In Episode 30 of The Encore Club Podcast, Will sits down with the incredible Samantha Gongol, best known as one half of the multi-platinum duo Marian Hill, whose hypnotic blend of electronic pop and smoky, intimate vocals helped shape an entire wave of modern alt-pop. From creating early hits like Whiskey, One Time, and the global smash Down to stepping into her own spotlight with her debut solo EP Flash in the Pan, Samantha brings a calm, witty, and quietly magnetic presence to a conversation that feels both reflective and unexpectedly hilarious.
Across the episode, Samantha opens up about growing up in Pennsylvania, discovering her voice in school choirs, and the surreal twist of fate that led Marian Hill from a spontaneous writing session to charting around the world. She talks about the whirlwind of having Down featured in Apple’s iPhone AirPods campaign, the pressure and pride of performing the US national anthem at the MLS Cup, and the deeply personal creative journey behind her new EP and the six-part web series she co-wrote with her brother during lockdown. Will explores her shift into storytelling, the vulnerability of writing as herself rather than a persona, and what it means to chase new artistic challenges after a decade of success.
There are wonderful moments of humour and warmth as Samantha reflects on her first ever concert, her guilty pleasure anthems, the strange intensity of music-industry expectations, and why melody hits her harder than words ever could. She shares stories of nostalgia, creative frustration, her love of jazz standards, and the emotional pull of songs that shaped her childhood. Together, they dive into confidence, reinvention, the joy of being a lifelong listener, and the quiet bravery of starting again—even when no one asks you to.
The episode builds to a wildly cinematic dream concert where Samantha curates an impossibly legendary 500-cap venue show featuring Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, Queen, and Jimi Hendrix, complete with confetti cannons, jazz scatting, and the most unexpected encore in the podcast’s history. It is vivid, chaotic, imaginative, and so distinctly Sam.
This episode is thoughtful, funny, deeply musical, and full of the honest magic that defines Samantha’s artistry. It stands as a beautiful, surprising chapter in The Encore Club and one fans will replay again and again.
