Songwriter and producer Sam Bierman on his single “Numb to NYC,” collaborating with creatives and the future of the industry
Sam Bierman released his introductory single, “Numb to NYC” around the time the pandemic began to kick-off. With all the chaos, he felt it was the right time to release his reflection on his two years living in the city, which was coming to a close due to COVID-19. We sat down to talk a little more about his favorite parts about creative collaboration and his future focuses as it relates to the music.
What has your experience been working with other emerging artists?
I got into doing that more after I finished college and moved to New York. I was in New York for about two years. That was the period of time that I was working more with other artists and got into doing that more.
I do think it’s very important as a songwriter, producer to collaborate with other people, to get your name out there more and expand the amount of people that you know and expand your circle. I think it certainly can build your own career.
And also I just think it’s cool! I enjoy doing it and I enjoy the thought of I guess, rising up in the industry with other creative people around you in your circle. I will say there’s also value in, there’s just value in being really good at what you do. It’s not only about “can I collaborate with other people?” It’s also, “am I a good songwriter and producer in my own rite.” That’s important too.
I enjoy the thought of I guess, rising up in the industry with other creative people around you in your circle.
Yeah, I enjoy collaborating with other people. I just like seeing the perspective that they can bring that maybe I would not have gravitated towards.
What has the music community in New York City been like for you?
I met a lot of people in New York just seeking out ways to meet more songwriters. Klem and I met during a program called Songathon. I met a lot of songwriters through participating in that program. There was another group I was a part of and found online. It was like a topliners group–toplining meaning you know, writing a song over an instrumental that’s premade–so I met a lot of people doing that as well.
I think every city has its own flavor but, I think if you know what you’re looking for you can probably find it wherever you are. I have no regrets about being in New York even though I’m not there right now. It was a great time and I’m just glad that I met everyone there that I did meet.
On his single, “Numb to NYC”
I wrote that song pre-pandemic, last year, just because I was having feelings about being in New York. I wrote it with someone else and we just had mutually similar feelings about the ups and downs about being there and being stressed out or overwhelmed or anxious about the hustle and bustle and the sheer amount of people in New York.
Once the pandemic happened and I was displaced from New york, I didn’t even really, at that point I kind of figured out “I’m probably not returning to New York” for the foreseeable future. I decided to put the song out because it feels a little personal to me right now and just the timing of what was going on made it feel like, “this feels like a good time to express this artistic idea and put it out there.” If there was ever a time, now would be the time, and so, that’s what really motivated me to finish it in quarantine.
When do you feel the timing will be right for future releases?
I know people who are very diligent and very good, trying to consistently release music and put it out there and build up their own artist name and reputation and portfolio. There is nothing wrong with doing that if that is what you want. If I wanted that, a lot, I would probably do that and get on myself about it. I think I consider myself to be more of a songwriter/producer and I want my consistent output of work and releases to be credit with other artists that I’m working with.
I finished some other songs with other people that don’t have release dates yet. I think I’m more focused right now on collaborating with other people and trying to songwrite their songs and produce their songs for them. In terms of my own artist releases I’m not in a rush. And I have a tendency where the most recent thing I worked on is the thing I’m most excited about. I’m probably most excited about a song I wrote a week or two ago just here by myself.
With “Numb to New York City” it just had to get to a point where I listened back to it and said, “I don’t think I can do anymore to this and feel like it’s better. I think this is what it is and it’s time to let it be.” That’s the goal that I usually have with my own songs.
How can fans and audiences of your music and emerging artists in general support smaller, independent artists?
All of the efforts to have playlists I think definitely encourage music discovery. And it’s difficult it’s a hot topic because if you ask songwriters and probably the vast majority of artists they’ll say, “we’re vastly underpaid from streaming because the royalty rate is not very high!” It’s so teeny. I did the math and I think, what is it, a million streams is $4,000 dollars.* If you wrote that song entirely yourself you keep that; but if you work with others you split that.
With “Numb to New York City” it just had to get to a point where I listened back to it and said, “I don’t think I can do anymore to this and feel like it’s better. I think this is what it is and it’s time to let it be.” That’s the goal that I usually have with my own songs.
It’s just, that’s something that has to change and it better change in our lifetime.
In terms of how you can support up-and-coming talent, yes, anything you can do to cut the middleman out and get the money directly into their pockets. If you’re an artist and sell merch, people can buy your merch, if you sell CDs people can pay you directly for the CDs. If you want to be supportive in a non-monetary way. You should share the crap out of the artist’s stuff. “Everybody check this out this is my friend,” or “I’m going to put this person on a playlist,” “I’m going to follow them on Spotify so they show up on my Release Radar.”
I want to be incredibly supportive with all the people I work with but in terms of emerging artists there’s a goal, or hope that something you do, some song, some TikTok video goes viral and gets a lot of streams and a lot of attention. We as artists are relying a lot on this sort of hope that our big break will be going viral and being able to launch ourselves from that, I think. However you can line yourself up to do that is the goal.
What would you like fans and anyone following you and your music to get a sense of when listening?
Yeah, I think the songs I plan to do and release for myself I do think will be distinctly different than the songs I would do for other people. Just by nature, in terms of musical taste, I think my music represents my favorite kind of musical expression: fast, but danceable. Weird juxtaposition I know. Some songs that are emotional but something about the music is uplifting. It could just be a me thing but when I hear music like that it hits me in just the right kind of way. Bittersweet, yearning, maybe it’s nostalgic. But yeah, something that really gets to me.
I think I’m trying to go in a more minimal direction in terms of my general musical aesthetic. “Numb to NYC” was a little bit of both. The first half of it was pretty minimal then by the end of it it was pretty elaborately full, the arrangement. I’m still trying to find myself in that respect.