About Me
Washington,DC-based singer/songwriter Sam Hensley has been writing and performing his own style of Americana music for the past 10 years. Over that, he has released two independent albums, appeared on several regional and national compilations, and won awards in regional songwriting contests. His current release, Run Like Water, has sold over 800 copies, and has received airplay on several NPR stations. His songs span the genres, from the truths of humanity, to the healing of compassion. The music is written with an honesty seldom found in commercial radio, and resonant with Sam's existence. An Amazon.com review reads, "Rare is the discovery of such a gifted, intelligent, and soulful musician and songwriter."Born in Greensboro, NC, Sam was surrounded by music from an early age. After brief stints with piano and cello, Sam settled with the guitar, and proceeded to form an electric cover band that folded after a horrible tuning accident at a local kids fair. A demo tape exists...somewhere. After ninth grade, Sam went acoustic and has never looked back. He began to write songs between homework assignments, and eventually formed the widely popular duet, Hopeless Romantics. The group performed regionally from conventions to private parties, and recorded their only album, "Time", using six hours of studio time won by Sam in the Triad Song Slam competition. The group was destined for something, but split to pursue separate college tracks.
While at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sam continued to write and perform, becoming a regular at the local coffeehouses. He also began to work with the youth programs in the Episcopal church, traveling as far as New Hampshire to lead retreats in music programs.After graduation in 1999, Sam recorded Beg the Sky, with the help of engineer Benjy Johnson (Benj-o-Matic) and local session players from the now defunct Weekend Excursion. Unlike the single guitar and vocal style of Time, Beg the Sky introduced the full band, with harmonica, accordion, and fiddle. In Oct 2002, Sam released his third album, Run Like Water. Produced by Rob Seals, and featuring bassist Derek Jones(former touring bassist for Nickel Creek), and percussionist Dale Baker(former drummer for Sixpence none the Richer), Run Like Water showcased a new maturity in songwriting, and a heightened level of production that Triad Style calls; "sweet and soft melancholia infused with ace musicianship." In 2004, Sam married Erin Seltzer, and moved to Alexandria, VA, where he continues to perform, teach, and leads music full-time, both in and out of church settings, with most recent appearances of note at the Eno River Festival, Durham, NC; and the National Cathedral, Washington DC.
