We caught up with SAMWOY (aka Sam Woywitka) to talk about emotional armor, the art of collaboration, and why this is the first song he’s ever been able to show his mom.

“Diamond Eyes” feels like a softer, more introspective turn for you. What inspired this shift in tone, and what does the song represent for you personally? 

When I wrote this song I was listening to a lot of Roy Orbison and Elvis so that definitely was a large influence on the music. That’s actually more in line with what I am listening to on the daily rather than heavier, faster stuff. The original demo was at a faster bpm but when we did the pre pro sessions with my band we ended up jamming it a lot slower then the whole tune made so much more sense! I really gotta give it up to the magic of jamming with Ev, Thomas and Jeff on this one.

You’ve said this is the first song you could show your mom—what about “Diamond Eyes” made it feel more mom-friendly?

I guess it’s the fact that there are no self loathing drug references (laughs) or loud distorted guitars. I feel this song is one of the first songs I have released that shows a bit more of a vulnerability in the instrumentation that I hope will let people into my world that aren’t usually stoked on the brash tones that I usually tend to use in my productions.

There’s a bleeding heart in the video—both literally and emotionally. Can you talk about the symbolism behind that and how it plays into the broader themes of the song?

In my life I have been very guarded emotionally not letting very many people into my heart in fear of being hurt. A defence mechanism I guess you would say. This became very apparent to me in my last romantic relationship with a partner that I am very grateful was able to point these things out to me in a way I could understand. The specific line “my heart she holds it on her pillow” was a symbolic reference for me about me needing someone to help me mend and peel back the layers of armour I have put on my heart over the years.

The video has this stunning, vintage film noir vibe. How did the concept come together, and what was it like filming in a Montréal polar vortex?

All I knew is I wanted this to be in the vibe of an old film noir and I had pitched a few of my ideas to Jeff months before we actually picked a day to shoot. We had a couple of beers at my apartment and we just wrote a little shot list a couple days before we did the shoot. It was very last minute and we didn’t have a lot of time to prepare. So a lot of the shots other than a few of the main ideas were very much just decided in the moment as we drove around looking for spots to shoot. If you have seen a few of my music videos most of the shooting locations are in the neighborhood where I live in Montreal.

The Polar Vortex was hilarious! (laughs) It was the only day we had to get the shots and me and Jeff were freezing!! We would do a shot Setup then run into my car and crank the heat for five minutes then would go back and shoot then run back to the car. It sucked but also made it hilarious for us. On the bright side we didn’t have to deal with any people being in any of the shots! It was like we had rented the city for our shoot which ended up being a blessing!

You worked with Kandle on this one, whose aesthetic really fits that haunted, 1950s-inspired mood. How did that collaboration come about, and what did she bring to the project?

Kandle is an absolute star! Like you said her aesthetic is absolutely perfect for a roll like this so that was a no brainer. We are also really good friends so any chance we get to collab is always a huge bonus! She is also experienced on set and is an amazing actress! She was super tough and had zero complaints while shooting even though there was a lot asked of her in this shoot! Love you Kandle!

Jeffrey Mitchell not only directed the video but also plays multiple instruments in the band. What’s it like working so closely with someone who wears so many creative hats? 

It’s absolutely amazing!!! Jeff is the absolute best! You wouldn’t believe how many skills this guy has and he’s damn modest about it! Since meeting Jeff, getting things done has been about 1000X easier. I met Jeff briefly while Kandle and him played a show at Cafe Campus a few years ago while they were both living in Vancouver. I ended up having a tour on the West Coast and couldn’t find anyone to play bass. Then I remember meeting Jeff so I called up Kandle, asked for his number and asked if he wanted to be a part of the first ever Samwoy tour. He was super down and said yes before hearing about any of the details. The funny thing was I never heard this guy play bass (laughs).

The sax solo in the middle of the video is almost as much of a curveball as the, ummm, eyeball incident — in the best way! Was that always part of the plan, or did it come together spontaneously?

We were in the studio and I wrote the song with a big empty section because I always knew I wanted a Sax solo in the song. I said out loud in the control room. “This is the part where we need a sax solo” and Jeff responds “I played Sax in high school” (laughs). I rented a sax and was like okay you’re up! He hadn’t played in years and started ripping it!!! We were all laughing because we knew we had some serious magic!!!

As far as the eye incident, that was the first shot I always had in mind that I knew I wanted to do in this video. I’m so stoked on the way it turned out!

“Diamond Eyes” is the third single from your upcoming album Even Sad Boys Like to Have Fun. How does this track fit into the arc or emotional journey of the full record

It is definitely a mid point of the record. I felt it really serves as an anchor in the overall arc of the record. As some people might know who are familiar with my music, the genres shape shift from song to song and nothing is sacred other than the music itself. So I take the pacing of the record seriously. I felt this was a beautiful way to end the journey of Side A on the vinyl and really helps setup for what is to come on Side B.

 The video plays like a dream—or maybe a beautiful nightmare. Were there any specific cinematic influences, aside from David Lynch, that shaped the visuals?

There really weren’t any influences to begin with other than the fact I knew I wanted it to feel like an old film noir. It wasn’t even supposed to be a Lynchian style video but the influence he has had on both myself and Jeff just seeped into the shots as we began to shoot. We shot it soon after Lynch’s transformation and so he was definitely present in our hearts while we were shooting the video.

What do you hope people take away from “Diamond Eyes”—either the song or the video?

I hope the song brings a nostalgic romance to their ears. I also hope that with the kitschiness of the video people can still see how much fun we have making this run and gun styled video and it inspires people to get out there and make some movies!

Your new album is called Even Sad Boys Like To Have Fun… what do you do for fun these days? What is fun even? 

Haha good question! I grew up in a very social family and we always had huge family dinners with lots of friends, often 25 people plus! So for me fun is a shared activity most of the time! My favourite thing is to have people over, cook for them and make Margaritas (laughs). I have a Xmas party every year for my close friends and this for me would be one of the most fun days of the year for me. I also love to swim! My aunts used to call me Sammy the Seal as a kid based on the fact that no matter the temperature or time of year if we were at a lake, river or beach I was jumping in!

Anything else you’d like us to know about you at the moment?

I want people to be inspired and know that no matter your limitations or situation you can create and manifest the life that you want. With good intentions and belief in yourself you can make anything become possible. As long as you lead with love. My album launch shows are May 30 at La Sotterenea in Montreal and June 7 at Le Pantoum in Quebec City. Following that I have a west coast Canadian tour alongside Motherhood as we make our way to Calgary to play Sled Island.