The Music Scene: Samantha Crain and Ali Harter

Like gypsies armed with folk guitars and roots in Oklahoma soil, musicians Samantha Crain and Ali Harter are spreading their own brand of “frontier” and “roots” music everywhere they travel.

The two have quite a few traits in common. They both have small-town roots in Central Oklahoma. They both have soulful vocals and an indie sound. Each of their musical journeys is an extension of their nomadic lifestyles, producing some excellent music as they roam across the United
States and further. They are also both top-notch female musicians in a sometimes male-dominant genre and that makes these kick-ass girls perfect for our Uncensored readers.
“I will say to girls playing guitar… I’ve realized that you have to be twice as good as the guys to hold your own and people to take you serious.”
-Samantha Crain
That’s what years of traveling and writing music have taught 24-year-old Samantha Crain. She began writing music in 2004 and debuted her first works on a CD titled The Confiscation EP: A Musical Novella in 2007. Since then, Samantha has been on a journey to get her music out all over the country – or it might be more accurate to say that Samantha’s music has been pushing her all over the United States.
“Music actually was something I got more involved in because I was wanting to travel. I knew to travel as much as I wanted to I would need a way to support myself and music became that way.”
Music has sent Samantha on a winding journey around the United States that originated in the little town of Shawnee, Oklahoma. It was in response to the so-so pace of life of a typical, small, Midwest town that Samantha started to become somewhat erratic and a daydreamer, constantly contemplating big ideas. This eventually shaped her into something of a wanderer, with a love for traveling and seeing new places. It was that drive and attitude that eventually led her to the life of a touring singer/songwriter.
She says her nomadic lifestyle has become inseparable from her love for songwriting. It’s almost unclear which came first, the desire to get out of her little hometown or a love for making music but what is clear is that the result of her journey out of Shawnee to create music has produced some rich sounds and excellent records. She has since followed up her Novella EP with her first LP titled Songs in the Night released in 2009 and most recently with her CD called You (Understood) this past June.
She calls her music “frontier rock” and likens it to her own experience with Oklahoma, calling it “beyond the boundaries set up by society.” Following that analogy and listening to her music, you can hear that Samantha’s musical boundaries are first established with the foundation of folk guitar and then the boundaries are pushed a little further with the addition of folk and blues instrumentation. Adding an additional layer of interest is Samantha’s soulful voice that contributes a signature indie vibe. Overall she describes her music as “not experimental and still accessible but just outside of being totally familiar” and, just like Oklahoma, it’s “still a little wild and undiscovered.”

“I’m born and raised Oklahoma, and proud of it. I’ve lived around a couple places, but landed in Choctaw.”
-Ali Harter
Ali Harter definitely knows where her roots are and has used them to branch out into the far reaches of music. Like Samantha, Ali grew up in a small Oklahoma town just playing the guitar and has developed it into a very successful career. She released her first record Worry The Bone in 2007 and from that was able to tour both all over the United States and also throughout Europe including France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland. In March of 2009, Ali had two of her songs aired on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, giving her widespread exposure ahead of her 2010 release titled No Bees, No Honey.
For all of her far-reaching success, Ali has a deep understanding and appreciation for the influential origins of her music. She explains that jazz, soul, and country contribute to her own sound, which she describes as “roots music” as she tries to emulate some of the “beginnings of good music.”
Ali adds to this great foundation of roots music with a soulful voice full of character, blending a rockstar rasp with the soft subtleties of jazz and blues vocalists. “I’ve always kind of sounded like this. I’m sure the musicians that I love have shaped my sound originally, but I think the years of playing and being on the road really turned me into who I’m going to be.”
Ali’s voice isn’t the only thing that has been shaped by time on the road. For her 26 years of age, she’s developed a strong, mature attitude on her take on life as a musician.
“I have always loved the idea of being a musician. Then I decided to do it. Then a few people told me I could sing, so I knew I wasn’t wasting my time. Then you start gigging because that’s just a part of it, then people start paying, then you drop out of college and realize you aren’t good at anything else anymore.”
Ali’s attitude may sound road-weary but Samantha Crain reassures that both she and Ali are strong and tenacious, allied in their unity as formidable and determined musicians explaining, “Ali and I are kindred spirits. We truly understand each other because we’ve worked so hard on the business and craft aspect of our careers. We’ve become road warriors and do what we do because we are nomadic souls.”
Overall, this pair of musicians has proven that Oklahoma is a great starting point for a journey of great musicianship and these girls are proving they’ve got the tenacity to make it happen.