Meet Samm Severin: singer & guitar player for SMALL, former stand-up comic, internet model

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samm Severin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samm, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
Connection is most important to me. When I make something, I need to know that someone else hears it too! Art is a dialogue and it’s easy to forget that when so much of the making of it happens in the isolation of your own head.

What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
Art is prohibitively expensive. Art demands a lot of time and energy and supplies, which are all things that aren’t easily accessed without money. I started modeling on OnlyFans in order to make it easier to afford gear and time off from various day-jobs. My art got better once I was able to afford to sustain it without panic, and I learned I’m pretty good at making dirty videos too! I think we tend to romanticize the poverty of budding artists, and we really shouldn’t! Give us weirdos some cash and free time and see what we can REALLY accomplish!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh god–I actually have a bit about this on my stand-up EP (“Stoned & Sad” available on iTunes or wherever!) I wont spoil it here but basically my favorite spot in the city is “my house”. In addition to this very specific location, I really like Sun In My Belly. I was a bartender and waitress there for a few years and I had such a great time. The staff is gorgeous and hilarious and the food is something I never got sick of. Prior to that, I worked for a few years as a barista at Kavarna, the coffee shop in Oakhurst Square. I really liked the vibe there and absolutely adored all my coworkers and I got really into drinking espresso until I puked. Was I supposed to list my resume for this question? I also really like The Earl, where I have never worked. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Can I make two shoutouts? Is that Ok? I’ll do it in chronological order. First I’d like to shout out Monday Night Comedy at Star Bar. That was where I first attempted stand-up comedy in the wild and where I cut my teeth as a comedian and as a performer in general. The bartenders were all really hot and the crowd was always so smart, so I was always inspired to bring my best self to the stage there. The host, Rotknee Leete, graciously made space to offer me lots of stage time in my first few years of standup which gave me the space and time needed to find my voice and footing. I will always be so grateful to him for being an early champion of my work when it was still forming. My biggest regret is that I didn’t have the off-stage confidence to flirt with the bartender more confidently. (Aaron, the blonde one.) I’d also like to shoutout my bandmates: Jake Cook, Olive Lynch, and Stephen Wilkins. These three talented artists (and friends) are teaching me about the possibilities that can come from working in a group. Because of them, SMALL is so much better and so much more fun than it was when I was working on music alone.

Website: https://allmylinks.com/sammseverin

Instagram: @tvfan420

Twitter: @waitressboner

Other: smalltheband.bandcamp.com https://music.apple.com/us/album/stoned-and-sad/1427835796

Image Credits
Photos by Cherith Fuller, Stephen Wilkins, and Stefania Antonucci. SMALL icon art by Matthew DeBusschere using photo by Stefania Antonucci. Album art for “Stoned and Sad” by Tom Stockman.