Sam Bentley of The Paper Kites on Songwriting, Belonging, and the Evolution of Indie Folk

In this episode of Fuegostine’s Music Club, Matt Firestine sits down with Sam Bentley of The Paper Kites to discuss the band’s latest album and the themes of home, belonging, and creative balance that shaped its creation.Sam shares stories about growing up around gospel music before discovering punk, how indie folk has evolved over the last decade, and why songwriting is often more work than therapy. The conversation explores recording intimate performances, maintaining artistic identity in the age of social media, and the importance of slow, intentional art in a fast-moving music industry.They also discuss favorite albums, musical influences ranging from The Beatles and Joni Mitchell to B.B. King and Etta James, and the story behind standout tracks like “Deep (In the Plans We Made).”A thoughtful conversation about music, creativity, and finding grounding as an artist after years on the road.**At a point in the podcast Sam mentions an album by Phil Cook, that album is actually called Appalachian Borealis not Appalachian Blues**Follow Me On SocialsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fuegostine/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fuegostineYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fuegostinePatreon: https://www.patreon.com/fuegostine