We were lucky to catch up with Samantha Ava recently and have shared our conversation below.
Samantha, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from experiencing a lot of personal hardship throughout my life. Sure, I can get low and even struggle with depression at times, but I’ve always had a fire in my belly to keep on pushing through, no matter what. I learned to let outside negativity be a foundation for a deep well of positivity.
Music has been a fundamental fuel for my resilience as well. Baring my soul through my voice, lyrics and music is an intense & gut wrenching experience at times. It has helped to shape me into the confident & bolder version of myself. Looking back now on all the hardships i endured, I would not change a thing. They’ve made me stronger, wiser, fearless and a hell of a good songwriter!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My journey has been one with many ups and downs, dead end roads and filled with all sorts of game changers along the way. I experienced things that not every kid or woman would experience. I do acknowledge now that the challenges i came toe to toe with, has made me a stronger and wiser individual with a more vivid and profound story to tell through my music. With highest hopes of connecting with my audience on a deeper level that resonates with them and their stories.
I have become very confident these days in my abilities as an artist, woman, mother and friend, not much shakes my foundation, but i wasn’t always this way. It has taken a lifetime of rejections, criticism/judgment and accepting tough truths to evolve into who I am today. I would not change a thing. I live each day with so much gratitude for the road that has led me to who and where I am today. I appreciate the beauty because I’ve experienced the not so beautiful side of things, people and places.
Lately, I’ve become focused mainly on being the best Mother i can be to my two beautiful daughters and building my music career as an artist. Anything that does not serve me in a positive light, I have distanced myself from for the good of myself, my family and my career. I wanna keep vibing high and bringing that electric energy to all aspects of my music.
My 9th single release ‘Secret’ is about to drop everywhere on JUNE 19th! There’s something extra special and different about this song. I know it in my heart that this song is the closing of one chapter and beginning of another. The sound is more raw and authentic than ever, the story is so honest and I’m legit baring everything here. I co-wrote ‘Secret’ with Michael Saleta & Charles Austin in Nashville, TN. Charles took the reins on producing the track and I couldn’t be happier with the end result. It actually solidified our partnership in building my first album together this fall/winter. I’m still in absolute awe that its actually happening, another dream come true. The album is set to release in 2026.
The journey is the prize not the end result, so I soak it all up, lately even the hard stuff Ill force myself to sit in it really feel it so then i can process it, move on from it and then write a banger of a tune!
I’m in a space of gratitude and feeling blessed that I am booking more than ever and have some fantastic shows in the months ahead including opening for ‘Allie Colleen’, ‘Dasha’, ‘Ty Lewis’ & ‘The Femmes of Rock’ to name a few.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
If I had to pick three qualities/skills that were a profound part of my growth and truly an asset to my longevity as an Artist/Songwriter, they would have to be resilience, creativity & optimism.
My resilience is a life line, I couldn’t begin to explain to you how much it has literally drug me around kicking and screaming at times throughout my entire life. Just when the absolute worst thing could happen to me, the stubborn part of me would not have it in any way, shape or form. Resilience and Stubborness are team mates and pitty parties are not acceptable and never have been in my world. Sure I can take a minute or two and feel things, process them and then reinvent it into a homemade fantastic fuel bomb of inspiration to drive my motivation to the next level! There’s a certain level of satisfaction I would receive from that kind of turn around, it’s highly addictive.
As a child, my imagination ran wild as it should and as an adult it still does! The greatest god given gift, I was blessed with as an individual was my creativity. I’ve always had the natural ability to look at things, so much deeper than just the surface, even as a child. I could also see the beauty in things so deeply that sure people could see it, but i could literally feel it even without physically touching it. My mind would run away and begin writing a story from a simple scenic place, a type of fabric i had felt or a scent that reminded me of a distant memory. It’s a very special quality that I’m forever grateful for. It’s a gift that keeps on giving, especially through my music. I also say ‘It’s a blessing and a curse at times because I’m able to embrace the beauty of things, experience joy and feel things so much deeper than others. But, I also feel the hard/bad and sad things on another level as well and that can be much more difficult to rise up and recover from. It’s difficult for people that do not have the creative bone in them to understand and can leave us ‘creative folk’ left feeling misunderstood often.
Optimism, I do believe is a muscle you have to work on and work out. Some people have it and some not so much, but I do truly believe that it’s possible to strengthen that quality and thrive! I have completely turned my life around and I wouldn’t have been able to do so, without my optimistic point of view. It’s helped to dig me out of the darkest holes, dust myself off and try again and again and again. The stronger it becomes the less you’ll find pessimism rearing its ugly head. I found my surroundings and my inner circle also has a huge part in how ‘jacked’ my Optimistic muscle really was. Mindset is everything, if you don’t have a positve and optimistic outlook…what do you have?
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking for other songwriters, musicians and artists from all walks of life, to collaborate with and build my portfolio. I believe this is crucial for my growth as a writer and an artist. It helps me evolve by putting me in new and different situations, with all types of writers and musicians that bring something new to the table each write. I truly enjoy the creative process… It’s pretty damn cool!
As an Artist I am Rock/Country genre and I really have a love for Southern Rock, Country along with some Folk and even 90’s Grunge/Alternative vibes at times. It makes for a good mix. If a writer or musician would like to connect with me to set up a write, they can reach me by text at 1-905-348-7685 or via email at samanthaavamusic”gmail.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.samanthaava.com
- Instagram: @samanthaavamusic
- Facebook: @samantha4avamusic
- Youtube: samanthaavamusic
Image Credits
Jeff Freisen
David Pratt
Nadine Dunnett
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
