Today we’d like to introduce you to Sammy Rios.
Sammy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story starts from a place of color and sentiment. I was one of those kids who was reserved out in public and absolutely nuts in private, battling these two very different personas and legitimately wondering, in those vehemently paranoid ways children wonder, if I was actually mental. I felt such rich, empathic emotions which has only snowballed into the adult I am today and the art I create. I construct things that make me and others tap into those primitive, unfiltered connections we make as a child, whether it be through my visual or performance art. Ultimately the ‘thing’ that deemed me an artist at age 2 or 3 was visual art—constantly drawing and making things. Music was introduced to me with the help of my parents’ gargantuan knowledge of all genres, so cello and piano followed suit. Theatre came much later in my life, but when it did, it pushed some of my other pre-existing passions aside for a while and became the forefront up until after graduating from SMU in 2013 in Theatre. Since then, I have been able to pursue all of the many mediums that I love and need to create deep within the bowels of my actuality. I’ve gotten where I am so far by having a streamlined aesthetic across those different platforms and by being honest and subjective with myself about what emotions I can evoke out of others. If any of that makes sense. Ha.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road is never smooth. I have bad days, like everybody. Without a doubt, my biggest pitfall is myself. My brain. AND my focus, or lack thereof. Because I am equally a musician as I am an actor and playwright and painter, my attention span is shamefully transient. I have so many unfinished projects and budding ideas that get trampled by another, and it’s totally self-sabotage!!! I understand this and have to hold myself accountable, but yeah…it’s a constant reinforcement. I am also bad at asking for help. If I were to fall in a hole next to a police station, you would find me days later, unnecessarily dramatic, trying to claw myself out instead of just calling for help. I blame my ‘do it yourself and stop complaining!’ dad for that.
Other struggles are common within artists, the question of whether or not our art is having any lasting positive impression on the world. Mental health is a major player in this ongoing love/hate affair I have with my craft, but I am determined to never let it get the best of me and to NEVER stop finding beauty in simple things. ALSO! Trying to keep up with technology…I swear I have a stubborn, geriatric mindset about doing things the ‘old-fashioned way’ so it can be overwhelming when you have too many new, fancy tools at your disposal. Rob, my partner, always tells me that sometimes basic boundaries can actually help artists in the beginning phase of a new project.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Rat Rios – what should we know?
Though Rat Rios is my stage name for music and theatre, the word RAT kind of embodies me as a whole: a self-aware and resourceful SURVIVOR who may be misunderstood by some, but who doesn’t compromise themselves for the sake of those others. I’m known for a retro and nostalgic approach to everything I cross paths with—my fashion, my interior decor (my house is a shrine of obsessively-curated finds), my new wave/electronic music, and my heavily Memphis-inspired visual art. And these things are nothing new, it’s been encoded into my DNA since the wee years of my existence. I like the same things, which ties back to those connections we make as a kid and how important it is to harness the good and bad from childhood and use it in a way that makes us more successful at living and finding happiness. I never concern myself about being authentic, because there’s only one me, so as long as I am myself, I am authentic. EASY PEASY! That translates into my art, which I can say confidently.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I’m sounding like a broken record, I know…but I think that actually works in this case, because these are mantras I have to tell myself repeatedly: Be honest, be compassionate, and hold yourself accountable. These are the only ways I feel a modicum of success with my art, and usually even that success is ephemeral. Am I successful? What is the ultimate definition of success with a capital S? I’m not sure I’ll ever attain that goal, even if it contradicts a resume or reputation, because I’ll always be dreaming of bigger and more grandiose things. But I digress…BACK TO THE QUESTION AT HAND! My success wouldn’t be possible without my family’s love. And Rob’s love. On those bad days of which I spoke earlier, the love I have for them and from them sometimes is the only thing that keeps me going in this direction.
Contact Info:
- Email: sammyarios@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ratrios
- Facebook: facebook.com/ratriosmusic
Image Credit:
Rob Martinez
Kathy Tran
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