An Early Morning Call to Sam Burchfield
In front of a Bristol, Tennessee, to Aiken run to close out his summer swing, Aiken Music Fest had a couple minutes to chat with Sam Burchfield before he hits the road. We are happy to share the exchange with our readers.
The phone rang, flashing a Seneca, SC phone number promptly at 9:00am, a little unusual with most musicians scheduling a call for 3pm after they’ve woken up.
AMF: You’re from?
SB: Living in Jasper, Georgia currently. But originally from Seneca, South Carolina. So I’m looking forward to playing for my home state people again in Aiken this weekend.
AMF: The band consists of?
SB: Myself on vocals and guitar. “The Scoundrels” Ryan Plumley swinging a whale of a axe on lead guitar, Colin Agnew on Drums, and Trygve Myers on bass. With everyone singing in some form throughout the different songs.
AMF: Our fans know by now you wouldn’t be playing AMF without a solid Allman Brothers influence. What others would you credit with molding your style?
SB: I think The Allman Brothers are a given for anyone near the southeast who want to be a rock band. We’re definitely big Wood Brothers fans, along with a steady foundational diet of classic country for myself- Merle and Willie. My dad was a huge fan of the “country gold” genre. I’m a huge fan of the greats in songwriting, especially John Prine and Tom Petty.
AMF: 2024?
SB: Experiences I couldn’t have imagined a couple years ago: we’ve played Floyd Fest, Alaska, and Colorado among others this season. Absolutely beyond words where we’ve gone so far on this journey.
AMF: You released a new album in July, congrats!
SB: Thanks! It’s called ‘Me and My Religion’ and is available wherever you stream your music. We’re pretty proud of it. You’ll hear a lot of it in Aiken on Saturday night.
AMF: What’s spinning in the van at the moment?
SB: (laughs) Depends on the DJ. We’re all secretly huge Jimmy Buffett fans! Fruit is getting a good bit of time, along with The Wood Brothers, and our drummer has been expanding the realm a bit with a lot of heavy, percussive World Music- often Brazilian.
AMF: Give us a taste of what to expect Saturday night…
SB: Mostly originals. We’re ready to play our asses off for Aiken, and we love to let the interaction with the crowd help steer the show. Expect a lot of thoughtfully written songs we’re looking to connect with the crowd and have fun with y’all!
AMF: Thanks Sam! Last response is yours for the taking…
SB: Excited to be back in SC and play a home state show for y’all this weekend!
Interview Courtesy Rob Heilig
For Tickets to 8/10/2024 Saturday’s Show
Visit www.AikenMusicFest.com
