Sam Shupak

The local music scene is on the rise, and Sam Shupak is headed for the stars. Sam is a local boy, a product of his family and community, with a passion for music and performing. Sam’s love for music began at an early age. His mom, Regina Shupak, tells the story of Sam riding in the back of her friend’s convertible when he was two years old singing along to Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochie.” When asked what she thought when she heard little Sam in the backseat, she recalls, “I was shocked that he knew all the words to the song, and everyone clapped for him, and asked him to sing it everywhere we went. He also sang it to the entire basketball team when my Dad’s team won state basketball tournament.” Needless to say, Sam’s performing career started at a young age and has only grown since.

Over the past few years, Sam’s growing popularity has given him the opportunity to share the stage with several well-known Texas and Nashville acts such as John Michael Montgomery, Jerrod Niemann, Granger Smith, Charlie Worsham, and the list goes on. He has also been able to play stages (aside from Texas) in Florida, Georgia, and Nashville.

Sam remembers, “I had the chance to perform for Nashville songwriter Jim Collins, who’s written number one hits for George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, and others. He encouraged me to develop my own material.” After Collins’ encouragement, Sam co-wrote a handful of original songs with Justin Chance and Zach Maberry. Last May, Sam traveled to Nashville to record a three-song demo with producer Michael Spriggs, who has been a session player for over 25 years, and four-time Grammy winning sound engineer Mark Capps. The musicians that played on his demo are guys that would normally be seen backing the likes of Tim McGraw and Clint Black on tour and have played on sessions for Brooks & Dunn, Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn, and many, many more. SoundShop Studios, where the session was held, is one of the most established recording facilities in Nashville. Sam had a great time spending two days in the studio with so many talented musisians and is excited to get back to Nashville to complete his first album.

When he was younger, Sam also had a love for playing soccer. That hobby was put to an end his freshman year of high school when a knee injury stopped him from being able to play. While he was going through rehab for his knee, he picked up his guitar and started to play again. He had not really thought about making a career out of music until he carried his guitar to school his junior year of high school. He ended up singing for Kristin Adams’ last period English class at Hudson High School. Mrs. Adams and all of Sam’s fellow classmates immediately recognized his talent, and playing around school became a regular event. Everyone finally convinced him to play an open mic night at Banita Creek Hall in Nacogdoches, Texas one Wednesday night. The owner of the venue, Kevin White, heard Sam and loved his sound. He was asked to come back the next night to play his own set.

One of the songs Sam recorded in Nashville was his current single, “I’ll Hold On To You.” “I’ll Hold On To You” is a song about what is important in life with some great steel guitar. The song starts off with the lyrics, “Just a bottle of wine, that’s all we need,” which sets the laidback mood of the song from the beginning. Justin Chance and Zach Maberry wrote the song about Justin’s girlfriend and shared it with Sam. Sam fell in love with the song, and the three came together to make the song what it is today. Sam chose this to be his first single because his fans have really connected to the song.