This week we got to spend time with Sam from The Popcorns.

BC: Hello there, so who are you?
Sam: My name is Sam and I am the tenor player who co-started The Popcorns. I come from a Jazz background, but enjoy playing all types of music whenever possible.

BC: Describe what you do in one sentence?
Sam: The Popcorns are an acoustic trio that play covers of pop songs, from now and the past, with Jazz influences.

BC: What makes you different from other sax players?
Sam: As a musician, I believe that melody is one of the most important things in music and when I play I am always trying to be aware of this whether it is playing the real melody or improvising. As well, I like to focus on tone by trying to find my own sound and try to adapt it to the correct genre.

BC: How did you become a musician?
Sam: I grew up in a musical family where everyone played or dabbled on an instrument of some kind. My Dad was very much in to Jazz so this was a starting point for me with music. So this was probably a major factor when wanting to start playing the saxophone. I spent most of the early years of learning playing with CDs and trying to sound like the person on the record.

BC: Who is your favourite sax player/musician?
Sam: It’s hard to pick one, but at the moment some of my favourites include, Dayna Stephens, Brad Mehldau and Becca Stevens.

BC: What has been your favourite ever event (and why)?
Sam: My favourite event with The Popcorns would have been playing on the Thames for a boat party. We got to play outside on the top deck and the sun went down. It was a beautiful experience with great people.

BC: What would be your ideal event?
Sam: My ideal event would be similar to the one I mentioned. A location that is lovely to play in with a lively audience and a fun atmosphere.

BC: Who have you most enjoyed performing for/meeting on an event?
Sam: I thoroughly enjoyed performing at a function where John Cleese and Fiona Bruce were attending.

BC: What do you do the rest of the time (when you’re not playing sax)?
I am also in to photography and squash and try to do those as much as possible in my spare time.

Thanks for chatting to us Sam. If you are interested in booking The Popcorns for your next event, please get in touch today!