Interview with Kerry Samuels
If you haven’t yet heard of Kerry Samuels or the band Worry, you will.
They opened for July Talk recently and recently participated in the first Quebec Music Festival held in the Metaverse.
Their EP After Something was recently released with more music to come soon.
Montreal Rocks spoke to Kerry Samuels, lead singer and guitarist for the band.
Origin Story
“I grew up surrounded by music. My dad introduced me, at a very young age to FM Rock like Led Zeppelin. The farthest memory I have is riding in the back on his Mustang listening to Classic Rock and being so overwhelmed and amazed by it.”
On the other end of the music spectrum, Kerry’s mom was playing New Order, Joy Division and The Cure.
“These two dynamics in music coming to a point in me.”
Kerry’s sister helped to define a more personal style by introducing early 00’s Emocore, which led down the rabbit hole towards the 90s where bands like Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth laid a strong foundation.
If I was to describe Worry, it would be very much Dinosonic Youth Jr! While not really being able to label the band to a few bands, the vibe is very much that era of 90s Alternative & Punk.
A pivotal moment was when Kerry was lying on his bed, with the radio on, and Nirvana came on. It wasn’t the legendary Smells Like Teen Spirit, but rather Serve the Servants.
“The dynamics of that song are so powerful…the guitar…the drums…everything about that song is so well done to me.”
The spark of inspiration raised the thought: “I wonder if I can do that.”
Punk, Alternative, and other genres all became ingredients that would eventually allow that spark to start a flame.
“I didn’t start fully playing guitar till 2018. I was playing in bands prior to that, but I was always the drummer or the bassist.”
Kerry will allow influences to guide a song but is not interested in redoing someone else’s sound.
The question that will swirl in the mind is: “What is a modern or original spin I can put on it?”
Hitting The Big Stages
Kerry is no stranger to touring, having toured America and Europe.
This time, it’s different. This time, it’s their own band.
Worry opened up for July Talk at the end of November at Imperial Bell.
“I have been dreaming of playing big shows. Having the chance and privilege to join them on stage…I was so nervous that I forgot to relax and take it all in.”
Overwhelmed by emotion, Kerry would just start laughing while performing.
I was a dream come true, and that kind of exposure can only mean more ears will be introduced to their sound.
Their first time on stage was at the Off Festival in Quebec City.
It was one of those moments when the band is announced, they get on stage…and they get off stage, with no memory of what went on in between.
For some musicians, this is the ultimate…being in the zone.
With the other bands, Kerry had to be present, to respond to the other band members. Now…Kerry is at the forefront.
Yet that role did not come naturally.
Back in school, Kerry hated doing presentations. “I didn’t want that many eyes on me. Now, it’s contrary to be front and center of the stage where literally everyone is listening to you, and you just spill out your guts to everyone.”
I believe that is the major difference. In school, we are usually forced to choose a topic to fit the agenda of the class.
When it comes to music, it’s a much more personal cleansing experience and that release of emotions is so powerful, that even an introvert can become an extrovert while on stage.
With the Pandemic, Kerry got comfortable staying at home. Stayin at home can be, for someone creative like Kerry, an opportunity to create.
Phoque Off Festival in the Metaverse
This event was named because of the first venue it was held at. Being half French Canadian, I can certainly understand the humor of the French word for seal.
It is no laughing matter as this festival is known as the SXSW of Quebec, introducing emerging artists to the stage.
Pre-recording a gig is very different than playing live.
“It’s kind of intimidating in a sense. Do I look good? Does it sound good? Did we perform as best we could?”
Kerry gets energy from the audience, so performing in this way is very different.
Yet at practice, Kerry gave everything, almost feeling euphoric, “unleashing some these emotions I had pent up.”
I can honestly say that Worry did a great job, it was one of my favorite performances of the evening.
Writing Process
Some bands can really dig deep and go to their dark place and be vulnerable. The result is a truth that connects with the audience. Maybe they feel that someone was able to put into words, what they were thinking but could not describe.
“My writing method is autobiographical. In this EP, like lonesome (summer night) for example, you can read diary entries.”
Kerry opens up, to allow the listener to really benefit from even an embarrassing journal scribble, but give that thought the spotlight it deserves.
“That’s where all of this started for me. Going through something very emotional and spilling it onto a piece of paper, then taking that and putting it to music.”
If I was to borrow a term from the tech world, Worry is WYSIWYG. What you see is what you get.
What Does Kerry Worry About?
Apart from worrying about this interview, which turned out to be a chill conversation, there is a lesson to learn about worry.
98% of the things we worry about never happen.
To worry is to live.
If you don’t take chances, you will never get those highs and lows.
If life was a cardiogram, a life without highs and lows is a flatline. You may be living, but dead.
“I’ve always been appreciative of the lows in life. With every low there is going to be a high. It might not be this super great high, but at least you aren’t super low anymore.”
When Kerry is stuck in a low, with a depressive episode, it can sometimes look like that is all one can see…no way out.
But eventually, the transition begins to shift, like a roller coaster, and you begin to rise onto the adventure that is life.
As an artist, it is during those lows, where you bear your soul, that you connect with fans in a way that is unlike any other. They suddenly feel that that’s how they feel too. A connection is made.
That was the power of Nirvana.
That is the power of Worry.
It’s all about connecting.
“It’s always been about that for me. It’s not about achieving anything. I don’t care what happens next for us. I’ve always wanted to reach one or two persons and have them feel: This is written for me.”
That resonation is at the core of Worry. Like Nirvana resonated with so many of us, being true to oneself connects us in ways that is hard to explain.
Even in Kerry’s previous bands, kids would share that they were inspired to start drumming or playing music.
“That’s it. That’s the reason why I’m doing this.”
Fantasy Rock Band
When asked to create the ultimate Rock band, Kerry chose the following:
Vocals: Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth)
Guitar: J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr) – “The 23 solo was inspired by J Mascis.”
Bass: Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr). “He plays chords rather than just picking the strings.”
Drums: Dave Grohl (Nirvana era on drums)
Conclusion
Obviously, from the above selections, the 90s have played an important part of Worry.
Kerry mixes nostalgia of the 90s with a fresh take on the genre, fusing a sound that is unique, yet recognizable, like a strong Déjà-Vu you can’t pin down.
In a year filled with worry, we need some Worry to counteract all we fear today. Music is a vehicle that can help us connect and release pent up worry.
Maybe Worry is exactly what we need right now.
Connect with Worry
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Writer: Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and MasterMind Facilitator with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. His Podcast RockStar Today helps musicians quit their day jobs with out-of-the-box advice from Ted Talk Speakers, Best Selling Authors and other interesting Entrepreneurs and Creatives. He created the Rock Star Today Music Business Jam Session for musicians. Randal is a collector of signed vinyl, cassettes and CDs.
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