| Samiam | |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Origin: | Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 1988–present |
| Label: | New Red Archives, Cleopatra, Atlantic, Hopeless, Your Choice, Burning Heart, No Idea, Dead Broke, Pure Noise, Golf |
| Website: | Samiam on Facebook |
| Current Members: | Jason Beebout Sergie Loobkoff Colin Brooks Sean Kennerly Chad Darby |
| Past Members: | See below |
Samiam (pronounced "sam-I-am") is an American punk rock band from Berkeley, California, active since 1988.
Samiam was formed in late 1988 after the breakup of the Gilman club mainstay Isocracy. Their first show was in January 1989 with Christ on Parade. They released records through New Red Archives and Hopeless Records in the US and Burning Heart Records in Europe.
In the mid-'90s, the band was signed to Atlantic Records, releasing their major label debut Clumsy in 1994. Their video for single "Capsized" gained considerable airplay on MTV. Samiam performed on The Jon Stewart Show in 1994.[1]
Samiam recorded one more album during their time with Atlantic, though the label opted not to release it.[2] The album, You Are Freaking Me Out, was eventually released in 1997 by Burning Heart Records. Its single "She Found You" garnered considerable radio play in 1998.
Over the years, Samiam has toured extensively throughout Europe, North America and Japan, and performed with bands like Bad Religion, Green Day, The Offspring, NOFX, No Doubt, Toadies, Sense Field, Blink-182, Deftones, 311, Millencolin, and Fishbone.
In early 2001, the band went on hiatus after supporting the Astray album. Despite what was initially to be a breakup, they continued to tour abroad yearly (Europe and South America) with occasional shows in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. This led to the recording of the band's seventh album Whatever's Got You Down, which was released in 2006. Samiam toured Europe three more times in 2006 and 2007 and played various US dates in 2008.
Samiam toured Australia in September 2009, together with the band A Death in the Family.[3] This was followed by an appearance at The Fest in Gainesville, Florida in November 2009[4] and shows in Santiago, Chile; San Miguel, Argentina; and São Paulo, Brazil in December 2009.[5] October 2010 brought them together again with A Death in the Family for a European and East Coast tour.[6] [7]
Samiam released Trips, their first album in five years, on September 6, 2011.[8] Semi annual tours have followed ever since in Europe, Australia and South America. In 2015, while in Chicago for an appearance at Riot Fest, a four-song demo was recorded but never finished.[9]
In December 2019, Samiam announced on their Facebook page that they are working on their first studio album in years.[10]
The band's musical style has been described as punk rock,[11] [12] [13] hardcore punk,[14] [15] pop-punk,[16] [17] melodic hardcore,[18] and emo.[17] Samiam's influences during their initial 1990s run included the Replacements, Hüsker Dü, Swervedriver,[19] and Short Dogs Grow.[20]
Current members
Past members
| Title | Date of release | Record label(s) | |
| Samiam | 1990 | New Red Archives | |
| Soar | 1991 | New Red Archives | |
| Billy | 1992 | New Red Archives | |
| Clumsy | August 23, 1994 | Atlantic Records | |
| You Are Freaking Me Out | June 12, 1997 | Ignition Records / Burning Heart Records | |
| Astray | August 29, 2000 | Hopeless Records / Burning Heart Records | |
| Whatever's Got You Down | September 26, 2006 | Hopeless Records / Burning Heart Records | |
| Trips | September 6, 2011 | Hopeless Records | |
| Stowaway | March 31, 2023 | Pure Noise Records |
| Title | Date of release | Record label(s) |
| Underground (EP) (All songs also on Samiam) | 1989 | New Red Archives |
| I am (EP) | 1990 | Lookout Records |
| Hardcore Breakout USA (v/a compilation) song: "Underground" | 1990 | New Red Archives |
| Beauf demo songs from Billy, Odds n' Ends | 1991 | Beri Beri Records - Europe |
| Very Small World (v/a comp) song: "At the Bottom" | September 1991 | Very Small Records release No. 37 (VSR 14) |
| Split with Jawbreaker song: "Head Trap" | 1992 | No Idea Records 7-inch came with No Idea Fanzine No. 10 |
| LIVE (EP) | 1992 | Your Choice Records |
| Faces the Facts w/ Eight Ball, Rise & ABS (split 7-inch) | 1992 | OX Records |
| Don't Break Me (EP) | 1992 | New Red Archives |
| Stump (EP) acoustic | 1992 | Blackbox |
| Ping Pong Gods split with Garlic Frog Diet | March 22, 1996 | Cargo Germany |
| Hardcore Breakout USA Volume 2 (v/a comp) song: "Go Away" | 1995 | New Red Archives |
| Glow split with Six Pack (part 4 of the Erase Yer Head split series) | 1997 | Pandemonium Records (France) |
| She Found You (EP) | July 16, 1997 | Ignition Records / Burning Heart Records |
| Factory (single) | 1997 | Ignition Records / Burning Heart Records |
| At War With Society (v/a comp) song: "Underground" | 1998 | New Red Archives |
| Your Choice Live Series 037 split with Texas Is the Reason | June 4, 1999 | Your Choice Records |
| Short Music for Short People song: "Long Enough to Forget You" | June 1, 1999 | Fat Wreck Chords |
| Search & Destroy | August 23, 1999 | Burning Heart Records |
| Mudhill (single) | 2000 | Hopeless Records |
| The New Red Years (comp) compilation of New Red Archives material | April 11, 2000 | Golf Records |
| Orphan Works (comp) compilation of B-sides, lives and rarities | 2010 | No Idea Records / Unless You Try Records |
| Complete Control Session (comp) compilation of B-sides, lives and rarities | 2012 | SideOneDummy Records |