Sam Spiegel and Shmuck the Loyal Drop Breathtaking Video for TRY Single 'Fire Sign' ft. Mikky Ekko

Today, TRY - the latest project from Grammy-nominated DJ, producer, and songwriter Sam i (aka Sam Spiegel, formerly of hip-hop duo N.A.S.A.), and Nashville production and songwriting vanguard Shmuck the Loyal - shared their new single, 'Fire Sign' featuring fellow Grammy nominee Mikky Ekko. Sam, who also serves as Squeak E. Clean Studios executive producer and is repped by Hey Wonderful for commercials, also helmed the new music video HERE. It’s the first teaser of Chapter Two of their upcoming debut LP due later this year. Bursting forth with rhythm and soul, the varied flows of Ekko’s vocals make the song a contemporary synthesis of styles, as bouncy piano stabs, an elastic bassline, and swaggering horns culminate into an irresistible groove. To match the song’s dynamism, the duo shared an equally vibrant video, directed by Sam and filmed on location in Mumbai, India. 

"The idea for ‘Fire Sign’ was born late one night in Nashville after we had finished working on a different song with Mikky. We started banging on an old dusty upright piano together and very quickly had this infectious upbeat progression,” TRY says. “A few months later after we tightened it up, Sam started kicking around the idea of shooting a video in India. After months of preparation, and three straight days of shooting in Mumbai, we were left with the video you see now."

'Fire Sign' video, directed by Sam i

Today’s video is the latest entry into TRY’s mind-melting visual catalogue, following one for 'Clarity' ft. EARTHGANG, off of last year’s Chapter One EP, which was nominated for a Creative Film Award. Chapter One was just the first of three instalments of their debut LP and featured Camden and Miette Hope alongside the Atlanta-based hip-hop duo. Between then and now, TRY stayed busy and dropped a remix EP, adding Couros and legendary Brooklyn MC and Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Killah Priest into the fold. 

A project meant to provide uplift and optimism born from an inspiring and terrifying time, TRY chooses the path of light, acknowledging the flaws of the world while choosing to find the beauty of the human experience. “We wanted to make something that sounded timeless, and we figured that out as we went along – music that provided a visceral energy,” explains Shmuck. The result is a sonically diverse album – spanning gorgeous 2step, the clattering bombast of trap, house music’s insistent pulse, and the starry-eyed outlook of synth-pop. “We have very eclectic taste, and the record reflects that,” says Sam. 

With two more chapters planned for release over the next year, the entire project features an impressively varied roster of musical and artistic collaborators, including creative director Cédric Hervet — who frequently operated in the same role for Daft Punk — giving extra juice to the duo’s impossible-to-pin-down sound, bringing nothing but energy and a positive glow to match. 'Fire Sign' is just the first preview of what the duo has in store for the new year and beyond. 

Photo Credit: Lissy Laricchia

'Fire Sign' ft. Mikky Ekko Single Art 

Revisit: Chapter One ft. EARTHGANG, Camden and Miette Hope 

+ Chapter One (Remixes) EP ft. Couros + Killah Priest