Robin Johnson sits down with Sam Wills, a soulful vocalist and independent artist from Hastings whose song Traingazing recently hit 100 million streams. Sam grew up in Surrey, moved to Hastings at 13, and cut his teeth playing covers in local pubs and restaurants before developing one of the most distinctive falsettos in British soul music. In this episode, Sam talks honestly about what it takes to build a music career from the ground up without a major label: the four years it took to make his album Breathe, the battle with imposter syndrome, the grind of social media, the reality of streaming income, and what it means to hear your song played by DJ Jazzy Jeff in Ibiza.
He also shares the story of building a cabin in the woods by hand using pallet wood, why he started making fruit wine, and what he is planning for album number three. This is a conversation about creativity, obsession, staying independent and finding your own path as an artist.
Key Topics Covered:
How growing up in Hastings and its live music scene shaped Sam's confidence and stage craft
Sam's first gig at Pissarros playing Arctic Monkeys covers and the years of pub and restaurant performances that followed
Reaching 100 million streams on Train Gazing and how that milestone sits alongside imposter syndrome
What Sam's musical style actually sounds like: soulful harmonies, folk, hip-hop, R&B and jazz influences
The four years it took to make the album Breathe and the emotional stagnation that inspired it
Why the album tells a cohesive story from start to finish and how listeners have connected with it
Being independent: label services deals, creative control, forming your own team and staying out of the major label system
The reality of social media for independent musicians: 80% of working time, perfectionism, and the fear of being left behind
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Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.
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Key Moments:
00:00 Robin introduces Sam Wills and the context of a Hastings music scene that gave him the space to develop
01:03 Sam moved to Hastings at 13 and within months was playing his first gig at Pissarros doing Arctic Monkeys and Craig David covers
03:13 Why Hastings is genuinely unique for live music: any night of the week, any part of the Old Town, there is always music somewhere
04:51 Traingazing hits 100 million streams and Sam reflects on what that number actually means
05:21 Why numbers do not define success but do help when imposter syndrome and self-doubt creep in
07:40 Sam describes his musical style: soulful at its core, drifting between folk, hip-hop, R&B and jazz
11:13 Why Breathe took nearly four years to make and how a period of stagnation became its emotional foundation
14:27 Why being a musician now means being a marketer, content creator and social media strategist as much as a songwriter
21:51 Sam's musical influences: D'Angelo, Michael Jackson, Jeff Buckley, Bonnie Raitt, Frank Ocean, Justin Timberlake and Chet Baker
23:34 How a single connection in Hamburg led to a festival show in Taiwan and the discovery of a strong listening base across Southeast Asia
25:27 Using Spotify and Apple artist dashboards to track listeners by location and how Sam plans to tour East and Southeast Asia
27:44 The economics of streaming: a fraction of a penny per play and what 100 million streams would have been worth in the CD era
32:46 The British soul community: Jordan Rakei, Tom Misch, Olivia Dean and why artists competing for the same ears often make each other stronger
40:59 How Sam started building a cabin in the woods from pallet wood while making Breathe and why the physical project kept him sane
54:32 On the danger of chasing the next thing versus appreciating the journey and taking stock of progress
58:08 Why making an album requires obsession, belief and the willingness to keep pushing a boulder uphill
1:03:29 Advice for anyone wanting to start a music career: invest in self marketing, absorb the music you love, replicate to learn, get obsessed and keep making
Netherlands