On September 1st, Rockville, Maryland native, Sam Elmore released his first single, “Winning Horse.”
Sam is a Rockville, Maryland, native who loves punk rock, musical theatre, and 70s heartland music. He grew up loving artists like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. With a background in musical theater, Sam has created a catchy, upbeat, and positive track that reminds us to be brave and put ourselves out there, while hoping for the best.
“Winning Horse” is a reminder that the little steps an individual is taking will eventually pay off if you take that leap of faith.
“The song is all about daring to take a chance on a new life or a new road in the hopes of something better, which is always a gamble. The speaker in the song is clearly wrestling with some deep fundamental flaws, but they’re putting themselves out there for love, for hope, or for something bigger to believe in. That is always a gamble, and we don’t see in the song whether it pays off or not. But the tension between your beliefs and your fears is a fascinating one to me, so I wrote it into a romance to see it play out in a story.”
Growing up Sam always wanted “to have a good old-fashioned rock n roll piano in the band”. He says that it is a rare sound to hear but can bring a variation of voices to the sound he wants. Throughout the track, we hear bits and pieces of rock n roll influence and other genres. He calls his sound ‘art rock’ because it is a bit of every genre he is influenced by.
The song begins with a guitar riff that gets listeners hooked. After the intro, the first lyrics of the song begin to tell the fictional narrative. The lyrics are powerful and create the beginning, middle, and hopeful ending. At the end, Sam sings, “Why, oh why, is it so painful to be brave?” He reminds us that in order to heal, we must face and accept our pain in order to make space for healing, renewal, and positive energy. Furthermore, the end lyrics reiterate Sam’s idea that this song is about the battles he has faced with himself rather than with another person.
You can catch Sam at The Pocket on October 7th, with Cherub Tree, Makeup Girl, and Roughshod. He is also playing guitar with Ekko Astral and has upcoming projects in the works.
“Winning Horse” is available now on major streaming platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Katherine Chung is a blogger, avid reader, and disability advocate. When she is not writing, Katherine enjoys reading spending her time at bookstores, making bracelets to pass out at concerts, and taking walks.
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