Samantha Lu

Seems like good things always happen whenever people hear Samantha Lu sing. When she sang Jewel's “You Were Meant For Me” in front of the entire student body at her junior high, the reaction was "Wow! We didn't know you could sing like that!"

Growing up in Thailand, Samantha listened to American pop artists like the Carpenters, Bee Gees, and Bread. Her favorites were Mariah Carey, Eva Cassidy and Carole King, whom was a notorious example to her and her sister of how to rock out. “From then on I realized I really wanted to be a singer-songwriter. I wanted to not only sing but play an instrument like Carole King,” says Samantha. Her desire to pursue music landed her voice lessons and an opportunity to perform for the Queen of Thailand. “It was that moment where I was like, ‘Whoa, I could really go somewhere with this,’” Samantha laughs.

The 3rd of 4 girls, Samantha says she was the shy one. It was her oldest sister who had the talent. After her dad finished giving her older sister guitar lessons, Samantha would sneak off and teach herself to play. "It was my little secret,” she admits now.

Fast forward a few years and Samantha and her sisters have moved to Olathe, Kansas to attend her father’s alma mater, Mid America University. Music was still a passion and auditioning for the school’s Public Relations (P.R.) singing group allowed her to continue her growth in doing just that. It wasn’t until she sang at a friend's wedding in Canada did doors open for her to pursue a career in music. Little did she realize the bride's brother was CEO of Torque, a Canadian recording label. He subsequently signed the 19-year-old to her first professional recording contract and 3 months later released her first CD, “You Got That Right.” The record garnered her multiple concert appearances throughout the Midwest and thus catapulted her career in music. However, her stint with Torque was short lived due to lack of management.

The seriousness of her passion thus lead her to Nashville, where a desire to attend Belmont University’s Music Business program was prevalent but the door opened elsewhere and she is currently finishing her degree there.

Her time here thus far has allowed her to spread her wings, continue writing and performing at venues around town such as 3rd and Lindsley, 12th and Porter, the Red Iguana and Rocketown. She has opened up for Jesse Worstell, who is now apart of the Nashville based duo, The Worsties, Singer-Songwriter Eric Vinson, and highly proclaimed songwriter Michael Logan. Her collaboration with such artists continues to develop, even branching out into other genres and lending her voice to Joey Modus’ electronic sound.

Samantha’s music is about the challenges of everyday relationships, the various aspects of love and not taking what you have for granted. “I think music has a mystical aspect to it. The melodies and rhythms move people in ways that words alone can’t so you add color to a song and those words take on new meaning. They speak to you in a new way. I want my music to make a difference but be different in the process. I want to make an impact through not only the lyrics but I want people to enjoy the sound they hear.”

So through a marriage of meaningful lyrics and a unique sound, Samantha Lu has developed an essence worthy of listening to.