In Conversation with Silkarmour
IN CONVERSATION WITH SILKARMOUR INTERVIEW By Eli Callingham 27 March 2026 Silkarmour is the brainchild of London-based musician and producer Enzo Samuel, a project that’s been active since the release of the debut single ‘Nervous Energy’ in 2020. Mutated over the years, but pushed by Samuel’s singular vision, Silkarmour combines earnest song-writing with experimental sound design, bombastic arrangements and tech wizardry. As a trio, their live set is formidable. After his March 14th headline show at the heralded south London electronic hub Venue MOT, he graciously answered some of our burning questions. Who are, or what is Silkarmour right now? Silkarmour is me, but I’m currently performing with two geniuses; Finn Murphy on organ synths and Joe Killick on percs/drums. How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it before? Textural and spiritual. Silkarmour’s sound has evolved a lot over the years. How has what inspires you musically or emotionally changed as the project has grown? I think for me the sonics all depend on what the song asks for and it changes per song. I like a lot of 60s and 70s music, especially psychedelic rock, soul and motown and I think those grand studio semi orchestral arrangements are really inspiring. I guess I like to lean into that more nowadays. Your visual identity feels inseparable from the music, do visuals come from the same conceptual starting point, or do they reshape the music after it exists? Or do they flow into one another like a figure of eight? I really enjoy making visuals and I think I have the same visual taste as I do musically. The visuals definitely come second but I often start to get an idea of how I want things to look while I’m working on the music. Context is the most important thing when it comes to art in my opinion and when I’m working sometimes I like to look on tumblr or go through art books and I’ll see images that reshape the context of the music and make me rethink what I’m listening to, that definitely helps to inspire me visually. My producer brain was geeking out a bit looking at your live setup, your use of equipment felt really meticulously curated, and of course maximal by design! You’ve previously mentioned being drawn to maximalist musicians and innovators in sound design and sampling, so I’m curious whether there are particular kinds of maximalism you connect with, whether emotional, sonic, or structural? And do those different approaches change how you think or feel when making music? I’m a big fan of 60s and 70s wall of sound arrangements, the sounds of Phil Spector and Joe Meek in particular are very influential for me. I think that ‘maximalism’ is maybe my poor way of describing deep emotive sonic texture. These days when I’m writing I am very minimal in terms of structuring my songs, particularly when it comes to melodic repetition. However I am obsessed with the sounds that come out when you really mess with a sample. That kind of overwhelming otherworldly texture and harmony is what I’m thinking of when I say maximalism. And while I do consider my current sound maximalist I would say that to me my setup feels minimal compared to what I’d ideally have in my dream band, I’d be ecstatic to play with an orchestra, a pipe organ or a full on folk band. Has the setup ever led you somewhere emotionally or musically you didn’t expect? I’ve recently picked up a harmonium and have been learning to play it which really impacted the way the set sounded, I only added it to the set up around a third of the way into the rehearsals and it has really completed the whole sound for me, I had already been recording on other harmoniums and I think now it might be a staple of what I do for the next period of time! Are there any underground artists you’ve been listening to, and you think others should know about? MM’99, a brilliant future alt pop star, Canty, a fantastic songwriter and performer and gegenpress a very powerful noise rock band. Are there any gig venues, spaces, or event series you’re excited about at the moment? Anywhere with a good soundsystem and I’m dead keen. All is Joy is pretty cool. What’s a song everyone should add to their playlist? Andy Stott – How It Was After a period of relative quiet (2022-2025), what has fundamentally changed in how Silkarmour makes decisions? I want to release more music! Which is what I am doing now, I am way too detail oriented so I’m learning to find a balance there. Is there anything you think audiences misunderstand about Silkarmour and do you ever try to correct that? That there is no space in the name ‘Silkarmour’.Aside from that it’s all open to interpretation. What’s something you’ve learned about making art that you wish you understood earlier? Working on other people’s music is the best way to better yourself at making your own. Any final words of wisdom? If you’re making tunes don’t stray away from ‘weird’ sonics out of fear of alienating people, it’s audible when something has been watered down. {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
So Wide Awake’s Off… Where Should You Go Instead?
So Wide Awake’s Off… Where Should You Go Instead? Our fave London festivals having a break in 2026, hopefully these others fill that hole in your heart By Caitlin Taylor 8 March 2026 So Wide Awake is officially not happening… Luckily it’s just a one off for 2026, but it still leaves a gaping hole in the UK market. The festival, founded and curated by Keith Miller and LNZRT, is THE London day event for alternative, underground music. Since 2021, they’ve provided stages for some of our favourites; The New Eves, The Itch, Shygirl, Mary in the Junkyard, Hannah Diamond, Jasmine.4.T, Acopia, and many, many more. It will be sorely missed this summer, but here’s a selection of other events that can maybe help you stave off the WA cravings. RALLY We’ve been big fans of RALLY since its inception. A decently new entry to the scene, the 2025 installment was one of our favourite festivals of that year with captivating performances from Moin, MIKE and Bassvictim, all while managing to have a decent Guinness on tap in the middle of Southwark park. This year, the lineup has been curated by Dev Hynes (Blood Orange himself) leading to some incredibly fun bookings. Top Picks – YHWH Nailgun, spirit blue and Smerz View this post on Instagram A post shared by RALLY (@rally.rally.rally) DOT TO DOT Hitting 2026 with a killer lineup is Dot to Dot (or D2D), a festival with a strong focus on new music. Whether you’re in Bristol or Nottingham, you’ll have the chance to catch some of the best rising artists. Top Picks – Fcukers, Lucia & the Best Boys, Middleman and Sarah Meth View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dot To Dot Festival (@d2dfest) END OF THE ROAD An institution of the British festival scene, this year’s lineup features some Wide Awake alumni including CMAT, Fat Dog and Working Men’s Club. It’s a nature focused event, located in Dorset full of great music and is more family focused than others on this list. Many of their standout bookings likely would’ve been on the WA lineup this year if it wasn’t off. Top Picks – RIP Magic, Prewn, Silver Gore and Little Grandad View this post on Instagram A post shared by End Of The Road (@endoftheroad) LIDO Kicking things off last year, LIDO joined the London scene as the younger sibling of the very well established All Points East. In 2026, the standout day to us is Friday June 12th with everyone’s favourite new popstar CMAT as the headliner. Even more artists are soon to be announced. Top Picks – Katy J Pearson, Getdown Services and Junior Brother View this post on Instagram A post shared by cmat (@cmatbaby) CROSS THE TRACKS If you go to Wide Awake for the atmosphere as much as the music, then its sister festival Cross The Tracks is a must-visit. With more of a focus on genres like jazz, funk and soul, it’s lineups are always impressive and this year is no different. Top Picks – Joy Crookes, Bel Cobain, Obongjayar, and Lizzie Berchie View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cross The Tracks (@xthetracks) Find our review of the previous Wide Awake here
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