Sam Ray Lee on Umami House's Jam Battle and building space for musical conversation

Interviewed in May 2025. This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.west & ease is a space for conversations with creatives, insights on design, and the moments that bring community to life. I’m Leslie Luo and in this conversation, I’m catching up with Sam Ray Lee—a creative and part of the Brooklyn-based music collective Umami House.We first spoke in 2023. Since then, a lot has happened. In this recent conversation, Sam reflects on what he’s been building over the past year and a half — from learning how to create the right atmosphere for live music, to finding that sweet spot where energy, space, and sound all come together. But it wasn’t until he came up with the idea for Jam Battle, a one-v-one musical improv showdown featuring talented artists, that he saw the full potential of what this could become.Also heads up, there’s some explicit language in this conversation.To learn more about Sam and his work, you can follow him on Instagram @raytheidea, @umamihousemusic, and @jambattleofficial.You can also read our first conversation where Sam shares more about his creative journey in 2023.west & ease is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.west & ease is part of & luo studio, where I do fractional design consulting, design coaching, and host creative community events. If you’re a brand, team, or creative partner interested in collaborating, I’d love to connect. You can learn more and reach out at andluo.studio.CreditsIntro and outro song: Friends by Umami HouseUmami House’s first song, Move AlongAudio from the first Umami House Experience recapAudio from the second Umami House Experience recapAudio from Umami House x 12 Pell collaborationAudio from Umami House Presents Jam Battle 1 recap This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.westandease.com/subscribe