SAMIA

Bovine excision, a mysterious phenomenon involving the bloodless surgical removal of cattle organs, serves as the eerie inspiration for the opening track of Samia's third album, aptly titled Bloodless. Her voice flows through the evocative lyrics with ease, weaving through the gentle strum of a lone acoustic guitar. The quiet intimacy builds into a storm of sound, culminating in Samia's layered, ethereal harmonies that pierce with a haunting, macabre refrain: "And drained, drained bloodless." These emptied cattle evoke a grotesque vessel she unwittingly nurtured in an attempt to embody something both untouchable and on display, overflowing with infinite projections and capable of driving an unrelenting pursuit of the unattainable. Through sharp images—Diet Dr. Pepper and Raymond Carver as parallel pursuits of minimalism, white underwear and leeches, a Degas dancer poised at the bannister—Samia examines a paradoxical existence where merit transforms into a calculated act of extraction ("I felt the pea, can I eat it?"). This is just one strand Samia weaves into the intricate tapestry of Bloodless. Her 2020 debut album, The Baby, marked a confessional coming-of-age —an intimate love letter to those sentiments that are most difficult to articulate. In her 2023 album Honey, Samia deepens this exploration of young adulthood, offering a more introspective take as she searches for clarity. These releases, including her 2021 EP Scout, alongside her magnetic live performances, have earned her widespread critical acclaim, over 150 million streams, and a devoted fan base who sing along passionately to every word at sold-out shows. She’s also won over new audiences opening for artists like Maggie Rogers, Lucy Dacus, and Courtney Barnett. “I’ve spent the past two decades unintentionally conflating an abstract idea of men with my understanding of God,” Samia explains. “The person I became in order to impress this imagined figure is inseparable from who I am today. With this alb