The Samples

In 1985 singer/songwriter Sean Kelly met guitarist Charles Hambleton met at an open mic night in Vermont and hit it off immediately. Musically in tune with one another it wasn’t long before they began playing in a band together, the creative spark was well and truly alive. To kick-start their music endeavours they moved to Colarado where they met with bassist Andy Shelden a friend of Kelly’s and decided to form another band. Getting drummer Jeep MacNichol and keyboardist Al Laughlin on board, The Samples began their mission for success. Relying on word of mouth the band played mostly to college students in the beginning and soon the word had spread of this promising reggae infused pop/rock band. In 1989 they independently released their debut album which had a bluegrass feel and soon Arista leapt at the chance to sign them before they re-released the album. Their time spent with Arista was short-lived as the band were eager to evolve their sound and move in a different musical direction. Signing with W.A.R.? (What Are Records) they released their second album ‘No Room’ in 1992 which blended pop with jazz, folk, reggae and rock which would then become their definitive sound. The album churned out the hit singles ‘When It’s Raining’ and ‘Taking Us Home’ which helped put the band on the map. The following year they opted for a poppier sound with the album ‘Last Drag’ which launched them into mainstream success. After a small hiatus, the band returned in 2013 with their 11th studio album ‘America’ released on New Year’s Day signalling a new chapter of The Samples had begun. Performing with an abundance of passion to an adoring crowd, The Samples delve into some of their most prolific tracks such as ‘Feel Us Shaking’, ‘Did You Ever Look So Nice’ and ‘Little Silver Ring’ evoking cheers and applause from the audience. As the band get carried away playing instrumentals you feel yourself getting lost in the rhythm as they command the stage and everyone’s attention. The Samples are back and better than ever.