Sam Griffiths to perform solo set at Young Thugs Studio

Sam Griffiths, best-known as The Howl & The Hum, will perform solo at the piano at next week’s (March 22) ‘Welcome to the North’, a new music showcase at Young Thugs Studio in South Bank.

Sam Griffiths (Image: Stewart Baxter)

Sam will be stationed in one corner of the same room as artists Moongate, YouVee and Jodie Langford.

For around 90 minutes the capacity audience will move around the acts, from performance to performance.

Sam said he was looking forward to playing on his current ‘go to’ instrument when he’s writing.

He said: “My late grandmother was a piano teacher and the one she owned is currently in my home.

“I was averse to learning it at first so picked up a guitar instead.

“Although I love playing the piano, I rarely do so in front of people and it’s the one instrument I’m still bemused by.”

Also at Sam’s home is what he described as a ‘leaning tower of books’ – with characters and stories providing inspirations for his lyrics.

He said he enjoys finding celebrations in the leaves of the pages, highlighting the work of Alasdair Gray, the Scottish author who penned ‘Poor Things’ - recently adapted into the Oscar-nominated movie of the same name.

Sam will be re-connecting with event curators Jonny Hooker and Jericho Keys, both of whom he said he holds in high esteem for their support in his ascent.

Jonny Hooker and Jericho Keys inside Young Thugs Studio (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Jonny is Young Thugs’ owner, engineer, producer and mixer.

The show has sold out for the fifth time in a row, and Jonny said: “The experience is very different for both artist and audience as everything is seen up close.

“More than anything it’s a celebration of the York music scene and the artists are getting support from the BBC.”

Highlights from ‘Welcome to the North’ have featured within the York & Humberside strand of ‘BBC Music Introducing’ – with live performances from The Pearl Harts, about-faces, and Sirene included within the corporation’s platform for unsigned artists.

Young Thugs Studio occupies part of South Bank Social Club in Ovington Terrace (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Young Thugs Studio, in Ovington Terrace, has just concluded a second run of a production programme - called LEVEL - to promote ‘anyone who identifies as a woman or any other underrepresented gender’ into the field of music production, which remains male-dominated.

Jonny, who is co-owner, said: “That’s gone really well, six participants have gone on to work in the industry.”

He referenced one ‘champion’ of LEVEL – Katrina Dixon – and the impact that hearing her work and seeing her in action is having.

A new project launched at the studio in January.

Young Creatives, in conjunction with York-based community interest company Bolshee, is a call-to-arms for ‘young musicians, dancers, drawers, DJs, technicians, writers, talkers and explorers’ aged eight-to-11 and 11-to-14-years-old.

Young Creatives will be working together with industry professionals to plan and put on dynamic and multi-disciplinary performances and events.

The first single from The Howl & The Hum’s second album will be released this spring.