Shmu is not just a name, it’s a musical adventure. Shmu is what Sam Chown calls himself when he makes songs that sound like nothing you’ve ever heard before. He plays drums, guitar, piano, and anything else he can get his hands on. He mixes real instruments with electronic sounds, samples from movies and video games, and his own voice that can go from smooth to distorted in a second. His music is like a rainbow of different genres and styles, from psychedelic rock that makes you feel like you’re tripping out, to R&B that makes you want to dance and cuddle at the same time. His music is also full of surprises and twists that keep you on your toes. You never know what’s going to happen next when you listen to Shmu. Shmu has been making music since he was a kid, recording everything he played and experimenting with different sounds. He went to a music school called Berklee College of Music, but he had to stop playing drums for a while because his arms got injured. He didn’t let that stop him though. He started a band called Zorch with his friend Zac Traeger, and they moved to Austin where they rocked out with their crazy prog-rock songs. He also kept making music as Shmu on his own, releasing several albums and EPs over the years. Some of his best ones are Shhh!!! which sounds like someone smashed together all your favorite shoegaze bands into one awesome album; Lead Me to the Glow which sounds like an 80s sci-fi movie soundtrack with catchy synth-pop songs; and Vish which sounds like an alien invasion with weird noises and beats. Shmu is also part of other cool projects like Private Life with Christopher Royal King from This Will Destroy You; Dopamine (Re-Shmu’d) with Rich Aucoin; and Shmu King with Moon King. He has also played drums for other amazing artists like Botany and Vinyl Williams who make dreamy psychedelic music too.
