I’m writing this on Christmas Day of 2024, from bed in Kyoto, Japan, 14 hours ahead of Detroit, 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles. When I wrote “Seasons” in summer of 2023, I wrote it for my own catharsis and sanity. I would soon after be dropped by my label, only a few months after an emotionally intense breakup, and what to follow would be the hardest moments of my life. I was the most unstable financially that I have ever been in my life, my art was going under the radar, and my career was in jeopardy. Around the fall in 2023, I went into my dropbox folder with hundreds of demos and found one idea that I would feel comfortable sharing without any attachment to it. That was the original demo of “Seasons”. I shared the snippet that you know today last year and saw the first spark that showed this was a sound that was missing, a feeling that was desired by the community… In the spring time, I tried to pivot my attention to survival. I started working odd jobs as a production assistant for TV shows, and hustling for creative director roles that never landed. I would write music sparingly in this time, and start to focus my attention on how I could be sustainable at such a time of hardship. (continued in pinned comment)

Sam Austins never set out to chase virality. ‘Seasons’, an earworm of a song that sounds like hyperpop meets Dev Hynes, has changed his life beyond recognition, bringing him greater visibility after years of grinding away. Starting out, he toyed with alternative R&B, while his first fully fleshed-out project, the 2021 mixtape ‘Homeless Star’, dealt with his experiences of houselessness – couch-surfing and sleeping in the back of his car for a year in Detroit, before moving into his aunt’s attic – through an avant-pop lens. His most recent project, ‘The Woods, Vol. 1’, is his most experimental yet. Across confessional asides and switchy delivery, his distinctly sensual, textured falsetto skirts over propulsive instrumentals that feature everything from pacy footwork beats to funk-inflected guitar and stark piano. Words: @meganhwallace Photography: @vickygrout Styling: @damseldamali

My first headline shows in Australia. Presale starts Monday the 25th / General tix live Wednesday the 27th - See you in the Woods

My heart soars to announce the Vinyl version of “The woods, vol. 1” will finally be available tomorrow at 11am PST, alongside the “BODY” + “MATISSE” tees, in extremely limited quantities. It’s a dream of mine to have this body of work in vinyl format, a piece of myself to everyone that has joined me on this journey, whether you’ve met me on tour, heard me through a friend, or discovered my art in the ether I hope you all have enjoyed the journey thus far, & i’m excited to keep the thread spinning forever and infinite xx, sam merch and vinyl design by @cc425a and @hendrik.schneider photos by @rhiannahajduch

2025 has been infinitely rewarding meeting you all - and after an amazing 8 months of touring we finished this stretch at @lollapalooza and @hinterlandiowa so grateful for the team helping me make this all happen, if only you guys knew all the hard work involved to bring the dream to life, this would absolutely not be possible without @kalebdavidwaterman @sontraonline @shaunsutkus @marissandrea @wassermanmusic @atlanticrecords @assemblesound @nathanajames @miss.momoney it’s time for me to get back to the studio to make the music that you crave - thank you everyone for changing my life i will absolutely be back to see you all soon xx

Over the moon today - I wanted to make an ode to electronic music, to my hometown of Detroit, to community, to the art, and to discovery - I speak of the Woods as a place where I was lost, looking for my purpose in this world, and I found it in the reflection of everyone that’s been a part of this journey Thank you to @trayert , @carysinger , @lanp4rty , @rodaidh , @zachfogarty , @kalebdavidwaterman , @nomograph.mastering , @dude_dulude , John Hill, @jj_scheff , @gloomer_ek , @hugochanonline , and @cecilebelieve for being my rock on creating this music with me, taking a chance and believing in what I wanted to create on the days that all I had was belief and nothing else It was a blessing to be able to release this project hand in hand with my forever family @garretkoehler , @assemblesound , and @atlanticrecords , still as an independent artist Huge thank you to @nathanajames for carrying me through this transformative period ahead, and championing me through this chapter Anything is possible, thank you for sharing me the light - I hope you all enjoy the record. Flight taking off now. Thank you Brooklyn for having us. Los Angeles @lodgeroom tomorrow night for the homecoming show. See you in The woods

Thank you deeply @rollingstone & @brittanyspanos for shining the light on the boy from Detroit — “The woods” is here next week

Releasing everywhere June 20, 2025

The woods, vol. 1 - June 20, 2025 Artwork by @hendrik.schneider and @cc425a this project was written in the most naked form of myself. when everything was falling apart, this music was sanctuary and peace of mind. for the first time in my life, instead of looking forward, I went inward. and in that silence, in my darkest moment, i stumbled onto what some would consider nirvana. i would however liken this new sensation to a secret language being created. a spell that only can come from a forbidden alchemy. shared only between you and i - something that could only be discovered at the brink, the fray, and surely, in The woods

two Terminal 5 sold out back to back nights with @magdalenabay - we’ll be back to NYC in June, but until then see you all on the rest of the Imaginal Mystery tour 🔮 📸 @keegs_jh

looking for Heaven, where can she be

“A baby girl named Heaven” streaming everywhere now Produced by myself, @lanp4rty , and @trayert Mixed by @trayert Mastered by @nomograph.mastering Art by @hendrik.schneider and @cc425a Welcome to “The woods”