Meet Sam Valladares | Singer-songwriter

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

Hi Sam, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
When I was young, I had no intention of being in any spotlight. In fact, I shied away from it. As a super introvert I did everything I could to avoid interactions and attention. But it wasn’t just introversion, it was timidity and fear. This extreme isolation policy caused me to feel very lonely, and I turned to expressing my feelings privately through writing. At first, it was poems, and then when I was gifted a keyboard and guitar, these poems evolved into songs. The songs I was writing were therapeutic, and soon my family and community wanted to hear them. I think they wanted me to come out of my shell and thought showing interest in my hobby would lovingly help with that. I began tiptoeing out of my isolation policy by sharing the thoughts and feelings I had kept secret through performing my songs. It was through this action that I realized that I was not alone in the feelings I was experiencing. This encouraged me to keep writing, keep practicing, and keep sharing, and before long I had my first EP ready to digitally distribute and my creative career officially began. Music has helped me become a stronger, more confident, and healed person. Though I’m still an introvert (proudly), I’m no longer afraid of or worried about what people think of me. I want my writing to be a message to everyone that is struggling with doubt, worry, or fear that with dedication and believing, you can overcome.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Music is a passion of mine, but it’s not the only one. I developed a love for science and math as well. I’ve earned a degree in aerospace engineering, and I work full time in aviation. For years my number one priority has had to be education and career so that I could earn a living. But now having a stable job, in my free time I enjoy the challenge of fanning the flame of musical creation and audience expansion. My education has sharpened my mind so that I can approach music more analytically and precisely than ever before, and now that I’m learning music production, I can’t wait to see what new songs I can make!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Let this be a shoutout to any friends who would like to come visit me! Seattle has a really unique vibe and culture, and endless things to do. We’d have to start by filling out bellies with Huckleberry Square’s massive yet affordable breakfasts and excellent in-house coffee. My personal favorite is their hamburger steak and eggs. Then we’d stop by Grand Central Bakery and carbo-load on coffee cake and blueberry muffins and of course, get more coffee. Assuming we’re not dosing from all that food, we can drive downtown and take a long stroll (to burn off calories) to see some of the most iconic locations such as the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum, and the waterfront. Of course, we’d do all of this with another coffee in hand from any of the innumerable high-quality local coffee shops. By this time, it’s lunchtime so we could have a drink and fish ‘n chips at Owl N’ Thistle Irish Pub, one of the many spots where local musicians often play. Then we’d walk down to T-Mobile Park where we’d see the Mariners hopefully win. I seem to be bad luck though because nine times out of ten when I go, we lose. Hopefully the game doesn’t go to extra innings because then I’d like to drive down to one of Seattle’s best breweries, Elysian, and introduce you to some unforgettable northwest IPAs. By this time, we’d be exhausted and will probably end up needing to sleep for like ten hours, so for the rest of the week we’ll try to have a little more balance while we dive into the spirit of Seattle. We can’t forget about hearing live music at Showbox Sodo, Neumos, and The Crocodile, seeing movies at AMC IMAX Southcenter 16, exploring the Seattle Underground, watching the sun rise at Gas Works Park, the sun set at Kerry Park, and so much more. I’m looking forward to it all and hope you are too!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a shoutout to my mom, who’s always been so supportive of me and patient with me. Without her I don’t know where’d I’d be, but I would definitely not be as far along as I am today.

Website: https://samsmusichub.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legitsamv/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/legitsamv

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legitsamv

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsmusichub