Sam Harris, the lead singer of the American pop rock band X Ambassadors, is eager to perform this weekend at “Rocking The Daisies.”
Despite a persistent cold on the eve of the festival, he reports that a good night’s sleep has made him feel much better and ready to perform with Casey Harris and Adam Levin.
“We’re simply going to bring our typical sh*t, our biggest sellers, and the most energetic performance possible,” he remarked.
We’re very pleased to be playing the event in South Africa, and I’ve heard that the crowds here are pretty light, so I believe it’ll be a breeze for us. It’s going to be wonderful.”
Since releasing “Jungle” in 2014, X Ambassadors have been extraordinarily productive. After releasing a number of remixes of that track, they embarked on a prolific streak that has seen them release a number of singles each year and three excellent full albums.
Harris attributes their productivity to their independence.
“I believe we became quite proficient at recording while on tour,” he says. “We have always been really independent; we produce and co-produce a great deal of our own material.
“And I’ve become accustomed to composing on my alone, so I don’t really need to be in a room with a group of songwriters all the time. It became really enjoyable as we grew accustomed to creating things on our own.
Much of their early music was recorded in their van while touring the United States. The 2015 breakthrough single “Renegade” from their debut album “VHS” is one of the most outstanding tracks they’ve ever released.
“The title was suggested by our producer Alex Da Kid, with whom we were working at the time. He had the notion to compose a song with the title Renegade or Renegades. And then I experimented with a few more variations, and this one felt the best.
“The way I contextualized it for myself and my band is that we have always felt like outsiders due to the way we operate — playing the type of music that we do and being the people that we are.”
Now with over a billion streaming, “Renegades” has become a worldwide phenomenon.
Harris did not anticipate this. “It was something that surprised me. I did not think well of the music. Honestly, I thought, ‘It’s cool, it’s not bad,’ while it wasn’t my favorite thing I’ve done. But I believe that’s how everyone feels about their biggest hits.”
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In 2017, two years after the enormous success of “Renegades,” the band’s song “Home” featuring Machine Gun Kelly and Bebe was included on the soundtrack CD for the urban fantasy action picture “Bright.”
Harris notes that “Home” is one of the few songs he didn’t create himself.
“It was handed to me with the song already composed. When I heard Machine Gun Kelly’s verse, I knew that Bebe would also be featured. I genuinely adore the project. It was so awesome. I have always been a huge fan of both Will Smith and the film’s director, David Ayer.
I also enjoy the song. It was straightforward and felt like something I could contextualize for myself, which is a significant point. If I’m going to sing something someone else penned, it must speak to me, and it did.”
Harris said he and his band will have a free day in Johannesburg on Monday before departing for a safari in Durban the following day. They intend to conclude their journey by spending an additional three or four days in Cape Town.
“All I want to do is eat a lot of food,” he says. I would also like to trek a bit, visit the ocean, and see as much as possible.
Harris said they have some exciting collaborations in the works and a new album that is finalized and ready to be published in the near future.
“The future looks bright right now for us, man. Next year will see the release of a plethora of noteworthy products.