“Everything Secondary” is Sam’s musical ode to the quirks of the school staffroom.
Originally from Canberra, Sam Wrangle’s earliest musical memories involve Dad’s booming Bose 901s and catchy TV themes. The track’s psychedelic vibes, reminiscent of Tame Impala, come from a mix of drum sounds and Sam’s unique songwriting process.
Balancing his teaching profession and personal life, Sam finds solace in his creative bubble, where he brings forth alt rock gems like ‘Everything Secondary‘ prompting the right kind of questions “surely I’m not the only one who feels this way?”
Sam’s upcoming self-titled album, promises to be s a ride from teenage ego to the present. Sam’s earlier tracks, “Opposition” and “Just Living Really,” give a taste of what’s in store.
We sit down for a chat with Sam, where we discover that for him, happiness is all about the universal language of music, connecting people through its beats and lyrics.
Happy: What are you up to today?
Sam: Well it’s 4:38pm here at the moment so I just got back from work. A glass of white wine on the coffee table.
Happy: Tell us about where you are from? What’s the scene like in your neck of the woods?
Sam: I was born in Canberra. We moved to the UK when I was three. Went to primary school in Darwin. Returned to Canberra for high school and university.
Then I moved to Queensland to become a teacher after I couldn’t do anything with my arts degree. So I say I’m from Canberra because it’s my spiritual home, and I spent my most formative years there.
Sam: I’d describe the scene as picturesque, with a superb view of the hills.
Happy: Describe an average day?
Sam: On weekdays, my first alarm goes off at 7:00am. The snooze button gives me ten minutes. I usually press it twice before I get up.
I put two slices of white bread into a zip-lock bag as future toast. I walk down the staircase into the carpark. I think about what to play on the way to work. If it’s not my own music, it’s George Clanton (well at least for the last few months) or Silverchair’s ‘Diorama’.
I purchase a large coffee (flat white) from Koffee Co. (on the corner of Wynnum Rd and Norman Ave). I say hello to Amisha and Mitul who own the place – truly lovely people. So fast too. Puts me in such a good mood. Sometimes the coffee is prepared before I even enter the place. Legends!
Then I go to work, come home and work on my music. It’s the same on weekends, except I don’t go to work, and I use my AeroPress to get my coffee fix. Food of choice = smooth peanut butter on toast.
Happy: Can you tell us about some of your earliest musical memories or influences that sparked your passion for music?
Sam: Dad loves hi-fi systems. I can remember as early as five years old, ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ on the Bose 901s, booming through the house. Before that it would have been TV theme songs – Bananas in Pyjamas, Thomas the Tank Engine and Scooby Doo.
This sparked my passion for music – I just didn’t know how to make it yet! But I definitely enjoyed the comfort it provided, but I’ve always enjoyed listening.
Happy: The track embraces a distinctive psychedelic feel reminiscent of Tame Impala. How did you approach infusing this psychedelic element into your music while maintaining your own unique sound?
Sam: Thanks! Well I’m never gonna sound like Kevin Parker, but I can use a phaser pedal. I think the drum sound has a lot to do with it.
In my notes to Dylan Young (who did the drums for the album), I said I wanted “a post-punk Kevin Parker” drum sound. The first two Tame Impala albums have that kind of ‘vintage tape drive sound’. It’s a combination of all these things, and my own way of writing and producing a song.
Happy: The song paints a vivid picture of the interplay between your personal and professional self. Could you share some insights into how you navigate these dual identities, and how it’s reflected in your music?
Sam: With great difficulty. I’m glad it paints a vivid picture, but it isn’t a portrait I wish to discuss in my current state.
Happy: The album seems to touch on themes of nostalgia and coming of age. How do you weave these elements into your music, and what emotions are you hoping listeners will resonate with?
Sam: Blissed-out beat-driven melancholia. Bitter-sweet reflections on being a teenager vs. my current out look as a thirty-two year old man. The expression: “surely I’m not the only one who feels this way?”
Happy: In “Everything Secondary,” you reflect on your first spliff at Red Hill, juxtaposed against your “prim and proper” teaching profession. How do you balance these contrasting aspects of your life, and how does it inform your creative process?
Sam: They don’t really contrast and they definitely don’t overlap. I’m not Peter Tosh. In terms of the creative process, I feel weed allows me to go with an idea that’d likely be dismissed as ‘rubbish’ if I were cognisant.
It puts me in a little bubble-world where mistakes don’t exist, and quirkiness is embraced. It does not, however, make someone ‘more creative.’
I create because I allow myself to. I make the time, and I hone my craft. You gotta keep one foot on the ground so you don’t float into space.
Was it Hemingway who talked about writing drunk, and editing sober?
Happy: As you prepare to release your self-titled album, what are you most excited for your audience to experience and take away from this body of work?
Sam: All the songs are great. It takes the listener on a journey; from when my ego was formed (as a teenager) until now.
Honestly, I just want the music to sound good and be fun to listen to. You can chuck on a nice pair of headphones and appreciate the finer elements or you can crank it on your phone at the back of the bus. The choice is yours.
Happy: Your previously released singles, “Opposition” and “Just Living Really,” are already gaining attention. How do these tracks fit into the larger narrative of your upcoming album, and what can fans expect from the complete musical journey?
Sam: ‘Opposition’ is about having a lot given to you and being expected to succeed because of it. This is juxtaposed with Brisbane city during the golden hour which I liken to ‘oil on canvas.’
Most weekends, especially on Sunday afternoons, I’ll walk to the IGA at Kangaroo Point. The skyline is just visible. It’s beautiful.
‘Just Living Really’ is presented as a series of vignettes about the first time I fell in love. We’d skip school, and make out in the park across the road (I went to Telopea Park School).
It’s odd to think about now. The chorus is whatever was in my head when I first performed the song. Mostly truisms and cliches: “another sight / for sore eyes.”
Happy: Lastly, what makes you happy?
Sam: Forming connections through music. A truly universal language. Thank you Happy for having me :)
