"Joe Sampson is a Denver treasure.

You know that thing they say about DJ Z-Trip being your favorite DJ's favorite DJ? Same with Sampson, only swap "DJ" for "songwriter" and add "Denver" as a modifier.
Joe Sampson with his guitar on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Denver, Colorado.

Way back in 2012, I sat down with Sampson and Jules Bethea-Rateliff, and we spoke about Fellow Creatures, a label that the latter launched specifically just to put out her dear friend's first formal release, Kill Our Friends.

Funny thing about that title, Sampson's friends — many of whom assembled for his release show — are actually the ones who lobbied him to release the record. That platter was every bit as excellent as everybody expected.

Four years later, Hidden Shoal Recordings out of Australia is preparing to issue Songs of Delay, a new five-song EP from Sampson due next month that features backing vocals from fellow hometown compadre Nathaniel Rateliff on a tune titled, appropriately "Songbird."

Earlier today, Hidden Shoal shared the first track, and, well, it sounds like classic Sampson. The track, which is called "My Love," features understated instrumentation — Sampson's acoustic and a gentle bass line — that let's Sampson's beautiful voice and melody come through. Like the rest of the EP, which has a run time of just 13 minutes, the song (itself less than two minutes long) finds Sampson making every line count.

Hidden Shoal has graciously made the song available for free download via Sampson's Bandcamp page. Keep an eye out for the EP, which is slated for release on September 12."

- <a title="The Trusted Ear" href="http://www.thetrustedear.com/ear-to-the-street/2016/8/1/download-a-song-from-joe-sampsons-forthcoming-ep" target="_blank"><strong>The Trusted Ear</strong></a>