In this interview spotlight, I chat with Sami Chohfi about his latest single release, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I was born in Sacramento, CA in 1982, raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida most of my life, and currently reside in Puyallup, Wa which is about 30 minutes from Seattle. I spend a time traveling all over the world, mainly to Brazil where my wife and family are from.
I write in multiple genres of music. Most recently my songs are in the Singer-Songwriter, Acoustic, Folk, soft rock genre. I also have a band in the Melodic Rock genre called Blue Helix.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
In 1994 I was watching MTV and got a view of a video called “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. My world was spun upside-down being turned onto 90s Rock. I asked my mom to buy me a guitar and I started to teach myself how to play. I learned 100s of songs which helped me become the songwriter I am today. In 1995 my best friend and I were learning at the same time, and when he tragically passed I think part of me wanted to keep going for him. The truth is music has become my passion in life, my motivation to keep going is my undying love for performing and songwriting. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
I have always written my songs with an acoustic guitar. I will write my ideas down with my Taylor in hand and I tend to transpose the arrangements into Rock formats. I have been wanting to go for more of a raw and pure sound so I decided to do what I do best and keep the songs I create as acoustic tunes this time around. I am going for more of a Chris Cornell (Higher Truth), Oasis (Whats the Story Morning Glory), Goo Goo Dolls (A Boy Named Goo), Coldplay (A Rush of Blood to the Head) vibe with these new songs.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
The main challenge is that your work gets lost in the abyss of the internet. Everyone is releasing music even people who really aren’t seasoned songwriters or musicians, and it tends to clutter the inboxes and social feeds of people in the industry that can actually help an indie artist or rising talent. The business is rough and cut throat, and it’s not for the weak hearted. I think that technology has made it easy for artists to share there music with their immediate network and with a bit of strategy and luck a massive audience. It has allowed me to work remotely with musicians and my producer on my most recent album, since we use WhatsApp and Dropbox to share ideas from thousands of miles away. Technology makes it possible to save money on flight tickets, lol.
What was the last three songs you listened to?
“Don’t Go Away” by Oasis
“Iris” The Goo Goo Dolls
“Svefn-g-englar” Sigur Ros
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I have and always will be a CD guy. Its what I grew up with. To me the sound quality is ideal. I do enjoy Vinyls, however I listen to music in the car.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I like Spotify because it keeps count of your progress with streams and monthly listeners. I think it is important for an artist to see where their fans are based and if marketing efforts are growing.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Social Media baby. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify and my website are the best ways to keep up with me. Subscribe to my Youtube channel to keep up with my new video releases.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samichohfimusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamiChohfiMusic
Instagram: https://instagram.com/samichohfimusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvJRfkunFGHpuiXvsAXcvCg
Spotify : https://spoti.fi/2W7ET0q
Website: https://samichohfimusic.com/
Anything else before we sign off?
Yes, Thank you for the interview and the opportunity to be a part of the MTM family.
I wanted to mention that I will be returning for my second tour of Brazil in August highlighting my solo work. I am very excited for the future and for people to hear the new songs I am about to release. Keep an ear out for these songs “Dirty Your Soul,” “This Majesty,” “All Over Again,” and my personal favorite “Tidal Wave.”
