Intrepid reporter Justin Juul hits the streets each week for our Meet Your Neighbors series, interviewing the Bay Area folks you'd like to know most.
Sam Kehl is a singer/producer/DJ from Seattle who I randomly met on a camping trip in Morrow Bay. He was wearing a pink hat, a leather jacket, and really really cool sneakers, which was odd because all his friends were decked out in REI gear. Obviously the dude had never been camping before, and I don’t think he’ll ever go again. I mean, a man can drink whiskey and use his shoes for a pillow right here at home can’t he?
I’ve gotten to know Sam pretty well over the past few months and although he may suck at camping, I can say without a doubt that he rules at being weird. Oh and his music is really rad too. Check him out at The Eagle Tavern on August 7th at 10pm where he’ll be performing as both Samuelroy and Samnation. Listen to his tunes here. X-Ray Press and No New York will also be performing.
SFBG: So what’s your deal?
Sam Kehl: Hi, my name is Samuel Kehl. It’s spelled K-E-H-L. So I’m not related to the face products, Kiehl’s, or whatever. Sometimes people put me on flyers and spell my name like the face product. I hate that. Kehl is a German name, but I’m from Seattle.
SFBG: Why did you move to San Francisco?
Kehl: Well, San Francisco has a particular history of being queer and open-minded and there’s always been a lot of electronic music here. Seattle just got boring and I had already lived in New York so I decided to check out SF, mostly for the music.
SFBG: Any bands in particular?
Kehl: Well, I know there’s a lot of really really early experimental stuff here and all those Drum-&-Base people like UFO and DJ Abstract. There are others too, but I can’t remember. And um, Safety Scissors, Eats Tapes. Tiger Beats records. OK, so, not all the people I like are from SF, but I had already done New York and Seattle and I’m petrified of LA, so, well, I came here to do my music.
SFBG: So what’s up with your music anyway? How’d you develop your sound?
Kehl: I’ve been doing music for a really long time and I’ve been deejaying for exactly ten years. I don’t have any musical training, but I had choir and I sang in college. Oh and I played cello too. So I had all these different musical interests and then bands like the Postal Service and The Blow came out and I was like oh God, why don’t I do that? Why don’t I sing and make electronic music? Most of the electronic music that had vocals at that time was really bad. I was more into bands like Plaid and Aphex Twin, and Boards of Canada, like Warp Records stuff, you know? It didn’t really have vocals, but then those other bands came out, and I was like, Oh of course. What the hell? I should do that.
SFBG: When was this?
Kehl: I started producing and performing that kind of music in 2004, but it was weird. I would get really quiet and psycho and I didn’t ever let anyone hear my shit. I wouldn’t even make a myspace profile for various reasons, because I thought it was like this dumb sellout thing to do or some weird shit. I didn’t even let people copy my CD’s for like a really long time. I was just really secretive about the whole thing.
SFBG: You’re still like that.
Kehl: I know. But now I have a Myspace profile. I actually have two, one for each of my projects. My Samuelroy stuff is sort of “electronic art pop.” It has what some people would call an IDM beat, but to me it's just an experiment with many different sounds and structures. It's highly melodic and often mellow. Samnation is more dance oriented and generally harder and darker.
SFBG: So when you perform do you sing?
Kehl: Yeah, I pretty much just have my laptop and I’ll sing. Or I’ll grab a tambourine or a rattle or something to try to make it a little more fun. I try to be theatrical about it.
SFBG: Do you set yourself on fire or anything?
Kehl: No. Do you know of a good way to that? Shit, I never thought of that. I mean, I certainly would set my self on fire, but I never learned how. I did go to theatre school though so I’m really into the whole theatrical thing. I’m just not that great at it yet. But I’m learning new little ways, like, I’ll drop my rattle halfway through a song and act really unaffected by it.
SFBG: How do people respond to that?
Kehl: They like it. I love when people laugh during my shows because my music is supposed to be sort of funny, but serious at the same time.
SFBG: Ok, so here’s the main question, what’s up with your tattoo?
Kehl: It says; if the rich guys want to play with you, make them get their hands dirty. What’s up with it? Well, I just don’t ever want to compromise and I guess I’ve had so many experiences in my life where people pretend to value my creativity, but really just want me to work for them. They want my creative energy, but it has to be on their terms. I’m just never gonna be able to do that. I want that to be clear so I figured I’d just put it out there. It’s not about sex. It’s a quote by Jenny Holzer.
SFBG: That’s great man, but I was talking about your other tattoo.
Kehl: Oh, the pterodactyl? Oh well, it’s sort of a response to those stupid girls who have, like, butterfly tramp stamps on their back and shit. You know, those girl are always like oh, ever since I was little I always liked butterflies, blah, blah, blah. And it’s like, okay, yeah, every single goddamned little girl likes butterflies, so don’t act like you’re all special. I mean, I’m a little boy and I fucking like dinosaurs. Should I go out and get a dinosaur tattoo? I mean that’s just a stupid way to think.
SFBG: But now you have a dinosaur tattoo.
Kehl: Yeah, well, the whole butterfly thing became this long-running joke between my friend and I, so eventually I just had to get it. And the best part is that my friend doesn’t even know about it yet. I’m going to surprise her at her wedding. Pretty awesome, huh?
SFBG: Hell yes! Any last words?
Kehl: I want to start playing at more art openings and stuff, so if you have a show please contact me through myspace.
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Comments (3)
Sam rules! So do SF. See you down there this weekend!
Posted by Recess | August 6, 2008 03:58 PM
Although I realize it is funny to make fun of my survivalist skills, the sad truth is that growing up in the Northwest I had been camping at least once a year since birth -- often in dodgier, rainier conditions. It should be noted that the camping trip referenced happened within the first 3 or 4 days of my moving to the bay area with no more possessions than 2 suitcases. However, I do - in fact - suck at camping... so even without this excuse it would have been kind of similar I imagine.
Posted by Sam Kehl | August 6, 2008 04:38 PM
Hopefull that pink hat in the woods didn't act like a target for some of our creepy crawlers. All in all I give you props for rocking a pink hat in the woods.
Posted by Go San Francisco Card | August 7, 2008 07:05 AM