Few artists merge raw emotional urgency with deft songwriting quite like Kentucky-born Sam Varga. Fusing emo, punk, and alt-country into a sound fully his own, Sam has forged a rare, undefinable space in modern music. His singer-songwriter roots were sharpened in Nashville, where narrative and melody took on new life. His latest EP, The Fallout, plays like a chronicle of a year spent reckoning, rebuilding, and finding hope amid chaos.
During this candid conversation, Sam opens the door on his creative process, the struggle and catharsis behind The Fallout, a record that he describes on his official site as emerging from “the emo diaspora of Nashville.” Sam Varga.
The Interview
1. What was happening in your life when you wrote The Fallout?
I was working a lot. I was writing every day, both for myself and other artists, and managing a year’s worth of releases and promotion completely independently. I was getting everything out that I wanted to write about, getting rid of everything I was tired of writing about, and discovering things that I was scared to write about (ie. politics / “Minute Man”). I’m so glad I was able to chronicle it all in this 2025 sonic diary.
2. How did growing up with emo music and moving to Nashville shape your sound?
I think moving to Nashville entirely shaped my sound. At its core, the songcraft of Nashville makes me prioritize lyricism. The punk background necessitates that those lyrics are on a dynamic and exciting sonic cloud.
3. Did you plan to mix different styles like country, punk, and emo, or did it just happen organically?
It happened organically. Sometimes to a fault…maybe? I don’t think people know where to place me. But for me, it’s organic and can’t be helped.
4. How did working with Caroline Romano and Spencer Jordan change “Queen of the Ashes”?
They helped me funnel months of solo writing and scribbled lyrics into something that had shape. And the shape of that song shaped the entire record. I was like “yup, this is it, this is what this record is going to sound like.”
5. The EP goes from dark to hopeful—was that on purpose?
I hope so! I mean I definitely went on that journey personally while making it, so I’m excited to hear that is coming through!
6. Which song on The Fallout was the hardest to make, and which one came easiest?
I kinda recall “Isabella” being tricky in mixing. I had to figure out how to take a happy song about a girl and make sure it had the same edge as the rest of the project. Thankfully, my producers are monsters, and it shaped up nicely. Easiest song to make was #7. We needed a 7th song for the record. Walked in, wrote it, recorded the whole thing in a few takes, and sent it to be mastered. It was a blast!
7. How do you open up in your lyrics without feeling too exposed?
I don’t, haha. It’s all laid bare. Songwriting is my therapy. Take the worst thing about yourself, put it to music, and send it out into the world. After that, it’s not scary anymore.
8. What’s it like balancing being true to yourself while also making music that appeals to the masses?
I think being in Nashville for so long, I know how to write a song now. The trickier part for me is breaking the rules and making sure there’s enough space for myself and my experiences to come through.
9. How do you think The Fallout will influence your next project?
The Fallout has put to bed a lot of concepts. I’m really excited to write about new things, tell stories that might have nothing to do with me, and start pushing harder in the studio. I’ll definitely be experimenting a lot more.
10. What do you hope people feel or think after hearing the EP?
That it’s gonna be okay. And you can’t laugh and be afraid at the same time.
Final Note
The Fallout is not just an EP—it’s Sam Varga’s reckoning, and announcement. It’s the sound of someone unspooling internal tension into catharsis, pushing genre boundaries, and choosing unfiltered honesty over comfort. As he steps toward Shadow Work and beyond, Sam stands at an inflection point: fully grounded in his origins, and excited for what lies ahead.
Explore more of Sam’s world—his music, videos, tour dates, and merch—on his official site: samvarga.com.
