Sam Lee

Artist Information

Biography

A singer-songwriter a self-professed rock'n'soul complex, Sam Lee is making grass-roots waves both locally and across the country. His 2011 debut EP, Better Half was recorded at the Blasting Room Studios by lauded Rise Against engineer Andrew Berlin, and produced by Christopher Jak. It has received radio play locally in Colorado, New York, and on over one hundred fm college-radio stations around the country. Sam has shared the stage with national acts like Dia Frampton, Allen Stone, Tyler Ward, Air Dubai, Churchill, The Epilogues, and Michael McDonald. This year, Sam has performed at Daytrotter, and his first full-length album, “Raise Your Flag” is set to drop in April. ?
"Sam Lee...is the epitome of a storyteller. His lyrics are personal, raw, relatable, and his stage presence is intimate...he is one musician who's name won't soon be forgotten." writes Colorado Musiz Buzz.
In 2010, after several years collaborative projects, Sam began his own independent journey as a singer/songwriter. Today, he is making a name for himself in his hometown, Denver, CO and around the country as a compelling lyricist, singer and instrumentalist as well as a true-blue showman.
Though currently hailing from Denver, Sam has spent time living all across the country; on both coasts and in music city, Nashville, TN. He has been heard to say however, that he feels most at home on the road.
Sam's songs paint a picture of love and loss, passion and addiction, hope for a better future, life on the road and the power of music to capture a young man's soul. His voice is alternately crisp and gritty, powerful and soulful. The songs carry heavy doses of classic influences like The Boss, Petty, The Allmans, and The Black Crowes but ring with the modern flourish and discipline of John Mayer and Rob Thomas. Listening to Sam's songs on record, or seeing him live, begs not the question of whether or not he will become an important part of rock music's new age, but when.

Instrumentation

Sam Lee - Guitar, Lead Vocals, & Keys

Discography

Burnin' Up Single-2010
Amelia Single-2010
Secret Single2011
Better Half EP-2011
Raise Your Flag-2013

Official Website

http://www.samleemusic.com

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Last.fm
• Youtube
• Bandcamp
• Reverbnation

Audio

• Fix It
  Listen   Download
• Secret
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• According to Me
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• The Broadway
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• Leaving Home
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• Jesse's Song
  Listen   Download
• Hate Me
  Listen   Download
• I'm Not Coming Home
  Listen   Download
• Livin' It Up
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Secret
• Amelia
• Rock and Roll
• This Time Around
• Burnin Up
• This Hell

Video

Burnin' up

Amelia music video.mov

Photo Gallery

Press

• CMB Better Half Review [+ Show ]
  

  "Sam Lee...is the epitome of a storyteller. His lyrics are personal, raw, relatable, and his st..."Sam Lee...is the epitome of a storyteller. His lyrics are personal, raw, relatable, and his stage presence is intimate...he is one musician who's name won't soon be forgotten."
  —Colorado Music Buzz

• 1146 Miles Blog Better Half Review [+ Show ]
  

  “Right away, I connected with Sam Lee’s debut. Let’s just say you can cue up my sheepish smile when ...“Right away, I connected with Sam Lee’s debut. Let’s just say you can cue up my sheepish smile when the opener, Secret, comes on. It’s not just the music that I relate to though. As Sam explains: “These songs are a tribute to the rock, pop, and country artists that I grew up listening to and to the songs that shaped me as an artist. They are a story, two years in the making, of my dreams and troubles.” So Secret and Burnin’ Up may seem very relatable to right now with the exhilaration of maybe finding something but This Hell tells of another time during our lives. Where it would seem easy to exclude that latter song from the EP and keep on the happy side, it adds a sense of genuine life to the debut. Life has its ups and downs. In fact, I’ve been told by people much wiser than me that every end had a beginning. This blog was founded during a time like when This Hell was written I imagine.”
  — Ian, 1146 miles

• The AV Club Better Half Review [+ Show ]
  

  “Denver-based singer-songwriter Sam Lee claims he has a “rock ’n’ roll complex.” There’s some truth ...“Denver-based singer-songwriter Sam Lee claims he has a “rock ’n’ roll complex.” There’s some truth to that, exemplified by the way he surrounds his smooth, somewhat saccharine pop hooks with rollicking piano, thick basslines, snappy guitar licks, and tight drumming. This rock ’n’ roll-spiked pop aesthetic has earned Lee some airplay on Denver radio, and it makes his brand new, six-track Better Half EP all the more listenable”
  — The AV Club

