Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Hastings.
Sam, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My career as a musician started in 2018 after trying out for The Voice. Before I auditioned, I occasionally played open mics but mostly played at home. I didn’t end up making it on the show, but my audition was aired, which was enough to convince me that I should make a career out of music.
I suffered from stage fright, so over the next 4 years I played out part-time while working a number of different jobs. It wasn’t until the summer of 2022 that I decided to put all of my efforts into being a musician and see if I could do it full-time. I worked with my mentor, Lucas Roy, who taught me the ins and outs of being a musician and introduced me to the wedding/private event side of the industry.
At the time I was living in Portland, Maine, but my girlfriend and I already had plans to move down to St. Pete. With everything I learned, I came down to St. Pete with the intention of playing music full-time. I’ve been here 7 months now, and last month I played 23 gigs.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely been a journey to get to where I’m at now. As I mentioned, I struggled with severe stage fright. It was so bad that there were times I would have to get off stage because my anxiety was so bad. This was really hard for me because I knew I wanted to be a musician but I was so scared to do the thing I loved.
I would say that 2022 was really when I started to finally feel confident in what I was doing and enjoyed getting up in front of a crowd. I felt confident enough that I responded to an invitation to audition for American Idol, and ended up getting 3 yeses from the judges and a golden ticket.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a singer/songwriter who performs mostly covers. I would say that what sets me apart from other musicians is my vocal ability and the distinct rasp in my voice. Along with that, I have curated a setlist that has songs that people don’t always expect to hear from a solo performer, but I also play songs that people know and love.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I had a great childhood full of lots of great memories, but relating to music I would say when my parents gifted me an acoustic guitar for graduating high school. I started playing guitar when I was 14 and had access to instruments, but having my own acoustic opened the door to playing and writing more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://samhastingsmusic.com/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam_hastings/
