Samuel Thomas Means is an American songwriter, producer and musician, previously songwriter of

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

band

The Format The Format was an American indie rock band, formed by vocalist Nate Ruess and multi-instrumentalist Sam Means (musician), Sam Means. Their style can be considered a mixture of indie, alternative, punk and folk music, with elements of 1960s and 1 ...

Music career

Sam Means and

Nate Ruess Nathaniel Joseph Ruess (pronounced ; born February 26, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. He formed the indie rock band The Format in 2002, and later went on to form the band fun. in 2008. He emerged as a solo act with his guest per ...

left their previous bands Nevergonnascore and This Past Year and formed the indie-pop duo,

, in February 2000. The Format announced a hiatus on February 4, 2008. On September 29, 2009, Means released the original motion picture soundtrack for the indie film ''The Sinking of Santa Isabel''. On April 21, 2012, Means released an exclusive 7" for

Record Store Day Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...

, titled, ''NONA'', on Photo Finish Records. The 7" features an A and B side, with a digital download card for three additional tracks, including a cover of

The Hollies The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in Manchester in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and ...

', "

Carrie Anne "Carrie Anne" is a song written by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, and Tony Hicks and released by British pop rock group the Hollies. It was recorded on 1 May 1967 and was released as a single in the same month by Parlophone Records in the United ...

". On April 19, 2014, Means released his second exclusive 7" for

, titled, Blue Jeans, on Photo Finish Records. The A Side and title track, "Blue Jeans", is a

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...

cover, featuring Anthony Green of

Circa Survive Circa Survive was an American rock music, rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that formed in 2004. Founded by singer Anthony Green (musician), Anthony Green and guitarist Colin Frangicetto, the band consisted of former members from This ...

on lead vocals, with Sizzy Rocket singing back up. On January 22, 2016, Means released his debut full-length album, ''10 Songs'' on Hello Records. The album reunited Means with his The Format bandmates Don Raymond, Marko Buzzard, Mike Schey, and John O'Riley, along with

Dog Problems ''Dog Problems'' is the second and final studio album to be recorded by American Rock music, rock band The Format; the album was released on July 11, 2006, through the band's label The Vanity Label. Following the release of their debut studio albu ...

producer Steven McDonald and arranger Roger Joseph Manning Jr. The Format reunited for a surprise show on February 3, 2020, performing in Hello Merch's event space. The next day, a brief reunion tour was announced, but would later be canceled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. On October 12, 2020, Means released a 5-track EP titled, ''I'm Sorry.'' Means wrote, "I wrote and recorded a little 5 song EP in my laundry this week, while the girls were out of town." The EP was released digitally and on cassette.

Business venture

In the wake of the Format’s hiatus, Means and his wife, Anita, started a company in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

called Hello Merch. According to Hello Merch's website, "

he company He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter ca ...

started in 2008 as an outlet for bands, musicians, creative artists and businesses to manufacture and sell merchandise anywhere, without giving up their rights." The company moved locations numerous times during its early years due to outgrowing the spaces. The company has since found a sizable warehouse at 850 W. Lincoln in Phoenix’s historic warehouse district that they revitalized in 2019. Over the years, Means has extended the Hello brand to other ventures, including an apparel line, a record label, a screen printing and record pressing services, and event space. The company had worked with many local organizations in creating merchandise such as the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

, the Crescent Ballroom, and the ZONA music festival. They also create merch for numerous well known musicians such as

Bebe Rexha Bleta "Bebe" Rexha ( , ; born August 30, 1989) is an American singer and songwriter. She signed with Warner Records in 2013, and was credited with co-writing releases of other artists—such as Eminem's Grammy Award-winning single " The Monster" ...

, K.Flay,

Smallpools Smallpools is an American indie pop band formed in 2013. The band consists of Sean Scanlon (vocals), Mike Kamerman (guitar), and Beau Kuther (drums). After their debut single " Dreaming" charted at number one on The Hype Machine, Smallpools' ...

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

Discography

For Means' releases with The Format, see The Format discography.

Studio albums

EPs

Various artist compilations

Soundtracks

Features

Singles

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Means, Sam American male singer-songwriters Living people 21st-century American singer-songwriters American indie pop musicians 21st-century American male singers The Format members 1982 births