombonist Vikram Devasthali – and other surprise guests. Mixed by Steve Kaye. Produced by Barbara Gruska.

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Press

Los Angeles Times’ Best Albums of 2019! - alongside Solange, Billy Eilish, and Lana Del Rey.

”Something you might not have realized you needed (though this L.A. native certainly knew she did) a sweet, funny, tastefully arranged vocal-jazz disc about same-sex romance.” ~Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times

ADDITIONAL PRESS

Los Angeles Times:

“Sidley’s quietly radical debut album, “Interior Person,” is premised on the idea that a listener in 2019 shouldn’t have to decode a love song to hear herself in it… in its joy and its tenderness the record is also a triumph of a more personal kind.”

Read the full interview here.

The New York Times:

“Ms. Sidley has a sweet, girlish voice, so light that at times it almost disappears. But that vocal weightlessness is somewhat deceptive. She holds in reserve an airier version of the wail deployed by Rickie Lee Jones and Laura Nyro, which injects blushes of emotional color into her mostly playful singing.”


Refinery29:

”Samantha Sidley turns Singing In The Rain into a pro-lesbian anthem In "I Like Girls…It's her take on the black and white era of catchy songs from movie musicals but updated to be inclusive and reflect her take on the world.”


JAZZIS:

““Feels like a breath of fresh air. But it is also its meticulously crafted sound, which blends vintage jazz with more modern pop elements, that makes it such an outstanding debut.”


Cover Me:

"With many Beach Boys songs, it seems impossible to record a version that betters Brian Wilson’s immaculate original productions. With his shaggy psych-bossa-nova approach on “Busy Doin’ Nothing,” though, it seems more doable. I’d argue Sidley’s jazzy version surpasses the original.”

Cabaret Scene:

”Some singers have a voice so enchanting that one can listen for song after song and not long for some patter. Samantha Sidley falls into that category. A few brief remarks, a humorous comment or two was all that was offered and all that was needed. She sang about a dozen songs, giving each one the time needed to explore it lyrically and musically. Heavily influenced by jazz singers, her manner comes across as a unique cabaret stylist, rather than a pure cabaret artist. Unlike many jazz singers, her attention to the lyrics was front and center. Taking many of the songs at an ultra-slow pace that could be described as Shirley Horn Standard Time, she circled over and around many of the notes in a brilliant vocal display before coming in for a perfect landing on pitch.”