Sam Moss :: Swimming

Sam Moss’s new LP boasts an exceptional backing band — Joe Westerlund on earthy percussion; Isa Burke on deeply felt lead guitar, violin and banjo; Sinclair Palmer on rich double bass; and Molly Sarlé on haunting harmonies. Jake Xerxes Fussell also pops up to lend a hand on a few tracks. Together, this group creates an extraordinarily intimate sound to surround Moss’s voice and acoustic fingerpicking, whether it’s the steady thump of the title track, the slow way of “Dance” or the somewhat sinister groove of “Lost.” You could slot Swimming into the so-called Americana genre, but it really rises above that easy categorization.

The Lagniappe Sessions :: Sam Moss

In the midst of a northeast tour Sam Moss stopped in to Pale Moon Services in Cambridge, NY for an afternoon where he spent some time meeting, working with, and being guided by studio proprietor Jared Samuel and assistant engineer Victor Pacek. The day culminated in the following four covers, including Townes Van Zandt’s anthropomorphizing a window, 1979 Leonard Cohen, a Willie Nelson chestnut, and Jenn Wasner’s Flock of Dimes.