Sam Short on Weaving Vulnerability and Vision in ‘Needle and Thread’ EP
Photography by Peidi Mayou
In her most recent release, Sam Short’s needle and thread is both a standalone single and the centerpiece of a four-track EP featuring “i wish,” “forgot to forget me,” and “earthgirl.” The tender titular track offers a ‘poignant reflection on the invisible threads that connect us to the people we love,’ whilst quietly tracing the weight of memories and meditation on loss and the slow work of moving forward. “needle and thread” similarly serves as a luminous prelude to her forthcoming project, earthgirl, a body of work that promises to navigate heartbreak, self-discovery, and healing through layers of metaphor and intricate world-building.
A rising alt-pop artist, the Los Angeles-based Short has emerged as one of pop’s most captivating new voices in just a few years, with a catalogue that feels both intimate and vast. Busting onto the scene with 2022’s “Already Mine,” a candid off-the-cuff ballad written in under an hour that spoke to many listeners online. Follow-ups like the EPs flatline (2024) and Faulty Wiring (2023) deepened this reputation for crafting narratives that resonate across—paired with her characteristic diaristic detail and cinematic scopes. She has since then rocked our musical palates with a constellation of songs that explore identity, nuance, and emotion; each is an understated reminder of why she’s an artist worth keeping on our radar.
Shortly before joining Charlotte Lawrence’s Somewhere Tour as direct support—and sharing the stage with Presley Regier at his Los Angeles show late last month, Short spoke with 1202 MAGAZINE to talk through her creative process, the emotional architecture of earthgirl, and moving beyond the pull of TikTok virality to create on her own terms.
Photography by Peidi Mayou
You began writing plays and music from a young age. How did those early creative experiences shape the songwriter you are today?
When I was little, I would spend hours writing stories in my room. I would write plays that I would force my neighbors to come put on in my backyard. I would write songs that I would perform for my parents in the living room. I had a really big imagination. I pinch myself every day because now the things that I used to do for fun as a kid are the things I get to do for a living. They’re just a little different. Right now, I’m finishing writing my favorite music I’ve ever written. I’m also writing a short film to go along with the release of my upcoming EP. I’m writing TikTok hooks for my videos. Every day, I am telling a story in some way—just like I did when I was a kid. It’s pretty fucking cool.
Your breakout song, ‘Already Mine,’ was written in just 45 minutes. How do you find that balance between instinctive writing and polished storytelling?
When I write songs, I believe in capturing an energy—that lightning in a bottle. You don’t always catch it, so when you do, you have to run with it. I think that when you are beginning to write a song, you first have to write based on feeling and instinct. But these days, I’m really big on editing. I like going back to a song a few days or weeks later with a fresh perspective and really polishing the lyrics and melodies.
You’ve had multiple songs go viral before release. How do you maintain authenticity while navigating the fast-paced world of TikTok and digital attention?
TikTok is a beast. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I will never complain about TikTok because it gave me my career, got me my record deal, and is the reason I get to do what I love. But it ultimately can be confining when you start to feel like you are making music for an algorithm.
I was honestly doing that for a minute there. But when I wrote this project, earthgirl, I made myself promise that I wouldn’t rely on TikTok for any external validation and that I would just write music that felt fresh and true to me. I haven’t relied on TikTok much during this campaign, honestly. I haven’t had those ‘explosive’ viral moments that I have had in the past, but I have used the app to build a new community of people who are really locked in on the earthgirl world as a whole. I think, in a way, I’m building something more valuable that way.
needle and thread opens with such a vivid image. Does it revisit a specific memory or feeling in your life, and how did that inspire its cinematic quality?
Yes. Well, this song is very anecdotal. It’s about accepting the fact that someone I loved very much might not have loved me as much. And that’s okay. I essentially use this metaphor of a ‘needle and thread’ to try to make sense of what I meant to an ex-lover.
How does needle and thread reflect the sonic and emotional direction of your upcoming album, earthgirl? What’s the concept behind the album?
Earthgirl is a concept album about heartbreak, exploration, and acceptance. It is based on my personal experience. So, I am kind of ‘earthgirl.’ ‘I Wish’ is the first song in the story. Here we find earthgirl directly after a break-up; she is a shell of herself. She is lamenting on her past relationship, ‘No one before had seen me naked like you did, laying it all out on your floor, I gave you more than just my skin.’ Completely broken, she attempts to find the ‘cure’ for heartbreak. And she essentially takes this drug, which leads to her going on a psychedelic, dream-like journey to another ‘world’ where she explores sides of herself she never even knew existed. This is referenced in the song ‘earthgirl’ … ‘I can take you to another world, girl. I can tell you got what it takes.’
Earthgirl not only goes on a mental trip, but she goes on an ego-trip as well…making risky decisions as a means of rebelling against her sadness. Literally crashing from her ego high, earthgirl eventually returns to Earth. She is faced with coming to terms with her past. This is where ‘needle and thread’ comes in. This song parallels ‘i wish’ in that it’s a list. Though rather than being a list of desires, it’s a list of questions. While her list of desires in ‘I Wish’ ended with a devastating and self-destructive final wish to ‘not care,’ her list of questions in this song ends with a resolution, ‘Hey, at least I loved you.’ This is growth.
Were there any recurring themes or sonic motifs you used to tie earthgirl together as a body of work?
So many. I made the entire project with my best friend Eva and an amazing producer named Chris. There are so many connections throughout the entire project, some that I will reveal and others that I will keep quiet and let people figure out on their own. Sonically, we use a recurring synth sound in a lot of the songs on the project. We also used a lot of spacey, strobe-like sounds across multiple songs. And I tracked all the songs on the same mic, which I love. Thematically, the entire project is a cohesive narrative. The track listing ultimately tells the story chronologically.
Photography by Peidi Mayou
You’ve described ‘needle and thread’ as your most ‘emotionally raw’ release. What’s it like letting that level of vulnerability live in your music?
It’s freeing. I’ve never written anything more honest. It feels really good to have it out in the world.
Do fans ever share healing or personal stories tied to your music? How does that kind of connection influence your writing?
Ultimately, I am not writing for anyone in particular. I am writing about feelings and experiences. If people connect with those feelings and experiences, that’s amazing. When I tour, I get to meet so many fans who share personal connections with the songs, and it’s so beautiful. I feel so grateful that I get to do this with my life and that I am able to connect with people on this level. It’s actually pretty crazy to meet these people face to face and think that they have made memories to songs that were once these little ideas in my head. Like…what?
Now that you're performing your own shows, how does being on stage reshape your relationship to the songs?
It makes me live in the songs in a completely different way. I have a newfound appreciation for the songs each time I get to perform them.
As earthgirl rolls out, what can fans expect – visually, narratively, or thematically- in this next chapter?
Fans can expect…really interesting visual storytelling. Some experimental new songs—otherworldly vibes.
Lastly, are there any dream collaborators, music, visual, or otherwise, that you’d love to bring into the earthgirl era?
Oh my god, so many. This question is so hard because, well…how realistic are we talking? Can I dream big? In my dream world, Lana Del Rey would be featured on a song on the project. Hunter Schafer would be in the earthgirl music video. A24 would be working with me to make earthgirl the movie. I’ll start there.
