I’m working on bringing back the SceneSC Sampler this year.

I had a great run of them going from 2010 to 2019, and then 2020 fizzled. March was usually when I’d really start to ramp things up, but, you know, life got weird. The truth is, after 2016, things got weird with SceneSC too. I plan to write more about that soon, but it’s mostly a sad tale of loss and lessons in resilience.

Looking back now, each compilation feels like a snapshot of the SC indie music scene. To me, they haven’t dated. They’ve gotten better with time. I regret missing a few years along the way, but they’ve always been a huge undertaking, and sometimes I’d get started and just couldn’t get one across the finish line.

This year, the plan is to have it out by late summer. There’s a ton of great music out there right now, so I plan to keep a similar model to past samplers — mostly bands who haven’t been on one before, hopefully a few new songs from staple acts over the years, and a listening journey through the SC music scene. Track order and the overall listening experience have always been key to the design of each compilation.

Huge thanks to the friends and community members who have encouraged a new sampler, and to Jason Craig at The Nickelodeon Theatre in Columbia, where they play the sampler before movie showings.

We’ll be selecting around 15-20 tracks for this year’s sampler.

Here’s what to send:

• A track (WAV preferred, link is fine)
• Artist name + where you’re based
• A short blurb (1–2 sentences is plenty)

Deadlines:

• Priority deadline: Friday, May 29
  Final deadline: Friday, June 12

We’ll roll out the sampler later this summer with a full feature, artist spotlights, and a few other things around it.

The form embedded below is a little tight on mobile, so if you’re not able to access via desktop, try this.