Daily Discovery: Sam Heilig, "Broken Branches"

Videos by American Songwriter

Sam Heilig’s full length album, “Broken Branches”, is set to be released October 21, 2014.

BIRTHDATE: October 26, 1988

HOMETOWN: Snellville, GA

CURRENT LOCATION: Atlanta, GA

AMBITIONS: To write songs that people can listen to when they need something to hold on to. To be the best husband that I can be. To travel the world playing music with my wife by my side.

TURN-OFFS: Probably the terrible drivers in Atlanta – which is pretty much all of them – so I guess I should just say the drivers in Atlanta.

TURN-ONS: A great story, usually in movie or book form. Also, pizza.

DREAM GIG: Playing at the Fox Theatre here in Atlanta. It’s such a beautiful room, and I’ve seen a lot of really great shows there. Would love to be a part of that tradition in my hometown.

FAVORITE LYRIC: “Older chests reveal themselves like a crack in a wall/Starting small, and grow in time/We all seem to need the help of someone else/To mend that shelf of too many books/Read me your favorite line” – Damien Rice

CRAZIEST PERSON I KNOW: That would have be my wife Rachel for being married to a singer/songwriter. She’s really awesome, supportive, and believes in my music, but I feel like she’s got to have a little bit of crazy in her to go on this journey with me.

SONG I WISH I WROTE: Right now, it’s “Million Dollar Bill” by Dawes

5 PEOPLE I’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Jason Isbell, Ray LaMontagne, Timothy Keller, Jimmy Fallon, CS Lewis

MY FAVORITE CONCERT EXPERIENCE: Ray LaMontagne playing an acoustic set at the Cobb Energy Centre.

I WROTE THIS SONG: It’s really hard to think of any relationship that I’m in (marriage, family, or friends) that I haven’t needed at least one or two second chances with. Most of the time it’s way more than that. We constantly fail each other and are in need of grace. I put that idea into the context of a situation where a guy goes out searching for a girl that he’s wronged too many times but still loves. The song just kind of flew out from there.