• Denver Westword RYF review [+ Show ]
  

  Near the end of "According to Me," the spirited opening track on his new album, Raise Your...Near the end of "According to Me," the spirited opening track on his new album, Raise Your Flag, whose release is being celebrated tonight, Sam Lee intones, "Turn it up and sing it like you mean it," a reasonable demand given Lee's performance on the disc. Dude puts his money where his mouth is, literally. Lee's got some incredibly powerful vocal chops, and here, he belts with a considerable conviction on each of the thirteen songs on the record, a follow-up to his 2011 EP, Better Half. The singer/songwriter says he's got a self-professed rock and roll complex, and indeed, he eschews the sappy coffee house ballads you might expect for a much more rocking approach on most of the cuts. But while Lee's vocals are front and center, the guy also has a knack for penning upbeat, catchy tunes, as evidenced by songs like "Livin' It Up," "I'm Not Coming Home" or "Leaving Home."
  

• The Opinion Loft spotlight 2013
  

  See URL for interview

• CMB RYF review 2013 [+ Show ]
  

  Sam Lee’s latest effort, Raise Your Flag, is a cohesive blend of country, rock, and pop. This is a m...Sam Lee’s latest effort, Raise Your Flag, is a cohesive blend of country, rock, and pop. This is a must-add to your music assemblage. Delicious from the beginning, Lee’s vocals are so comforting, it’s like hanging out with an old friend and reflecting on times gone by. Beginning with the toe-tapping, upbeat “According to Me,” and ending with the stripped-down tearjerker, “My Dear Warrior,” every track conveys a message of standing up for what you believe in, finding strength from your mistakes and so-called imperfections, and leaving behind the need for external validation.
  
  There are so many good songs on this CD, I kept it on autoplay, but my favorite today, is “My Dear Warrior,” reminiscent of the Eagles “Desperado,” but better.

• 5280 magazine RYF review 2013 [+ Show ]
  

  I got a chance to listen to the new Sam Lee album titled Raise Your Flag, and can safely say that it...I got a chance to listen to the new Sam Lee album titled Raise Your Flag, and can safely say that it took me on a trip down memory lane. See I grew up in West Texas listening to my parent’s vinyl records that included everything from Motown to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. My current taste of music stemmed from the aforementioned, It was the records my mother would put on like Patsy Cline, Eddie Rabbit (wow I just showed my true age), and Three Dog Night, that opened my ears to quality rock and roll.
  
  While the music scene here in Denver lacks that true rock and roll feel, instead substituted by all forms of indie rock and folk, it is safe to say that Sam Lee is cooking up something that fills that void. This album is a straight shot of kick in the ass heartland rock and roll. With powerful and emotional lyrics that summon John Cougar Mellencamp and the Americana sound of Tom Petty. It’s a record you can put on repeat roll the windows down and just drive until the road is no more.
  
  The album consists of 13 tracks that tell the tale of different emotions from love, sorrow, and frustration that play out to a well composed and well balanced production that leaves the listener feeling the charged lyrics for themselves. On the track “Mrs. California”, Lee reaches into his inner John Mayer and serenates us with a rather enjoyable tale of finding love in all the wrong places. Truly an enjoyable record from the opening track, do yourself a favor and take a listen for yourself, you won’t be disappointed.
  
  -Robert Castro

Setlist

Better Half EP:
Secret
Amelia
Rock 'n' Roll
This Time Around
Burnin' Up
This Hell

Raise Your Flag LP:
According to Me
Jesse's Song
Fix It
Hate Me
I'm Not Coming Home
One More Hour
Honesty
Mrs. California
Leaving Home for the Good Life
The Broadway
Livin' it Up
Dear Warrior


Covers:
Hard to Handle-Black Crowes
She Talks to Angels- Black Crowes
Sweet Emotion-Aerosmith
Jaded-Aerosmith
American Girl-Tom Petty
Runnin Down A Dream-Tom Petty
The Middle- Jimmy Eat World
Been There Before- Hanson

Basic Requirements

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