Stephen Sanchez catches up with Atwood Magazine in the midst of his whirlwind year to reflect on fame, share highlights from tour, and dive into the songs off his newly released ‘Angel Face (Club Deluxe),’ an expanded version of his masterful debut album.
Stream: “The Other Side” – Stephen Sanchez
The fact that people showed up at all for ‘50s style music in the modern age is a takeaway!
Stephen Sanchez has not rested since we last spoke to him – and he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
Between his debut album’s release in September 2023 and three massive, back-to-back North American, European, and Australian headline tours, the 21-year-old artist has been out bringing his ’50s Western troubadour-meets-blue-eyed soul sound to audiences around the world. He’s keeping a good kind of busy, and when things eventually do quiet down for him, he looks forward to exploring his new neighborhood in New York City – but as of late, he’s been a bona fide road warrior, calling the tour bus his home.
In our previous interview with Sanchez, Atwood Magazine dubbed him a “modern day crooner breathing hope, love, charm, and romance into the world,” further praising his LP Angel Face as “a true masterpiece of a debut, if ever there was one.” Released via Mercury Records / Republic Records just nine months ago, Angel Face is an album “all about love’s humanity” that aims to show both what love should look like, and what love actually is.
Inspired by the Motown sound, early R&B/soul pioneers like Marvin Gaye and Sam Cook, old-school rock n’ rollers like Roy Orbison and Elvis, Spaghetti Western films, as well as more contemporary acts like Lord Huron, Stephen Sanchez is single-handedly redefining the 2020s American songbook, building upon decades-old traditions whilst giving the musical styles of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s a breathtaking, well-deserved revival.
Taking advantage of his present momentum, Sanchez recently released Angel Face (Club Deluxe), an expanded 19-track edition of his debut, featuring four previously-unreleased songs and 2022’s “Until I Found You” (with Em Beihold) – the duet version of his global smash hit.
“Some of these songs were honestly lost in the ether and some of them were played during the tour without a release date in sight,” Sanchez explains. “They are just as special as the rest, even if they took a moment to arrive.”
The original Angel Face, produced by Grammy Award winner Ian Fitchuk and Konrad Snyder (as well as Lord Huron’s Ben Schneider), tells the fictional story of famed crooner Troubadour Sanchez who falls in love with Evangeline, the girlfriend of a mob boss named Hunter, who owns an LA nightclub called The Angel. The Troubadour gives Evangeline the nickname “Angel Face” (hence the name of the album), and together, the two star-crossed lovers kindle an ill-fated secret romance that ends in death and tragedy – a lesson, ultimately, in love’s immortality.
Sanchez announced the album’s deluxe version by teasing, “sometimes the story isn’t ready to end.”
To him, though, the story is really what you make it.
“The sentiments of the songs mirror the record, and it’s up to you to place where each song fits,” he smiles. “It’s more fun that way.”
“I feel that it’s an extension more than an expansion,” he adds. “The feelings are the same, maybe deeper with some of these new tunes. You might find yourself recognizing sentiments shared in other songs on the record that you do in the new ones. It’s up to the fans to take them deeper or connect the dots.”
Personal highlights include “Howling at Wolves,” an homage to his favorite band (and now collaborator) Lord Huron, and “Fame or Fortune,” in which Sanchez tells his own story.
“I know people have this perception of fame and the glory that surrounds it,” he says. “I don’t feel famous, I don’t feel deserving of this grand pedestal, the massive applause, and that’s because it’s unnatural to receive such recognition as a human being. I think with the quick and easy ability to become viral or famous through social media platforms, it’s not uncommon to get lost in its glamour, in its identity. I fell into that for a long time. This song is a reminder and a truth that it doesn’t satisfy, that it is not the savior, it is not what gives you value or place in the world. When you love something more than yourself, that is worth surrendering your soul, that is worth your praise.”
While he’s taking a well-earned month off from touring this July, Stephen Sanchez will be back playing concerts and festivals throughout the later half of the summer; at the moment, his diary is booked all the way up to Halloween. He’s currently looking forward to going to Japan for the first time, where he is scheduled to perform at the 23rd annual Summer Sonic Festival in mid-August.
