Sam Kuslan, an enthralling singer and pianist, exudes an invigorating musical passion on the stage. He performs with a lush romantic musicality, a soulful voice and ebullient smile. Inspired by the great American songbook and raised by the energetic New Orleans tradition, Sam is an amalgam of classic and contemporary pop – a refreshed and renewed music that lives somewhere in between jazz and pop and promises to honor and innovate tradition.

Offbeat Magazine has called his work that of “New Orleans masters–style piano (playing).”

Sam lives up to this distinct honor by touring extensively in the USA and Europe, either as a featured artist with jazz-funk Naughty Professor, as a sideman with Nashville Country/American-folk artist Sean McConnell or as musical director and leader of the National Park Service Centennial Band. He’s highly sought after as an arranger, artist or performer for his musical versatility having shared the stage with Anders Osborne, Marcus King, Chali 2na, Shaun Martin, Isaiah Sharkey, Leroy Jones, David Shaw and many more. Sam writes and records with Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) and tours with Naughty Professor.

Runaway Love (2024) is the first solo album Sam Kuslan has released. It features 9 original songs written and arranged by Sam Kuslan and calls upon elements on jazz and pop music; likened to his musical heroes, Jamie Cullum, Sammy Davis Jr. and John Mayer. Sam sings and plays piano and guitar on all of these tracks – moving from the raucous rock ‘n’ roll of the title track, Runaway Love, to lovey lush ballads like Without Your Love, to country pop tunes like (I Wanna Call Love An) Old Thing.

Recorded at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, LA, the album features a brilliant cast. Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, Kayla Jasmine and Sasha Masakowski lend their voices throughout the album as well as appearances from the Naughty Professor Horns (I Wanna Call Love an Old Thing) as well as Brad Walker, Scott Frock and Mark Mullins (Runaway Love). The rhythm section throughout the album is held down by Kevin Nolan (Lainey Wilson, Rude Music) and Max Bronstein (Slugger) both on slide and electric guitar, Calvin Morin-Martin (Noggin) on bass and Shawn Myers (Leyla McCalla).

Sam is currently out on tour to celebrate the release of his album, Runaway Love, and proudly plays nord keyboards.