“I Find Songs That Are Green Have This Certain Brightness And Uplifting Element Which I Gravitate Towards”: Inside The Synesthesia-Fuelled Sound Of Sam Gellaitry

With a debut album now under his belt, the Scottish producer is readying himself for a run of UK shows. He talks LP ANYWHERE HERE IS PERFECT, his unfortunate Uber rating and all-time favourite songs.

Having quietly reshaped the electronic music scene since his 2015 debut EP “Escapism”, Stirling-hailing producer Sam Gellaitry has since established himself as one of the standout musical forces coming out of the UK. He’s got blockbuster collaborations (PinkPantheress, Kaytranada) to his name, as well as countless live shows across the globe. Last year, his 2021 track “Assumptions” was picked up by TikTok users, soundtracking, seemingly, every second video the app played host to. It was a sign of the world wholeheartedly clicking on to the musical prowess he’s long had in his back pocket, and it came at the perfect time – his long-awaited debut album ANYWHERE HERE IS PERFECT followed in November, encapsulating his myriad experiences into a confident body of work. 

Known for his synesthesia-informed approach to music production, Gellaitry’s handiwork is threaded with technicolour strands – from the retro-tinged electro-pop sensibilities on “START UP A RUMOUR”, to the hazy grooviness and buttery smooth vocals from Toro y Moi on “CURIOUS” and the disco-inflected “DON’T TRY”, there’s a vibrancy that connects the entire LP. And now, as he meets UK audiences again for the European leg of his tour, he’s mixing up that colour palette in the flesh.

Below, Gellaitry talks to Man About Town about his latest tracks, how he tackles picking the right karaoke tune and where he wants you to listen to the album.

Hey Sam! From setting the internet alight with “assumptions” to releasing a debut album – 2025 has been one for the history books for you. How do you think you’ll look back on last year? 

Hello. Thanks for the lovely round-up, been the busiest year of my life thus far. It’s been pretty tiring but very fulfilling for sure!

You’re a producer, DJ, singer and songwriter – which came first?  

You got them in perfect order in regards to the order in which I pursued things. I’d always say producer first when I’m describing what my job is to people I’ve just met. 

In the “Curious” video – we see you and Toro y Moi enjoying the delights of karaoke. What’s your go-to song for a karaoke session when the world’s not watching? 

I always tend to choose an extremely difficult song to sing and find out in the moment that I’d bitten off more than I can chew. Character building, I guess.

Can you tell us about the title – ANYWHERE HERE IS PERFECT? Is it as simple as you’re just an easygoing taxi passenger? 

My Uber rating definitely tells a different story – never my fault. The title is about the metaphor of being on a journey in a car in which you are headed in a certain direction but you also aren’t physically moving so there’s a certain element of ‘taking the backseat’. The reason why I used the words ANYWHERE HERE IS PERFECT for my debut album is to signify the journey that follows when you have announced you are ready to stand on your own two feet, embark on your own journey and essentially see where it takes you.

Your work has long travelled far on the internet – whether on MySpace or Soundcloud in the early days or TikTok this year. Because of that, have you always felt like your success was tangible? Has there been a moment when you truly realised your impact? 

That is something I struggle with, I guess, due to the ever-evolving nature of how people consume music. I think doing the live shows this year would be one of the most tangible moments of that in my career as well as my Do LaB set at Coachella last year. Those were very euphoric experiences for me in that regard.

Your hometown of Stirling isn’t renowned as being the epicentre of electronic music. How have your roots informed the artist you are today? Is there any unlikely place in Stirling that ironically fed your inspiration – ever partial to a trip up the Wallace Monument, for a bit of perspective? 

I was always deeply inspired by the nature in Stirling, especially in my late teens. It’s a very quaint town with just the right number of people to grow up alongside. Edinburgh and Glasgow were always a 40-minute train away so you could escape to the city to immerse yourself in busier environments. But I always loved how much room to breathe I was given by growing up in Stirling. It was especially refreshing after coming back from touring when I was 18 onwards – a perfect place to reset.

We read that synaesthesia informs your production. Can you tell us about one of the tracks that was coloured by this perspective on ANYWHERE HERE IS PERFECT? 

I actually found that a lot of the tracks were the colour green whilst making this project. Green happens to be my favourite colour so I feel like I was choosing the key of each track with bias towards that. I find songs that are green (E flat minor /  B flat minor) have this certain brightness and uplifting element with a certain depth which I gravitate towards. “Feel Good Inc”, Gorillaz and “Blue Moon Tree”, Lone are good examples of this. They are some of my all-time favourite tracks.

Finally, where’s the ideal place to listen to ANYWHERE HERE IS PERFECT? 

The question answers itself. Anywhere here is perfect…