Bio

Sam Fowles makes music that moves the body, speaks to the heart, and touches the soul. Driven by groove and the desire to find meaning in the moments on this journey we call life, the musician, songwriter and producer has a signature sound that stands out and stuns.

Fowles would describe his music as psychedelic soul laced with blues and funk. It resonates with deep grooves and driving rhythms created by vintage drum sounds, digital sonics, and electric guitars that build and blaze into billowing soundscapes. At its core is his unique, soulful voice and the punchy, heartfelt lyrics he wears on his sleeve.

Fowles writes about the wars we fight in our hearts and minds. As someone who has seen struggles, who has overcome and risen above them, his conscious lyrics traverse the spectrum of love and loss; light and dark; personal triumphs and failures. While his journey is his own, his message is universal. Ultimately, it’s a message of hope.

This is music that makes you feel, but man does it make you move. Live, Fowles and his five-piece band ‘The Experience’ deliver swashbuckling performances full of passion and raw, foot-stomping energy. The vibes are euphoric and capable of sending the listener straight through the stratosphere.

Born and raised in Wellington, Aotearoa’s creative capital, Fowles first ventured into the music world at age 15 when he picked up the family’s acoustic guitar and started learning it with the help of his dad’s extensive record collection. He and his younger brother would play along to the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, and Bob Marley – artists he would draw influence and inspiration from – and what began as a fleeting interest quickly became an obsession.

But it wasn’t until the age of 26 that he started performing live. He began frequenting Poneke’s open-mic scene, which led to the creation of his first musical project, Ghost Who Walks. The band played numerous shows over the next four years and released Fowles’s first self-produced EP, Ghost Who Walks, before disbanding to pave the way for him to embark on a new musical journey. Fowles is also a Master's graduate of Massey University's College of Creative Arts, where he studied music performance, composition, and production under the mentorship of Warren Maxwell (TrinityRoots, Little Bushman).

As a solo artist, Fowles’s debut album After Dark is set for release this year. Encapsulating his diverse yet cohesive, modern yet nostalgic sound, Fowles co-produced the album alongside Barnaby Weir (The Black Seeds, Fly My Pretties) and it was mixed by Lee Prebble (Surgery Studios) and mastered by Mike Gibson (Munki Studios).


Photo Credit: Sean Aicken

Links

• Facebook Page
• Youtube Page
• Instagram Page
• Bandcamp Page
• Spotify Page
• Apple Music Page