Sampha Looks to the Past to Build the Future on ‘Lahai’

If you’re a person who listens carefully to music, you’ve likely heard Sampha. His distinct voice and haunting vocals can be heard in features with contemporary artists like Solange, Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott. As an artist who’s known for his collaborations, he’s glad the people who listen to his own music — an energetic but thoughtful blend including various traditions in R&B and kinds of electronic music — are along for the ride.

“It’s always been a bit of a mystery as to how people are going to react to you,” Sampha says. “To get back out there, touring again and seeing people’s reactions to the music I put out, has been really heartwarming. It’s been lovely having that kind of pure connection.”

The Scene caught up with the English singer-songwriter and producer at his home in London, fresh from tour dates in Australia. We spoke over the phone about his upcoming North American tour, his new album Lahai and his growth as an artist.

Sampha’s 2017 debut album Process finds him grieving the loss of his mother, who died of cancer in 2015. You don’t have to know the backstory to know that “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” is a song about loss. While Lahai may not be exactly the flip side of that coin, it is a continuation of his journey of pondering and processing life.

“I always feel like music for me — especially in the context of those two records — has felt like a real document,” Sampha says. “Recognizing the things I’m preoccupied with, recognizing the changes and still using music as a conduit to figure out where I’m at, and see where I’m going.”

Lahai is Sampha’s middle name, and it’s also his grandfather’s name. Sampha’s family immigrated to the U.K. from Sierra Leone, and he never met his grandfather, but there are connections to West Africa throughout his music. Lahai is a personal record, and a way to find his place in the continuum of his heritage and lineage — a way to tie it all together, especially important since he recently became a father.

Curiosity and experimentation are key in Sampha’s approach to making music. He gets creative in the studio, wondering what a piece of equipment is going to come up with, where his mind will take him, what will shake him awake.

“The amazing thing is that it just feels like it comes out of nowhere,” Sampha says. “This magic that’s laying dormant, but through the exercise of music, it imbues you with a spirit, with a life, with this kind of energy.”

In 2020, Sampha and his partner had a daughter. Laughing, he recounts how they’re trying to teach her “cleaning songs” because she loves to turn things upside-down and just leave. He tells me that she does listen to his music and has grown more fond of it as she’s getting older.

“Just watching her, it’s just pure imagination,” Sampha says. “I feel like having a kid makes you learn how to breathe in and breathe out. You know, approach things with a bit of calmness.”

With Lahai and this new tour, Sampha is feeling more confident. Though it’s still a reflection of him and his humanness, there’s a lot of emotion that connects immediately with anyone who’s listening. There’s been growth in terms of his performing, songwriting and confidence, which is special to witness.

Asked to turn an eye to the future, Sampha dreams up collaborations with André 3000, Steve Reich or Tracy Chapman. André Lauren Benjamin, if you’re reading this, please make this happen.