5 Weekender questions with Sammy Cannillo

Sammy Cannillo, whose new album, “Dissonance,” will be released on Feb. 9, recently answered five Weekender questions.

Q: How long have you been playing?

A: I started taking guitar and trumpet lessons when I was 9 and have been constantly playing both instruments since. I began writing music with guitars, keys and vocals at around 15. If you ever get a hold of my laptop there is a secret vault of recordings from that time ... they’re horrifying.

Q: How do you describe your sound?

A: I would say a good general description for this EP is indie/acoustic/alternative.

Q: Which musician — alive or dead — do you most wish you could share the stage with?

A: I would say Tegan & Sara for a few reasons. One, I’ve always been in awe of their songwriting abilities. Lyrically, musically and technically, they offer something very unique. I value that highly. Two, they are genuine artists who have a clear vision of the message they want to get across as both musicians and as public figures with political opinions. Three, their album “The Con” opened my eyes to my own desire to write music. That being said ... I likely wouldn’t make it out alive if this ever occurred.

Q: What’s your favorite song to play live?

A: I really like the song “Smile On” because the lyrics are very honest and blunt. I also like how it incorporates more effects and electronic sounds than the other songs.

Q: Where can people hear your music?

A: The EP, “Dissonance,” will be available Feb. 9 on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play, hard copy and a few other platforms. I have a music page on Facebook, which is where I post the most. That is www.facebook.com/Sammy.Cannillo. I’m on Twitter and Instagram @sammycannillo. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with everyone.

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 2:19 PM with the headline "5 Weekender questions with Sammy Cannillo."