And if all that wasn’t enough, mid-May also saw the release of his new single “Baby Blue Bathing Suit,” a song inspired by the music of The Beach Boys, written with all-star producer/writers Dan Nigro and Amy Allen, and featured as a bonus track on the new Beach Boys documentary soundtrack. To date, the track has already amassed nearly three million global streams on Spotify alone.
Oh, my suntanned girl
with the freckles and curls
Looks good when she swims in the water
Oh, those deep green eyes,
little mean, little nice
Midnights couldn’t get any hotter
Give me the big blue waves
and the tennis days
‘Til the good old days are gone
Let them remind you
That summer’s a place for everyone
“I was floored when The Beach Boys’ team reached out to me about being featured on the film’s soundtrack – it’s truly an honor to be a part of this project and I have so much respect for the band and their musical legacy,” Sanchez shares. “Endless Summer was one of the first vinyls my Grandpa gave me as a kid. Recording the song was equally incredible… I recorded the vocals when I was in London at the iconic Abbey Road Studios.”
Atwood Magazine recently caught up with the Sanchez in the midst of his whirlwind year to chat about life on tour, his deluxe album, and all that’s to come: Dive into Angel Face (Club Deluxe) in our interview below, and be sure to catch Stephen Sanchez on tour all over the world this summer and fall!
“The fact that people showed up at all for ‘50s style music in the modern age is a takeaway!” he grins, a twinkle gleaming in his eye.
Needless to say, the story of the The Troubadour and his Angel is still far from over.
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:: stream/purchase Angel Face (Club Deluxe) here ::
:: connect with Stephen Sanchez here ::
‘Angel Face (Club Deluxe)’ – Stephen Sanchez
CATCHING UP WITH STEPHEN SANCHEZ
Atwood Magazine: Stephen, it’s great to catch up with you! First, how were the Angel Face shows? I remember you’d put so much energy and creativity into the live performance. How did it pay off, and what were your takeaways from the tour?
Stephen Sanchez: They were a dream really, someone took over and I got to watch something beautiful. I got to see music come alive again. The fact that people showed up at all for ‘50s style music in the modern age is a takeaway!
When we last spoke, Angel Face hadn’t been released yet. Now it’s eight months old! How has the album grown on you? Has your relationship with it changed over time?
Stephen Sanchez: It helped me realize the artist I am. I don’t write and release aimless albums for gain, I write and record genuine stories that might not work in the modern age. But, my relationship with music has become so much more because of it. This album is my bride and I love her so much. I can’t wait for this next chapter.
You’ve now released this club deluxe version Angel Face, having teased, “sometimes the story isn’t ready to end.” What’s the story of these last five songs?
Stephen Sanchez: The story is what you make it. The sentiments of the songs mirror the record, and it’s up to you to place where each song fits. It’s more fun that way.
Would you mind sharing a little bit about each song?
Stephen Sanchez: I’d whittle it down like this: “The Other Side” is “High’s” cousin, “Howling At Wolves” is “Evangeline’s” revenge, “This Thing Called Love” is what “Be More” is saying but in a deeper way, and “Emotional Vacation” is “Only Girl’s” summer time version.
Are these tracks from original album sessions, or were they recorded after the tour - and after you’d had all this additional experience bringing your music to life onstage?
Stephen Sanchez: Some of these songs were honestly lost in the ether and some of them were played during the tour without a release date in sight. They are just as special as the rest even if they took a moment to arrive.
Which songs from the album stand out to you the most these days (and why)?
Stephen Sanchez: “Fame or Fortune” tells my story. I know people have this perception of fame and the glory that surrounds it. I don’t feel famous, I don’t feel deserving of this grand pedestal, the massive applause, and that’s because it’s unnatural to receive such recognition as a human being. I think with the quick and easy ability to become viral or famous through social media platforms, it’s not uncommon to get lost in its glamour, in its identity. I fell into that for a long time. This song is a reminder and a truth that it doesn’t satisfy, that it is not the savior, it is not what gives you value or place in the world. When you love something more than yourself, that is worth surrendering your soul, that is worth your praise.
