Norwell's own Les Sampou has new music in a new style

“What do chameleons wear?” Les Sampou was asking. “How does this fit into my brand as a musician?”

Prompting those questions is “Like Your Vibe,” the latest album (available now, streaming for free on her website, lessampoumusic.com) from Norwell’s Sampou, and her first release since before the pandemic. The new music doesn’t exactly fit neatly into her oeuvre of Americana, the folk/country/blues singer-songwriter identity she’s forged for herself over four decades in the business, and a handful of superb albums.

The main reason for this apparent stylistic swerve is that during the pandemic and afterwards, Sampou spent time immersing herself in the film and TV scoring field, which keyboardist Ed Grenga, her partner in music and life, had been successful in for years. As a result of that work, the new album is 20 tracks spanning all kinds of genres and moods, some of them quite familiar to longtime Sampou fans, and some of them pretty radical departures.

Sampou will unveil the new work May 31 at The Burren in Somerville's Davis Square. (The Burren is located at 247 Elm St. in Somerville, and the show begins at 7 p.m., with comic Angel Micarelli opening. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door, available through the venue's website, burren.com, and for more information call 617-776-6896.)

Branching into film and TV scoring

Sampou has grown to love the film and TV scoring, even the necessary collaborating online aspects.

“I do what I feel like doing, when I feel like doing it,” she laughed. “I’m not yet at the point where I’m making more money than I ever did, but I love my work in music more than I ever did. I just love the freedom and as far as my musical ‘chops,’ I’m feeling like they’re better than ever.”

Sampou noted our previous column on bluesman Chris Smither, an old compadre from her earliest days.

Related: Approaching 80, Massachusetts' own Chris Smither still doing what he loves ‒ playing out

“I got my start opening for Chris Smither, and people like Cheryl Wheeler and Christine Lavin, in coffeehouses all over the place,” said Sampou. “But the thing about that kind of career is that you really do have to keep touring.”

Musician is also a teacher

Sampou has established a thriving music school in Norwell, where she teaches vocals, guitar and piano. And she and Grenga also perform locally, doing more pop, American songbook, and jazz, as The Dirty Martinis. She doesn’t need the nonstop touring anymore, but that doesn’t mean the desire to craft her own songs and perform in her own voice isn’t still there.

“I’ve been doing a monthly residency, since before the pandemic, on the first Friday of every month at Jo’s Nautical Bar in Hull,” Sampou pointed out. “It works out really well, and we get a nice mix of music fans and a lot of regulars. I’ve also been doing a residency at The Jetty in Marshfield – also since before the pandemic – on the fourth Friday of every month. When I play solo like that, I play a lot of covers – Traffic, Otis Redding, Cyndi Lauper, all over the map. But then I also can throw in 12 of my own originals, whatever I feel like playing, and I don’t have to push it. People accept it and it fits right in.”

Album came together in a unique way

Whatever previous experience Sampou had in recording her previous eight albums, this one came together in a way that was surely unique.

“My last album took me four years to complete,” said Sampou. “This one started before the pandemic, when I started doing film and TV placements with Ed. I spent time really studying it, attending movie workshops and so on. There is a real trend of singer-songwriters placing music in film and TV now, and the best part is that you not only get paid once, you get continuing royalties. (Taunton’s Kerri Powers, Quincy’s Jesse Ahern, and Whitman’s Munk Duane are just a few other South Shore musicians who’ve placed music on TV or films.)  Ed had been doing very well in that part of the business for a few years now, so I decided I needed to get up to speed on it.”

“As a result, there’s not the usual theme or unifying musical footprint with this collection,” Sampou added. “A lot of it is dark, foreboding, or topical, simply because that’s the market. Like the song ‘1969’ a lot of stuff revisits the past.  Ed has never been a songwriter but more of a composer, so we were able to collaborate and co-write. I also reached out, via the internet, to connect and write with a couple other songwriters, like Andre Lund, from the rock band Major Parkinson, with whom I co-wrote 'Rodeo Star,' and 'Goin' West.'”

