Sam Austins channels forlorn decadence on "Keep You Company"

Sam Austins is cooler than all of us. One look of his epic press shot that heads this article will prove so much, better yet, the view is confirmed on listening to the sultry R&B and 90's groove that simmers throughout his latest single "Keep You Company". It is shocking, then, to learn that Austins was once "bullied for how I look, what I like, and how I talk, because I have a lisp." It's a true testament to never pay mind to those who taunt you.

Growing up in deep suburban Southfield, Michigan, Austins had a tempestuous relationship with his family. When his mum's Navy S.E.A.L. boyfriend threatened to ship him to the army, he left home prematurely, and stayed between friend's couches and the backseat of his car. After settling in to his aunt's house in Detroit, Austins began making music, and in the process, reclaiming his power in channelling his experiences into song. Quite matter-of-factly, he titled his 2021 debut mixtape HOMELESS STAR "because when I had nothing, I still felt like something. I never had stability, but I had myself.”

His Detroit upbringing shaded his songwriting in two ways, both providing him candid tales of his childhood to recount and re-imagine, but also providing fantasies of high fashion and culture that have paved the way for his chic aesthetic. Turning industry heads with his unique blend of intoxicating alt-pop with rich 90's melodies, Austins' "Keep You Company" is as powerfully cinematic in impact and quality as it is vulnerable and winsome in tone.

"This song is inspired by wanting acknowledgement from someone I deeply care for and reaching out for their attention," Austins says of the track's making. "I’m letting that person know I need them, and will cherish them if they decide to step into my life. These thoughts became a loud brash voice, and manifested a channeling of a forlorn rockstar; desperately crooning out into the world for this person they truly loved.”

"Keep You Company" is a track atmospherically bubbling with potentiality, effortlessly catchy in its hook, and striking with its electric guitar line. Moreover, Austins is an artist in their most elevated form; his music is drenched in decadence, but is in no way haughty, and can feel at once melancholic and beaming with energy. With an EP around the corner, watching his ascent is highly recommended.