the.flyingSAM’s “Stay a Little Longer,” featuring Julia Beaudoin, is a plea for more time with a parent facing cancer. Written for Samuel Schultz’s father, the song deals with something love cannot fix. Piano and acoustic guitar keep the arrangement close to the voices, with little to distract from the words.
When someone is ill, even an ordinary day can become precious. Time spent together passes too fast, while the wait for news can stretch on. Beaudoin sings from inside that uncertainty, and the backing vocals add warmth without crowding her voice. The request in the title is simple, but there is no easy answer to it.
There is no promise that things will get better, only the wish to have a little more time. The song does not try to make that wish easier to bear. It stays with the person who wants one more day, one more conversation, one more chance to be together.
For those who might not know you yet, how would you introduce yourself?
I’m Sam – someone who expresses his feelings and emotions through music. For me, music is the perfect counterbalance to the stresses of everyday working life, giving me a way to channel everything that moves me emotionally and turn it into something creative.
“Sam” has always been my nickname. The “the.flying” part comes from my lifelong fascination with aviation. To me, it also carries a deeper meaning: in aviation, the sky feels limitless, and I see music in much the same way.
I love collaborating with artists from all over the world, bringing different influences together and creating something that transcends cultural and geographical boundaries. I believe music is a universal language that can connect people, no matter where they come from. Just like in aviation, I believe there should be no borders when it comes to music.
If you had to bottle up your sound into just three words, which ones would you choose?
Honest. Emotional. Cinematic.
Which artists (not only music-related) or moments have left the biggest mark on your music?
There are actually two musicians who have had a profound influence on my personal relationship with music.
Growing up, I was fascinated by Jim Steinman’s arrangements. I would listen to the songs he wrote and Meat Loaf performed over and over again, trying to recreate them on my keyboard. That was really where I discovered the joy of making music myself. His larger-than-life arrangements and the way he combined rock music with drama and emotion left a lasting impression on me.
Fast-forward 30 years, and I find myself deeply admiring Hans Zimmer and his epic, cinematic soundscapes. In my eyes, he is an absolute master of his craft and one of my greatest musical inspirations. The way he builds entire emotional worlds through music is simply incredible.
In a way, I think both of them have shaped the music I make today: the emotional depth and dramatic arrangements I loved as a child, combined with the cinematic atmosphere that inspires me now.
When you hit play on your songs, what kind of feeling takes over?
Sometimes, when I listen to my own songs, I think, “This must be the work of a seriously sad person!” My music tends to be quite melancholic, often dealing with themes like the fear of losing someone, separation, and the more vulnerable sides of life.
But the funny thing is, I’m actually quite the opposite in real life. I think music gives me a way to channel those thoughts and emotions, turn them into something creative, and ultimately let them go. By the time a song is released, I’ve often made peace with the feelings that inspired it.
In a way, writing music is my way of processing emotions rather than being consumed by them. So, while my songs might sound melancholic, creating them actually helps me move forward with a lighter heart.
If you could team up with anyone in the world, no limits, who would be that dream collaborator?
If I could collaborate with anyone in the world, it would be Michael Patrick Kelly.
I really admire the values he conveys through his music and the way he combines meaningful messages with powerful emotions. Like me, he has a real passion for orchestral arrangements, moving soundscapes and big, anthemic songs. His recent song “Symphony of Peace”, featuring world-renowned tenor Jonas Kaufmann, is a wonderful example of that.
At the same time, he is an outstanding songwriter who can create something deeply moving with nothing more than an acoustic arrangement and an honest, heartfelt song.
That combination really resonates with me. I would love to bring our musical worlds together and create something that combines intimate storytelling with grand, cinematic arrangements – something that touches people emotionally and perhaps even gives them a little hope.
What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?
After releasing an EP and several singles, I think it’s time to take the next big step and create a full-length album.
I’ve actually been working on it for quite some time already. Since music is something I pursue alongside my regular job, the production process has turned out to be quite time-consuming, and bringing everything together takes longer than I’d sometimes like.
But things are moving forward! I already have the instrumental foundations in place for several new songs, which means I can now start putting together the perfect cast of vocalists and instrumentalists to bring them to life.
One of the things I love most about making music is collaborating with talented artists from all over the world. Finding the right voices and musicians for each song is a big part of the creative journey for me, and I’m really excited to see where these collaborations will lead.
So, the next big goal is a full album that brings my musical vision together in one cohesive body of work.
Can you walk us through the story or emotion behind “Stay a little longer”? If you can, tell us about the storytelling of the video and the visual approach to it.
“Stay a Little Longer” was written during one of the most difficult periods of my life. Until then, my father had been healthy and completely independent. Then he was diagnosed with cancer, underwent major kidney surgery, and was discharged from the hospital just a few weeks later in a condition that left him dependent on care. He was really struggling, and it was an incredibly difficult time for our family.
Going through that experience made me think deeply about how fragile life is and how limited the time we have with the people we love can be. In moments like these, you suddenly become aware of how little control you really have over what happens, and how helpless you can feel when someone close to you is suffering.
The song grew out of those feelings. It is about wanting to hold on to the moments we still have with the people we love, wishing we could somehow slow time down and asking them to stay a little longer. For me, it is a very personal song about love, vulnerability, and the fear of losing someone who means the world to you.
For the music video, I was fortunate to find a wonderful artist in Uta from Motion Mechanics, who translated these emotions into beautiful hand-drawn illustrations. I felt that this song didn’t need a colourful, flashy video. Instead, I wanted a clear focus on the story and the emotions behind it. The illustrations gave the song the space it needed to breathe, allowing the viewer to connect with its message without being distracted by elaborate visuals.
For me, the video and the song are two parts of the same story – a very personal reflection on love, the fragility of life, and the precious moments we share with the people who matter most to us.