New album has lots of variety

The new collection certainly does run the gamut of styles. There’s the dreamy, introspective musing of “Mirror,” and the groovy R&B/rock of “Hide & Seek,” and the subtly hypnotic rock of “Serial Love Thief.” But there’s also the big pop arrangement encasing “Talk Love,” the enervating fast-paced rock of “Fast as Freedom,” and the bass-heavy, bluesy rock of “Death Roulette.” The lovely ballad “The Never Tell” has a dark, downbeat undertone, while the soothing rock noir of “Boy Blue” suggests something wicked is in the offing, yet “Without Words” is the kind of airy, finger-picked guitar ballad with thoughtfully romantic lyrics that might be found on any Sampou record. And, of course, the twangy pair of co-writes with Lund are irresistible country-rockers that might evoke Marty Robbins.

“I did 17 of the vocals here myself, with three of the tunes featuring other singers,” Sampou noted. “Ed sings lead on ‘Back in My Car,' and Jillian Chamberlain does a gorgeous job on 'Wasting Time,' and Leyna Cianci sings lead on 'Bed of Nails.'”

“It was fun for me to be working with other singers, and doing the arranging,” Sampou admitted. “I never thought of putting these songs together for an album, and wondered if it would make sense if you hadn’t seen the films. And the way they are used in the films varies so much – it could be just 20 seconds in a scene. That’s one reason we’re making this just an internet release, which gives me a lot of freedom.”

Sampou had to think back to some of her long ago problems when she was on a minor label. Long before she discovered the film scoring outlet, folks were having trouble categorizing her work.

“The label I was on didn’t like my fourth album, ‘Les Sampou,’  and called it too AAA (adult album alternative)” Sampou said. “I had just figured I’d try and do some tunes for radio for once. My next album, which I released independently, was all country-blues, so they would’ve loved it. So, I’ve never tried to stick to any one category, but just written what seemed right for me.”

Side work with her husband

The Dirty Martinis continue to play around the area, and if those gigs might resemble a nightclub more than coffeehouse setting, the setlist can go anywhere.

“Dirty Martinis have evolved into more of a private event, or country club-type act, although we do play Tosca’s in Hingham quite a bit,” said Sampou. “We do everything from Chris Isaak to The Doors to Patsy Cline. We call it jazz, but it is really just music from the ‘20s to the ‘20s, just a chance to stand up there and sing. We call it a GB (general business) band.”

Circling back to the film and tv scores, does she have a favorite placement of her music?

“There is one, called ‘Ghostlight,’ the Scottish play, a reference to ‘Hamlet,’ which has been streamed on Netflix,” Sampou replied. “It is kind of a comedy-thriller, where they use the song ‘Bump in the Night,’ and I have to say that’s the best, most fun placement. And they use it in a scene, and then again in the closing credits. That one paid good money, and the bonus is that it was also a really good movie.”

Musical gems on stage at Narrows Center in Fall River

Two of New England’s musical gems were on stage last Friday when acoustic blues master Chris Smither played the Narrows Center in Fall River, with Peter Mulvey opening. Smither’s guitar work was as transcendent as always, with the crowd of about 300 hushed and respectful through his one hour, 45-minute set.  Smither’s 23-song set included much of his latest album, “All About the Bones.” After beginning with a jaunty spin through “Open Up,” Smither did the title cut as his third number, its haunting tone permeating the venue. But right after that it was time for some fun, with a fingerpicking stroll through “Down in Thibodaux” and its homage to his New Orleans roots. Smither told amusing anecdotes and did his best to turn the evening into almost a cozy living room jam. The new ballad “I Still Believe in You” was stunning with his softly chiming guitar. Some tales about the 1950s bluesman Jimmy Reed were wonderfully entertaining, and the two covers from the new album were stellar. Tom Petty’s “Time to Move On” became a sprightly blues in Smither’s version, while Eliza Gilkyson’s “Calm Before the Storm” took on a ruminative poignance that enhanced its lyrics. After his regular set ended with the warm “Leave the Light On,” the throng responded with a standing ovation, so Smither encored with the classic “Sitting on Top of the World.”

Earlier, Mulvey’s 30-minute opening set displayed his easy charm and understated lyrical prowess. Mulvey’s “Who’s Going to Love You Now” achieved the difficult task of being both comic and poignant, a slightly tongue-in-cheek look at love. His ode to billionaires who blow their money on rockets, “(Expletive) in Space” was a rollicking delight that had he crowd roaring. And when he was thrilled to get a request from the front row, Mulvey sang his “The Trouble With Poets” to perfection, again skillfully weaving humor and real warmth and compassion into an unforgettable moment.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Sampou will unveil album at The Burren in Somerville's Davis Square