Still in his early twenties, Sam Breathwick has already found success through his production work as Vasser, the guise under which he has worked with Connie Constance & Sam Akpro, as well as releasing his own EPs.
Having lived in London, Singapore & Germany, the ability to adapt and grow is instilled in the artist. And under his new Shrink pseudonym, Sam has found a renewed sense of vulnerability; removing much of the production that has defined his other ventures and leaning more readily into his abilities as a songwriter.
Shrink showcases a different side of your musicality to your previous work as Vasser; what, in your mind, are the key differences between the two projects?
I wrote the songs before I produced them and found more attachment to songwriting than production.
How have you spent the time between 2018’s Vasser EP and your first release as Shrink, Drowning?
I’ve just been writing a lot of music for myself and others, I also have been through some formative experiences with my family and relationship which have impacted my music a lot.
What were your musical tastes growing up? And where do you think you picked up your penchant for covering multiple genres?
I remember going through a big love of jazz and then a lot of shoegaze while I was playing in bands with friends at school and locals. I would say that at the moment I’m open to anything and don’t tend to listen or think about genres too much as I think it’s quite limiting.
Has lockdown been a compromise in the early days of Shrink? Or has it instead been the catalyst for the new tracks? Or both?
I think It’s proven to be an interesting one. While it’s definitely gotten in the way of being able to play live and build up a real connection it’s definitely allowed me to properly delve into the writing side of things. I’d say I’ve brushed up my playing more with the extra time, and dug a lot more messing around with production, but that’s also come with less life experiences to talk about so its two sides of the coin really.
How do you envision Shrink progressing into a live show? Will you recruit a band? Or rework these tracks into a one man gig experience?
Yes, it’s a band! We’ve been rehearsing throughout lockdown and looking forward to playing some shows this year. It is a 4 piece setup with Finn Billingham from Sunken (Bass), Eddie Amos (Drums) and Cameron Jacobs (Violin and Guitar). I work alot with all of them separately on my and their projects, so this has felt like a really natural progression for playing live etc. Finn is also an amazing producer, I am working with them on new tracks so I see this as a lot more collaborative than I used to.
What does 2021 have in store for you?
My first EP will be out at the start of Feb, which I cannot wait for, fingers crossed I will be playing it live as much as possible, and I’m currently writing the next project. Alongside all of this I still very much enjoy producing for other people, and will continue to do that as much as I can.
SHRINK’s debut EP is available 12th Feb.
