Alt Pop Artist Sam Nitsch Points a Critical Lens to Societies Overdependence on Social Media in “Under the Influencer”
Listen to “Under the Influencer” Here
8/26/2022 - Quick to follow his haunting new hit “Follow Me”, Sam Nitsch expands on common criticisms of social media in his highly anticipated album “Under the Influencer”. Exploring how heavily we rely on other people to tell us what is cool and trendy, “Under the Influencer” comes composed of hard-hitting songs originally written during the peak days of the COVID epidemic. Offering a variety of ukulele driven tracks and playful pop melodies, Sam Nitsch channels a sound reminiscent of The Beatles during their transition from pop stardom to cheerful psychedelia. In the album, we are introduced to lyrics of love, self critique and criticism of the world around us. Well paired with his haunting cover art, the overarching theme remains the same: our society’s heavy reliance on social media platforms has created a zombie-like reliance on other people to tell us what we should do or how we should feel about ourselves.
During the pandemic, Sam would spend long weekends writing at his home in upstate NY and would then travel to New London, CT where he would record songs one on one with his engineer Evan Bakke at Power Station New England. The routine of recording every week combined with sudden isolation led to a desire for introspective storytelling and a critical lens of social media culture. Studies have shown that influencer content can have a negative impact on a person’s psychological well being. Comparing ourselves to others is a natural human instinct, but adding online influencers to the mix exposes people to more content than some believe we are capable of handling. Embracing the idea that art is meant to make people feel and critically think about the world around them, Sam uses his platform to spread an important and honest message during turbulent times. He hopes to inspire others with his content; whether it motivates listeners to put their phone down and embrace the world around them or other artists to not be afraid to use their platform to send a message, the young musician sets the bar for thought provoking, melodic music meant for the mainstream.
Sam Nitsch has been a member of several orchestras and chamber ensembles, eventually becoming an awarded concertmaster of the NY Conference All-State String Orchestra. He also performed as part of the Rochester Philharmonic League Young Artists Auditions Winners Recital, the Rochester Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and he provided backup vocals for Josh Groban’s summer tour during his stop in Saratoga Springs, NY. Later studying at Berklee College of Music, Sam continued to play the violin as his primary instrument. Now, as an accomplished recording artist, Sam has four standout singles and one highly acclaimed album leading up to now, his second and perhaps most powerful album yet.
Photo Credit: Maddy Nguyen