I love, love, love “Fame or Fortune.” It feels like the true ending to the album: “Angel, without you, my life would be a sin. I don’t need fame or fortune, all these lights I can’t abide…” Can we talk about these lyrics? Did you write this with the story’s ending in mind, or is this another instance where a real love story is behind the fictionalized one?
Stephen Sanchez: There is a real love story. Fame is a foreign thing to me, love is the thing I always chase honestly, and I really have it. I don’t need anything more. I don’t need money, I don’t need lights, I don’t need everyone calling my name, just her. She’s what I need. I know if this all went away tomorrow, loving her would still be my greatest joy because it’s REAL. It breathes, it speaks, it sings to me. She is far more beautiful than this world and all its riches.
I’d also like to talk about the line, “How can I be friends with this thing called love?” What does that question mean, for you?
Stephen Sanchez: Well, how can you? Love is so powerful, to deny it would be catastrophic to one’s heart.
I also have to highlight the energy and raw emotion you packed into “Howling at Wolves” - and I once again hear a bit of Lord Huron’s influence on this song! What was it like bringing this track to life?
Stephen Sanchez: It was so exciting for me because I love Lord Huron so much and so much of their music has influenced my artistry. It feels like an homage to them more than anything.
For those who’ve paid attention to the whole album’s story from the start, do you consider this to be Angel Face’s epilogue, or is it more like an expansion to the world we’ve come to know and love?
Stephen Sanchez: I feel that it’s an extension more than an expansion. The feelings are the same, maybe deeper with some of these new tunes. You might find yourself recognizing sentiments shared in other songs on the record that you do in the new ones. It’s up to the fans to take them deeper or connect the dots.
So now that this story has come to its end, again, what lessons can we learn from the story of Angel Face - of The Troubadour and his Angel?
Stephen Sanchez: Don’t steal the heart of a mob boss’s girl? I reckon that’s a lesson. I’m not a teacher. Music is naturally revealing, I feel confident it teaches without me.
So is this it for good this time, or do you think there’s a chance that these characters appear again down the line?
Stephen Sanchez: All good things end before they stop being cool. I never want it to be remembered as something that kept trying to be relevant. Everything has a time and place in the world. Another thing will replace it in spite of me, so why try to prevent it?
What is your personal favorite song out of this new batch of songs, and which song(s) do you hope people really gravitate toward once they’re all out?
Stephen Sanchez: “Fame or Fortune” is a personal favorite because it is me. It is my entire heart wrapped in a melody. I hope people gravitate to whatever makes them happiest.
I just checked, and both versions of “Until I Found You” are nearing 1 billion Spotify streams - I’m guessing they’ll both have hit that milestone by the summer. What’s it like to imagine this song being listened to 2 BILLION times?! Is it just baffling?!
Stephen Sanchez: I don’t even feel like the guy who wrote it anymore. It’s become bigger than I could have ever imagined. I don’t even know what to feel about any of this anymore. I am incredibly grateful that I get to experience it.
I think I remember when we last chatted that you’d got an apartment in NYC but hadn’t had the chance to spend too much time there yet! Have you been able to have a bit of downtime and explore the city since then?
Stephen Sanchez: [laughs] I still have not had a chance to spend much time there…
Ha, no worries – it'll be there for you, someday! For now, what’s on the horizon for Stephen Sanchez - what are you really excited about for this summer, and for the second half of the year?
Stephen Sanchez: I am excited to go to Japan with my boys and my gal to play music. What a wild gift.
Thanks so much Stephen!
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:: stream/purchase Angel Face here ::
:: connect with Stephen Sanchez here ::
Watch: “Baby Blue Bathing Suit” – Stephen Sanchez
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© Luke Rogers
© Luke RogersAngel Face (Club Deluxe)
an album by Stephen Sanchez
