We can’t think of a better way to start 2025 than by introducing one of our pointblank Recordings artists, Sam the Zoologist, as this month’s student success story. pointblank Recordings is our in-house record label, a platform where industry mentors nurture emerging talent and help students grow their careers. Sam has joined the label and released three singles in the past year and taken the social media world by storm – earning millions of views across his social media. He’s been featured on BBC Introducing Radio and even secured the number 1 spot in the UK for Indie/Alternative songs and number 3 globally on the SubmitHub charts.
Please welcome our Sam the Zoologist!
Hey Sam! For those who don’t know you, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
Hey guys! I’m Sam the Zoologist, a 22-year-old artist born and raised in Italy, now living in London. I have been playing music for as long as I can remember. I grew up playing rock solos on my electric guitar and have somehow, over time, transitioned to a much more different style of music. I have been writing and producing music since 2019, and it is the biggest love of my life.
As you know, you’re one of our pointblank Recording (PBR) artists. What’s it like under PBR?
It has been a really great experience! I first met (one of PBR’s Industry Mentor) Kwame at a stage where I felt my music was really raw (and in my current opinion not very good at all) and I was still discovering who I was, and what kind of music I wanted to make. He saw something and thanks to his advice, I started working with Peter Lyons (an incredible producer) the following year who helped me shape into the artist I am today.
I got the chance to work with experienced people who are always there if I have a question and are amazing at encouragement and advice. Whenever I have shown signs of making the wrong decisions, I often get a call or have a chat with Kwame or Jonny and get some constructive feedback, which has also helped me grow in experience and as a person. Everything is so new to me, so to be surrounded by people who know is a gift I am so grateful for.
How do you feel about your most recent 2 singles “The Best You’ll Ever Have” and “Copacabana”?
I am very excited! Both songs have been a long time in the making. I had so much fun making them with Pete and I’m overwhelmed to see so many people enjoying them! If somebody connects to them, that’s a mission accomplished for me.
It’s been a great experience trying to create a group of songs that work as a collective but also stand out individually. I hope people keep connecting. If my music can put a smile on somebody’s face, that’s all I can ask for really!
Your music is often featured on BBC. How did you manage to get your music on the radio?
I have always uploaded my music to the BBC Introducing Uploader and somehow the amazing Introducing DJ Melita Dennet picked up my most recent release (The Best You’ll Ever Have) and liked it! I was thrilled when she picked it as track of the day for a following BBC Radio show called Orbit. I recommend uploading to the uploader. You never know who might listen.
What’s your writing/production process like?
I usually write songs on an instrument when I am feeling a particular way. If I am sad, or happy or anything really, I tend to pick up my guitar or sit at my keyboard and just sing/write how I feel. I never like complicating anything. Just write how you feel and don’t worry if it sounds kind of cheesy. As a matter of fact, the cheesier the better if you ask me.
Once I have written a song and I can perform it well on an instrument, I move into Logic. I am not saying this is the right way. I have lots of respect for starting the writing process in the DAW as well. It’s just not my preferred way. I love using live instruments, so any extra money I ever make is always saved and spent on some form of instrument. For me, recording a real instrument is so much more fulfilling and beautiful than programming things in MIDI. Again, just personal preference.
I spent so long trying to get things to sound “polished” and “professional”, it is ironic now I deliberately long for the opposite. I prefer sounds that are not necessarily perfect but feel and sound unique.
Once I have the songs where I like them, I usually call Pete, and we work on the demo together to reach the best final version possible.
You’re getting a lot of traction on social media at the moment. How did you feel when your video went viral (currently over 2 million views)?
Really happy and also very confused. I spent so long creating videos that I worked so hard on, posting every day so many times until exhaustion, with no results. I stopped posting so frequently and made a completely random video talking to the camera about an experience I had at a live show of mine. I know this is cliché, but I genuinely was about to delete the video from my drafts, as I thought it made me look lame and a tiny bit like a loser. I ended up posting it late at night, with no hashtags, and no hope of anything happening. Funnily enough, it wasn’t until about a week later when the video really started to take off and so did the next one I posted. I was so happy something finally worked, but it was kind of a bittersweet moment like me talking to Instagram and saying: “Really? This is the one that works?”.
Anyway, I have been completely overwhelmed with lovely messages and comments and lots of people discovering me and my music, so I am so excited and hopeful I can keep it going!
What’s your advice to students struggling with social media?
Firstly I’d say I have absolutely no clue how it works either! I find it funny how you speak to so many people and nobody knows the answer. Because there isn’t one. All I would say is just keep chopping and changing, if something doesn’t work, change it!
I remember for ages I was posting videos of covers, and videos of me lip-syncing my songs and got absolutely nothing. For some reason, I kept on doing it for months and months. Thanks to the label, I got to work with Alexa King on my social media and she suggested I talk to the camera. At first, I was hesitant and sceptical. Why would I talk to the camera? People have to like my music, not me! I tried, tried and then tried again, and what do you know, something worked!
I would also say don’t do it as a chore. One of the best tips I got from Alexa was “treat it as your diary”. That’s exactly what I did in the two videos that performed well.
Funnily enough, I have posted covers since then and surprise surprise, they didn’t work! Maybe I should take my own advice…
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Any future projects and/or events you’d like to share?
My debut EP is going to be out with pointblank Recordings right at the start of next year, and I could not be more excited. I am playing the PBR Showcase on the 16th of January and hopefully lots of more shows! So, if you are looking for things to do, make sure you stay tuned!
Listen up!
If you’d like to follow along Sam’s journey, check out his socials here. If you’re a student in pointblank that’s interested in joining pointblank Recordings, please submit your music to kwame@pointblankrecordings.com or john.fortis@pointblankrecordings.com to get 1-2-1 mentorships with our industry experts. They will send guidance with music direction, artist development, and A&R. Alternatively, you can send your music to hello@pointblankrecordings.com and if successful, one of the team members will be in touch.
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