Biography
Although Sam Riggs originally hails from central Florida, the singer/songwriter reached Austin, Texas, in 2007 upon turning 19. He sustained himself through manual labor while testing new material in neighborhood cafes and bars. Hairpin Trigger Heart, his debut EP, surfaced in 2010 and picked up spins on local outlet KVET. Lighthouse appeared as a second EP in 2012, after which Riggs assembled the Night People and issued the full-length Outrun the Sun the following year. Persistent touring over the ensuing period enlarged his following and cleared the path for Breathless, his February 2016 sophomore album, whose robust, arena-oriented production reflected an early affinity for Garth Brooks. That pop-leaning impulse sets Riggs apart from fellow Red Dirt artists even as his rebellious outlook stays tethered to Texas, yielding the gritty, forceful sound he and the Night People deliver. February 2019 brought a publishing arrangement with Major Bob Music; he kept performing and writing until June, when the seven-song EP Love & Panic arrived alongside its acoustic counterpart, Heartstrings. The digital single “Game Boy” followed in February 2020.
Albums
Singles
