Sam Amidon is the guest on the latest episode of the Suzie Explores podcast hosted by violinist Suzie Collier. The two discuss the importance of applying a Beginner’s Mind perspective to creating art, being open to new, unexpected experiences and influences on one’s work, and being prepared to catch the creative spark when it hits. Amidon also talks about his lifelong connection to the fiddle and his lifelong friendship with musician and producer Thomas Bartlett. You can hear the conversation on Spotify and Apple Podcasts here:

Sam Amidon released his self-titled album in October 2020 on Nonesuch Records. The record, which he considers the fullest realization to date of his artistic vision, comprises his radical reworkings of nine mostly traditional folk songs, performed with his band of longtime friends and collaborators. Amidon produced the record, applying the sonic universe of his 2017 album, The Following Mountain, to these beloved tunes, many of which he first learned as a child. Rolling Stone calls it “a fine showcase for Amidon’s studio experimentation,” and praises its “elements of spacious, echoing ambient electronic music to complement Amidon’s warm vocals, reminiscent of Nick Drake and Arthur Russell.” Pitchfork calls it a “revival in the truest sense,” adding that “few artists have drawn as strong a personal statement from the public domain.”

The latest album is Amidon’s fifth recording on Nonesuch and follows the 2019 EP Fatal Flower Garden (A Tribute to Harry Smith). Additional recordings include his 2017 album The Following Mountain and Kronos Quartet’s Folk Songs the same year, on which he was a featured singer along with Rhiannon Giddens, Natalie Merchant, and Olivia Chaney; Lily-O in 2014; and his label debut, Bright Sunny South, in 2013.