The Samples

Who Are They?

The Samples are a band formed in Boulder, Colorado in the late 1980s, led from day one by singer, guitarist, and songwriter Sean Kelly. Their sound blends jangly, Police and R.E.M.-indebted guitar pop with a loose reggae bounce, wrapped around Kelly's plaintive, distinctive voice.

They never chased radio the conventional way. Instead they built one of the earliest and most loyal grassroots fanbases in rock, touring relentlessly, encouraging tapers at their shows, and staying close to the people who found them. Songs like "Feel Us Shaking" and "Could It Be Another Change" became word-of-mouth anthems on college campuses long before streaming existed.

Decades and countless lineup changes later, Kelly still carries the band forward, proof that a devoted following and a distinctive sound can outlast almost anything the industry throws at a band.

The Story

Their history is less about chart peaks and more about a band that built something durable, one show and one fan at a time.

1. 1987

   Sean Kelly moves to Colorado

   Kelly relocated to Boulder to start a band, quickly becoming a fixture of the local club scene with a mix of original rock, reggae, and folk songwriting.

2. 1989

   The self-titled debut

   The Samples released their first album, introducing the chiming, reggae-inflected guitar pop sound and Kelly's tenor that would define the band, including early favorite "Could It Be Another Change."

3. 1992

   No Room and a growing following

   Their sophomore record widened their audience beyond Colorado, built on relentless touring and a fanbase that traded live tapes the way Grateful Dead fans did.

4. 1993

   The Last Drag

   A confident, more polished record that captured the band at a commercial peak, home to fan favorites that still anchor their live sets today.

5. 1994

   Autopilot

   Continuing their steady, independent-minded climb, the band leaned further into warm, radio-friendly hooks without losing the reggae lilt underneath.

6. 1996

   Outpost

   Another chapter in a catalog defined by consistency rather than reinvention, the band's sound remained rooted in jangling guitars and Kelly's voice.

7. 1998

   Here and Somewhere Else

   A later-period record that found the band, by now road-tested through years of lineup changes, still writing the kind of open, atmospheric songs that first won over their fans.

8. 2012

   "Perks of Being a Wallflower"

   "Could It Be Another Change" appeared in the film adaptation of Stephen Chbosky's novel, introducing the band's signature song to a new generation of listeners.

9. Today

   Sean Kelly carries it forward

   As the sole remaining original member, Kelly continues to write, record, and tour under The Samples name, still supported by the loyal following the band built from the ground up.

Start Here

The Samples reward patience, but these three songs, their signature tune and two enduring fan favorites, are the fastest way into their sound. Watch in order.

The Albums

The Samples built a deep, consistent catalog rather than one or two landmark records. The blue-topped cards are the essential entry points; the purple marks the earliest, most jangle-forward era.

The Playlists

One YouTube Music playlist, an Essentials set that moves across their catalog to give you the fastest sense of who they are. Hit the button on the card to play it.

The Band

The Samples have carried a large, shifting cast of musicians over the decades, with one constant at the center.

• Sean KellyGuitar / VocalsFounder, principal songwriter, and the only member present across every era of the band
• Andy SheldonBassAn original member whose melodic bass lines anchored the band's early, best-known records
• Jeep MacNicholDrumsAn original member who helped shape the band's loose, reggae-influenced groove
• Al LaughlinKeyboardsAdded texture and warmth to the band's sound through several of its classic-era albums

Influences

The Samples grew out of new wave jangle, reggae, and the college-rock guitar sound of the eighties. Here is where it started.

Interviews

As the band's sole constant, Sean Kelly is also its best storyteller. Two conversations that get at how the band has lasted so long.

Going Deeper

The Samples reward the kind of patient, tape-trading devotion their earliest fans practiced. Once the songs have you, there is a lot more to explore.

• The live tapes — The Samples were an early, taper-friendly band, and a large archive of soundboard and audience recordings circulates among longtime fans, capturing the songs stretched out and reworked night to night.
• The deep catalog — with a discography stretching from 1989 into the present, there are records beyond the essentials here worth exploring once the core songs click.
• Sean Kelly's solo work — Kelly has also released music under his own name, offering a quieter, more stripped-down look at his songwriting outside the full band.
• The film placement — "Could It Be Another Change" reached a new generation of listeners through "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," a good reminder of how the band's songs have quietly persisted for decades.