by Gwen Howerton

What was the first band or artist that solidified your love of music?

In middle school, I got really into My Chemical Romance because a friend showed it to me and it the perfect remedy for my teenage angst. When I found out about them, I downloaded their discography on my computer and loaded it onto my iPod Touch and would listen to them all the time just on shuffle. They were the first musical artists to give me goosebumps when I listened to them, which is a metric I still use today to determine if a song is good.

How did you first hear about KANM, and what made you want to join? 

I used to listen to a lot of NTS online radio during my senior year, so I literally just googled “tamu student radio” the summer before freshman year. After I did that, it kind of planted the seed of possibly joining. I liked the idea of having my own show and being able to curate a live playlist for people to listen to.  When I joined the Zoom meeting for the informational, I knew I wanted to join because all the officers were so unique to the people I had met on campus and had my sense of humor.

What is your favorite memory from your time in KANM?

My first Save The Music was awesome. I think that was one of the first “standing room only” concerts I ever went to, so I didn’t really know if I’d like it. However, I was blown away by the energy of the crowd. The acts were amazing, but the mosh pit was my favorite part. I even got to crowd surf, so that is a memory I will never forget.

Do you have a show? If so, what’s your favorite part about doing a show?

So, this is my first semester as a DJ, and I like it a lot so far. You can hear me on air Mondays at 5PM. I love planning out the songs I’m going to play and having something to look forward to each week instead of school. Even if no one was listening, I would still do it for me because I love curating playlists and music!

Who are your favorite artists right now?

For rap, Yeat, Playboi Carti and RX Papi. For anything else, Yo La Tengo, The Sundays and The Strokes.

What other extracurriculars are you involved in here at A&M?

I was in Aggie MSC Cinema and Aggie Web Developers, but now I’m a full time KANM-er.

What’s your major, and what are your plans for after graduation? 

I am a Computer Science major and I am looking to get a tech job working for a Media or E-Commerce. I’m shooting for HBO, eBay or Grailed, if you wanna get specific. Mainly eBay though. I’m an eBay junkie. I love junk!

Check out some of Sam's favorite tracks here: