Sam Austins dances through pain in new video for “Seasons”

At the beginning of the year, we named Sam Austins — a Detroit native who’s not beholden to a particular label — one of the most exciting rising artists to watch, and he returned with the head-bobbing standalone song “Seasons” in May.

Austins has always worn his influences on his sleeve, deploying countless styles that reflect his love for psych, emo, R&B, and beyond — demonstrated on his 2023 BOY TOY EP. “Seasons,” however, made it clear that he’s reaching back toward his roots. The song taps into his city’s rich dance scene, resulting in a woozy rush that he penned during a period of uncertainty and loss. Today, he’s sharing its video, premiering below, that embodies the spirit of the song best — losing yourself to the music. Directed by Keegan James Hurley, it shows Austins vibing out in the woods and swinging away from the grandeur of his past videos — including one where his alter ego gets turned into a cake and devoured. However, it’s no less hard-hitting. The visual captures the lightning bolt of euphoria that washes over when an irresistible beat takes hold, giving you little choice but to move.

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“‘Seasons’ has been truly revitalizing for my spirit,” Austins exclusively tells AP. “I wrote this song, in a time where I wrote a hundred songs, unsure of my direction. I was only a few months out of an intensely debilitating breakup, and I would show up to the studio every day forcing myself to pretend like I wasn’t consumed by anxiety and fear. Then one day, I went to Rodaidh’s studio, and I laid down on the ground, mumbling melodies into the microphone as Rod played with the drum machine, sparking this idea of leaning more into my hometown’s sound of electronic music and techno. What came out of that session was a constant flow of inspiration for me, as this would be the catalyst of all the music I’ve been creating and finishing since. New fans started to congregate around a preview I shared, and it began a spark of newfound inspiration, as everything has now been about feeding art directly to the audience in front of me — and building a space for the home we’re headed to together.”