"JIM AND SAM’S songs are impeccably written, structured, and arranged. They’re also so very pretty, and incredibly catchy; earworms in the best possible way." Marion Hodges, KCRW
playlist features:
Spotify’s kaffeehausmusik
Spotify’s pulse of americana
amazon’S Fresh Folk & ACoustic
apple music’s a-List Songwriters
WHAT'S THE STORY
Jim and Sam are a Los Angeles based wife/husband singer-songwriter duo. On November 3rd 2017 they completed their Anywhere Everyday Tour which found them playing one show every day for a year, changing their perspective on what it means to be musicians, performers and songwriters. At the end of the project they signed to Nettwerk Music Group and are currently working on new music that will soon be released and a documentary film about their 365 day Anywhere Everyday Tour.
Their latest single, "Doctor Please," was produced by Dan Molad (Chimney and Lucius). Their single, "Underdogs," was recorded on tour with producer Viktor Bälter-Lundin and musicians Magnus Olsson and Anders Pettersson (Melissa Horn, Lykke Li). In 2015, they self released their debut EP, "This Is What's Left," produced by Lasse Marten (Lykke Li, Peter Bjorn and John).
In 2007 they met at a comedy show.
2019 TOUR DATES
W/ WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS
1/6 Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
1/8 Lakewood, OH @ The Winchester Music Tavern
1/9 Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark
1/11 Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi
1/12 Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music
1/13 Milwaukee, WI @ The Back Room at Collective
1/15 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
1/17 Denver @ The Soiled Dove Underground
1/18 Fort Collins, CO @ Magic Rat Live
2/2 Austin @ Cactus Cafe
2/3 Houston @ Continental Club
2/4 Dallas @ Sons of Hermann Hall
2/6 Kansas City @ recordBar
2/8 St. Louis @ The Old Rock House
2/9 Newport, KY @ The Southgate House Revival
2/10 Columbus @ Woodlands Tavern
2/12 Toronto @ Longboat Hall @ The Great Hall
3/23 - Boston - City Winery
3/24 - NYC - City Winery
3/26 - Philadelphia - World Cafe Live
3/27 - Washington DC - Union Stage
3/28 - Carrboro, NC - The ArtsCenter
3/30 - Charlotte, NC - The Evening Muse
3/31 - Decatur, GA - Eddie's Attic
4/4 - Nashville - City Winery
W/ LP
3/1 - Houston - White Oak Music Hall
3/2 - Austin - Emos
3/3 - Dallas - Granada Theater
NICE WORDS
"Their songs are impeccably written, structured, and arranged. They’re also so very pretty, and incredibly catchy; earworms in the best possible way."
Marion Hodges, KCRW MUSIC BLOG
“On a frozen Tuesday night at The Cedar Cultural Center, in front of an intimate audience, Jim and Sam earned their applause. From the moment they stepped on stage, we saw a couple in-tune with each other, ready to perform. The stories they shared through their soft harmonies and expressive swooning commanded the attention of the room. Although they don’t want to be as bold to call it marital bliss, Samantha Yonack and Jim Hanft seem to write songs with ease, based on their marriage. During their introduction of “Where Are You Now“, a song about exes, they admit it’s everything unhealthy in a song. When Jim explained “Doctor Please,” a song about his father’s death, we watched their voices support each other like a virtual hug. They ended the set sharing an experience from a show at the 7th Street Entry in which they serenaded a drunk couple in the back of the venue. This led to a humorous singalong to “Saturday Night,” ending their set with some well-earned respect and applause.”
Smouse, Music Minnesota
“Only equipped with an acoustic guitar, a storm-mounted microphone that takes up all the sounds and two amazing voices, they succeed in catching the audience's attention from the first chord. It's as if people hardly dare breathe under the songs to not break the mood and the question is if it's ever been as quiet in the usually quite messy Press Hall. This is what music is all about. Honest simplicity, two fantastic voices in tight harmonies, one acoustic guitar.”
Pierre Eriksson, REFUG SWEDEN
We all burn out, says Jim and Sam, so be here now. The melodic duet, the simple and elegant production aesthetic, and the dark lyrical bent all contribute to a bittersweet sense of appreciating the moment. The acoustic drums, and the folk-style guitar, and a buttery electric bass riff come together to support a minimalist sort of roots-pop, that forays into jazz-inflected territory for the chorus movements. The sense of space, and of emotional resolution, is stunning. In light of the recent fiery summer on the west coast, this statement about the sanctity and impermanence of life is apropos.
Chillfiltr
"Perhaps more intriguing is opener Jim and Sam whose sound is positioned somewhere in the bluegrassy knoll. The L.A. folk sweethearts are bound to break out with their Simon and Garfunkel meets Serge and Brigitte vibe (just scope their website for Chrissake)"
James Walmsley, THE READER
"Keeping, yes, almost increasing, the intensity when you calm down the tempo of a song is a tough art and not all of them lost. Jim and Sam are nothing but completely phenomenal at just that ... Their two voices complement each other so incredibly well and they fill in, duel and merge into each other, as it would be obvious. Jim companys effectively on his acoustic guitar, sometimes sparse and sometimes expressive so you think all strings can go at the same time ...They stand close to each other on the stage, often face each other and they sing so nicely and varied, move diligently and look at each other with such obvious love and warmth that it is like an invisible frame of blooming around them ... This is how music should always be experienced, and it's this kind of meeting between artist and audience should always be ... (Translated from Swedish)
THIRSTY BOOTS
"Their voices are intertwined into one unit and it is beautiful and beautiful...I think of Buckingham Nicks (before joining Fleetwood Mac), especially because I think Jim's voice reminds a little of Lindsey Buckingham's. Even his empathy and movement pattern when playing a guitar has a certain resemblance…. Both Sam and Jim live in the music and get full. Often it is low-key and crisp, but occasionally they stamp the beat in the floor and raise the tempo. Their midnight nose has a lot of humor and they have a glimpse of the eye." (Translated from Swedish)
Pär Dahlerus, UPPSALA NYHETER
"Armed simply with a guitar, the folk duo’s haunting harmonies filled our library, both unaffected and enchanting at once. The six-song set mixed catchy melodies with harmonic odes to relationships and friends long gone."
GOLDEN STATE MAG
"The LA based duo of Jim & Sam are to put it simply, wonderful musicians. Not only that, they’re bloody hard workers too. How exactly do we know that? Well, they’re currently embarking on their biggest project yet: The Anywhere Everyday Tour, setting them the challenge of playing a live show every day for an entire year! And in fact, their live performances are an enthralling and captivating experience, driven by their catchy folk tunes and beautiful vocal harmonies."
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO
"The duo, Jim and Sam, are folky with beautiful harmonies and have the best on-stage banter....I'd recommend a song but I literally love all of them (though I dare you not to get "My Body My Bones" stuck in your head)."
CUPCAKES & CASHMERE
"They haven’t shown any signs of backing down from this challenge, though, and Monday night’s show was a prime example. As they glided effortlessly between performing and striking up witty conversations with the crowd, it certainly didn’t seem like performing for the previous seven consecutive weeks had put a damper on their energy. Towards the end of the show, it became evident that Jim and Sam began this tour out of a genuine yearning for adventure. Between reconnecting with old friends, collaborating with new musicians and simply getting to meet new faces along the way, it has already developed into a very memorable and inspiring tour, and their show reflected this perfectly."
Alex Melagrano, HUNTINGTON NEWS
"It’s a personal sound, one that invites many ears in with a strong touch on pop songwriting. The classic nature of “Technicolor Lights” livens Jim & Sam’s songwriting - it’s nice to hear the normally minimal pair fatten their sound with percussion and horns. Beyond the catchy overtone of Jim & Sam’s music are tones of country, rock and straight folk, ready for a campfire or festival stage."
OPERATION EVERY BAND