Sam Tinnesz

Sam Tinnesz built a rousing brand of alt-pop by blending rock attitude with expansive pop energy, placing his tracks across screens and broadcasts throughout the late-2010s. Placements stretched from major league sports coverage and Riverdale episodes to campaigns for prominent retail brands, while his 2017 debut album introduced the streaming favorite “Play with Fire” and sparked a steady flow of new material in the years that followed.

Nashville-based Tinnesz first gained notice through the indie pop outfit Wave & Rome, which he started alongside ex-Paramore guitarist Josh Farro. The project logged modest achievements in the mid-2010s before he stepped out alone and inked a deal with Warner Bros. A series of early releases paved the way for the 2017 full-length Babel, where he unveiled his signature approach—gritty, oversized productions loaded with immediate hooks. Sync placements soon followed for cuts such as the Yacht Money collaboration “Play with Fire” and “Legends Are Made,” both of which found a natural home in athletic venues. The following year brought Babel: The Ruins, a collection of reworked material from the debut, while Tinnesz revived Wave & Rome as a trio featuring Joe Williams and Vince DiCarlo. Between his own projects and joint efforts with Yung Youth, Built by Titan, and additional partners, the group delivered its self-titled first album in 2019. Tinnesz returned with the eight-track solo release Warplanes in 2020.