Today we’d like to introduce you to DJ/Producer informal. aka Sam Richie.
Hi Sam, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been a music lover but it wasn’t until I was in college that I was really exposed to the larger world of electronic music, all of the different genres, and the live performance aspects of it. I tried DJing at first but quickly moved into learning how to produce my own tracks (they were terrible, lol). I released my first few tracks during my last year of school and immediately moved to LA after graduating. That was almost five years ago. From there it’s been a long journey of learning as much as I can, growing my skills, releasing music consistently, creating valuable relationships, and honing in on the direction I want to go as an artist, which is an always-evolving process. I think the biggest thing that has helped me to achieve the goals that I have is consistency. With each new song release, show, meeting, etc, comes new knowledge or a new connection that can help tackle the next goal. Always working towards the next project and executing your plans means you’re constantly learning, growing, and at the front of people’s minds. I recently started working with a manager after years of doing everything myself, and that has tremendously helped the organization, planning, strategizing, and growth of the project. There is still a long way to go in terms of what I’d like to accomplish / build but I’m confident I am on the right path and there’s nothing else I would rather be doing!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Defffffffinitely not a smooth road for me, but I say that with a smile. Outside of the usual having the door slammed in your face 1000 times, putting out something you’re proud of only to have nobody listen or care, or playing a show for a crowd of four people, there have been many other struggles. The first time I moved to LA right after college, it only took about nine months before I was “chewed up and spit out” and had to move back home. But I re-focused myself, saved up money, made tons of music, and moved back less than a year later. I’ve worked multiple jobs I hated just to get by. I’ve put thousands of dollars into promo/advertising for projects to fall flat. I’ve been turned down or ignored by any label you can possibly think of. All of this on top of the major life events in my personal life have made this journey a bumpy one. But with all that being said, I truly do love what I do and no amount of obstacles will stand in the way of me continuing to pursue my dreams in music. A good friend of mine once told me “you only fail if you don’t learn something”, so I take what I’ve learned and I keep going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an artist, music producer, DJ and I go by the name “informal.”. The music I make is hard for me to fit into one genre so one day, my manager and I came up with the name “electro summer”, which I think fits very well. My music has a strong influence from house, indie, nu disco, future bass, etc. I’ve been told there is a certain “informal. bounce” to my songs and that they’re perfect for a beach party; I take both of those as a huge compliment, haha. I think what sets me apart as an artist is my signature sound along with the overall meaning of my artist project. Ever since I first started making music under this name, I always felt that everybody can relate to being “informal” and wanted to translate that feeling as best as I could into everything I did. I want people to feel the joy that I put into the music, and the excitement I feel from making it when they listen. Like I talked about earlier, everybody has a lot going on, and life can really pile up. Knowing that I can bring some happiness or sunshine to people when they hear my music, come to a show, or even watch some content I’ve put together, means the world to me. It’s something I try to live by in my own personal life. Trying to not to take things too seriously, seeing the beauty in everyday life, and making the most of every situation, no matter what it is. Not a bad way to go about things if you ask me.
How do you think about happiness?
There’s plenty of experiences in my day-to-day that bring me joy, but there’s a few things that make me really happy. Obviously, there’s music. Finding new music, seeing great music performed live, that feeling when you create an exciting piece of music, hearing a song and being brought back to a different time / place, just to name a few. I love experiencing new things and getting out of my comfort zone. Trying new food, traveling to strange places, taking that road you’ve never driven down before, meeting new people from different backgrounds. One thing I truly love is the entire process of creating something. From the idea formation to the planning, overcoming obstacles, and finally accomplishing what you set out to do. There are few things more satisfying than knowing you’ve given something your all and you’re proud of the work in front of you. Honorable mentions: spending time with my close friends and family, driving my car on mulholland highway, swimming in any body of water, an awesome thrift find (specifically an 80s/90s windbreaker), and mojitos.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://solo.to/informal
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/informal.mp3/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/informalmp3/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/informalmp3
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyRqaPBE-1Nj-qJfjGcZkpQ
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/musicofinformal
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7rhckctF71vE4BtpFzz7Ie?si=mnYGfjO8TouKjyNKjN3zAw&nd=1
Image Credits
All photo credits: Ronnie Loyd
