Spawned from the Texas tradition of roadhouses, honky-tonks, blues joints and dancehalls, Sam the Lion is as gritty, soulful and righteous as Funkytown itself. Sam was born in 2008 when friends and long-time collaborators Chris Allen Curtis and Ed Rogers decided to form a band and perform their own songs. The two songwriters teamed up with drummer Matthew Williams and bassist Mike Kelley and played a raucous run of shows at Fort Worth’s storied Fairmount.

In 2017 the opportunity to open a show for their friend Walt Wilkins reunited the band. This time bassist Rodger Harrison joined his old friends and, with Williams, formed the driving rhythm section that locked in the band’s trademark sound. Amanda Williams Ware joined in 2019 bringing her powerhouse vocals into the mix. Since then, Sam has built a following of friends and fans playing venues like Fort Worth Live, Lola’s and The Post at River East. 

“Make It Stick” is the group’s first time to record the songs they’ve crafted and honed over the last decade. “We wanted to give people the chance to take these songs home and listen to them any way they want,” says Curtis. “We started this record in 2018 and we got stalled by COVID. When we came back to finish the project, it seemed more important than ever to get it right — to make it stick.”

Over time, the mission has remained the same. “This band is built to give us the raw horsepower to create and perform our original music in the way we conceived it,” Curtis says. “It’s a passionate band rooted in the classic guitar lineup, that encompasses all the genres that made us fall in love with music in the first place. Everyone in the band is a songwriter. Everyone is a performer. Everyone is indispensable. We love each other. We love this band. We write songs that mean something to us, and we hope they connect with you.”

NEW ALBUM OUT NOW: https://jingomusic.bandcamp.com/

Almost all my life I've been creating and performing music. My mother said I was kicking in rhythm even in the womb. As a child I was constantly exposed to music, hearing Mama sing as she cooked our dinners, going to Dad's barbershop concerts and listening to my big brother's records. I joined the drum section of the school band in sixth grade. I was given a hand-me-down guitar for my thirteenth birthday and taught myself to play. Eventually I started writing my own songs. Long as I can remember I’ve been strumming, picking, banging and singing.
Along the road I've been blessed to work with an amazing bunch of artists and musicians. I’ve been in a few pretty good bands, recorded some albums and played countless shows in bars, music venues and festivals. I’ve shared stages with some of my musical heroes and recorded in a couple of legendary studios. I play songs I’ve written, songs by friends and cover tunes that I like.
These days I mainly focus on a band called Sam the Lion that I write for and perform in with Chris Curtis, Matthew Williams and Rodger Harrison. They're crazy talented and about as good friends as you can get. Sometimes, when we’re lucky, Amanda Williams Ware brings her angelic vocals to the mix.
I also spend a great deal of time, and get a great deal of enjoyment doing acoustic shows as Rogers & Long with my friend Steve Long. Steve's the salt of the earth. Let's me put my name first even though he does most of the heavy lifting. 
And sometimes I get to play drums with Steve, Chris, Mike Kelley and David Clay in the band No Class.
Through it all, the thing that really makes this so damn fun and rewarding is the people I get to share my music with. I hope you and I cross paths somewhere along the road.

I am John McMahon and I'm from Glasgow. I am a poet that pounds the dark streets of muse. My poetry is dark and eventful. I have recently sewn my poetry into the fabric of the lyrical scene, offering my exuding mind to music. I am a very passionate writer that keeps building poetry like a brick layer, my ambitions are endless. Today I feel more confident and motivated. I'm embarking on utilizing my skills even more in music and beyond so If you are looking to collaborate on a project then drop me a message  

Ed Rogers is following