SV: Thank you so much. We went down to Nasville in November and December to record with producer Malcolm Springer. Mal is amazing, he really brought out the best in what we do. We wrote 12 tracks at Mal’s studio. We recorded the tracks live at Welcome to 1979 to both analog and digital. The studio was killer. The band was in one room and I was in another room across the hall. We wrapped
there in 3 or 4 days then went back to Mal’s studio for punching. We finished at the end of December.

 

KM: Are there plans for a full album?

 

SV: Definitely, but we’re releasing individual songs for the time being.

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KM: How did you originally hook up with the guys? How did the band come together?

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SV: I actually have the pandemic to thank for a lot of it. I was working with Liv and Jordon during it as a fill in vocalist/writer. The shut down actually caused my current band at the time to breakup. This allowed me to jump in full-time with them. After our rhythm section quit, we were able to get Brad and his drummer on board. They had played with my previous band a bunch in their previous band. They were exactly what we were looking for.

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KM: Who are the guys in the band? Tell me a bit about everyone.

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SV: You have the future ex ms. Joe Perry, Liv Lorusso on guitar. Then there’s the self-proclaimed son of Texas, Jordon Brilliant on guitar. Last but not least you have mr. hide your kids hide your wives, Brad Hartwick on bass. All are tremdous players some of my closest friends. We are currently between drummers, but have some fantastic muscians filling in during the interim.

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KM: Where did you grow up?

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SV: I’m a New Englander. I grew up in the small town of East Kingston, NH.

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KM: Married? Kids?

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SV: Not in the immediate future. The band is my spouse and child lol.

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KM: You went to Keene State College and studied Film Production. Do you have any future plans to use that experience? Did you have any input in the video for Aces?

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SV: I did and had a great time there. I’ve been out of it for so long at this point it’s probably for the best to let the professionals do it. I’ll help in anway I can though, even if it’s just carrying the gear.

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KM: Was Rock n’ Roll always your passion?

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SV: Not initially. I loved sports which turned into film which grew into music.

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KM: When did you first start singing? Your voice is reminiscent of Bon Scott and a bit Marc Storace of Krokus. Has anyone ever mentioned that to you?

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SV: I started around 15-16 singing into a hair brush when no one was home. I’d sing by the window to make sure I’d see if someone pulled into the driveway. I was actually pretty shy about it until I got a real mic in my hand. Then it was game on. I get Bon all the time, which is a huge compliment. He’s one of my major influences for sure. Actually, you are the second person to mention Marc Storace. I’ll take
that anyday, Krokus is badass!

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KM: What music was playing at the Vlasich home when you were a kid?

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SV: I always joke that I was raised right. My dad was a rocker. There was always AC/DC, Van Halen and Led Zep on rotation.

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KM: When did you make the decision to pursue music as your profession?

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SV: After my dad passed away I fell out of love with sports. I grew really passionate about film and wanted to pursue it as a career. My best friend started a band and I sang a couple songs with them.  Once the idea of being a singer/frontman presented itself, I couldn’t shake it. I’ve been going ever since.

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KM: Were your parents supportive?

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SV: My mom and family are the most supportive and loving people in the entire world. There’s no way that I would still be doing it if it wasn’t for them.

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KM: Let’s hear about the first show you ever did.

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SV: Exeter High School Battle of the Bands 2007. I think we had 1 or 2 originals. We played The Ocean, War Pigs, Highway To Hell, and We’re An American Band. I remember the a cappella section in The Ocean being rough, but hey it was my first time ever performing for an audience.

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KM: Let’s hear one of your craziest Rock ‘n Roll stories.

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SV: Oh boy, I think I’m going to plead the fifth on that one. One of my most memorable experiences though was opening for Scotty Austin. He came through NH and we kicked off the night. He watched our whole set, start to finish. He is the one that got us in touch with Mal. Not only is he one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met, he is an absolute BEAST live. If you want to see a real rock show, go see
Scotty Austin.

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KM: When are you guys gonna come through Asheville? We recently relocated here from South Florida. The music scene here is pretty cool but I definitely miss a lot of the live shows at the Hard Rock in South Florida. Not a lot of big shows come through here.

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SV: As soon as we’re on the road, I’ll make sure Asheville is on the list.

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KM: Sam, thanks for taking the time to speak with me today. Please keep me updated on any new shows added to the current schedule and we’ll make sure to share it right here on Tru Rock.

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SV: Thank you so much for having me Kreig. I appreciate it and will do. I hope to see you in Asheville soon!

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