Sleuthing out Samantha Crain’s Gumshoe ahead of her Thursday RecordBar show

Samantha Crain. // photo by Sequoia Ziff

Regardless of whether you know the name of Choctaw singer-songwriter Samantha Crain, you’ve likely heard her music, especially if you’re fan of Oklahoma-set must-watch series like Hulu’s Reservation Dogs or Disney+’s Echo. In addition to Crain’s own compositions, both series saw her cover songs from other artists in her own inimitable style.

She has a new album out now, entitled Gumshoe, and it’s the sort of record which hooks you in with a poppy garage rocker to kick everything off, but keeps you entranced with heartfelt lyrics and a gorgeous sense of delivery. Samantha Craig hits RecordBar on Thursday, June 12, in support of Gumshoe, and was cool enough to take some time in between international dates to answer our questions via email.

The Pitch: Since your last album, you’ve done a lot of soundtrack work. What’s it like having your songs soundtracking something like Reservation Dogs or Echo, outside the mindset you had when writing and recording them?

Samantha Crain: It’s been a really unique experience. Having my songs used in TV shows like Reservation Dogs or Echo shifts my creative thinking quite a bit, because you’re not just thinking about your own emotional expression or the story you want to tell in a song. You’re considering how the song fits within a larger narrative and what emotional or thematic purpose it serves for the characters or the scene. It’s such a useful perspective as an artist because you have to tap into the energy of the show, and you can see how the things you write can be used from someone else’s perspective or a completely different context.

For example, with Reservation Dogs, there’s such a distinct cultural and emotional weight to the show so having my songs used there, felt almost like being part of a bigger conversation about identity, community, and belonging.

Adjacent to that, what’s it like recording cover songs for shows and having that be the way some folks were first introduced to you?

It’s kind of surreal, honestly. You’re so used to making your own music and having that be how people discover you, but when you do a cover song, especially for a show that’s reaching a new audience, you get a sense of how your music might be experienced differently. You’re taking something someone else created and making it your own, which can also invite new listeners in, especially if the cover ends up connecting with them on a personal level. It’s humbling, in a way, because the music you make becomes part of something bigger than just you.

Also, I think it speaks to how music really transcends the boundaries of where you expect it to be heard. If someone first heard my work through a show like Reservation Dogs, it’s this new doorway for them to explore my other songs, and I think that’s exciting.

Gumshoe starts off with a rocker before getting introspective. How important was the sequencing on this record?

Sequencing this record was a huge part of how I wanted it to feel. It wasn’t just about the songs themselves but about how they fit together to tell a story, even if it’s not a linear one. Gumshoe really moves through different emotional landscapes, and I wanted that to be felt by the listener. The album starts off with that bigger, louder energy, almost like a statement, but then it pulls back into more vulnerable and reflective spaces. It’s almost like the record is inviting the listener into the mindset of someone trying to figure things out, both internally and externally, which is the theme of the record— curiosity.

So, sequencing wasn’t just important, it was essential to the mood I was trying to set and the journey I wanted to take listeners on. It feels like a slow burn at times, and then there’s this release.

The title track of the new album is all about trying to puzzle out the person in whom you’re interested. Do you have a favorite detective, private investigator or otherwise?

I think I’ve always been drawn to characters who are a little bit of an enigma themselves, kind of like how I feel about the subject of the song. If I had to choose, I’d probably say I love Sam Spade, but specifically, I like the idea of the quiet and brooding detective. Someone who isn’t just out there solving cases but who’s really good at reading between the lines and noticing things others overlook. That’s how the title track feels for me—it’s about trying to read someone, trying to piece together clues about them, and seeing them in a new light.

I also really love the character of Miss Marple from Agatha Christie’s stories. She’s always so observant, not needing to be flashy or bold, but she’s incredibly sharp and intuitive. Maybe it’s thepart of me that appreciates patience and quiet reflection.

Samantha Crain. // photo credit Dylan Friese

Given that Oklahoma has such a rich musical history, where do you see yourself in a spectrum which includes everyone from Dwight Twilley and Jesse Ed Davis to the All American Rejects and Turnpike Troubadours?

That’s such an interesting spectrum of artists, and honestly, it’s humbling to be considered in that context at all. Oklahoma has this history of musicians who have shaped so much of the wider music landscape—and I feel like I’ve moved in and out of most of the genres mentioned here.

For me, I think I sit somewhere between the folk tradition of Woody Guthrie and the emotional pop/rock world of the All-American Rejects, but I definitely feel a kinship with all those artists. The way Oklahoma’s music has always been rooted in storytelling, authenticity, and a certain kind of rawness, I think that connects me to those artists, even if my sound is a bit more intimate. The cool thing about Oklahoma is it’s always allowed for a range of sounds and influences, and I guess I’d like to think I contribute to that by carving out my own space within it, while still being very much connected to that storytelling tradition.

With this album being so many years in the making, are you just leaning into supporting it, or do you have more planned for the back half of 2025?

Oh, there’s definitely more on the horizon! This album has been a long time coming, and I’m still very much invested in supporting it. I want to give it the space it needs to be heard, but I’ve also been working on new music in parallel. I don’t think the creative well ever truly runs dry for me.

The only reason the album took a while to come out was because I was so swamped with film composition work, so it didn’t have anything to do with me not having material. As much as I’m excited about what this album represents, I can’t stop creating. So, you can definitely expect new things from me in the latter part of 2025 and next year. It’s always a balance between reflecting on what’s come before and pushing forward into the next phase, and I’m excited for both.

Samantha Crain plays recordBar on Thursday, June 12, with Quinn Christopherson. Details on that show here.