Sam Garrett’s music touches more than just the ears — it speaks to something deeper.

In this YOGA AKTUELL interview, the British singer-songwriter shares his journey from punk bands and a passion for skateboarding that still rolls through his life, to mantra and the rediscovery of music as a spiritual path. He speaks about early glimpses of awareness, his time in India, the magnetic pull of mantra and kirtan, and what it means to strip away all identity and simply be. A reflection on unity, presence, and the sound that flows from the heart.

INTERVIEW

YOGA AKTUELL: Can you take us back to the beginning, Sam. How did your musical and spiritual journey start?

Sam Garrett I grew up in England. By the time I was 12, I was playing in punk and rock bands—and I loved skateboarding, still do. (with a grin)

When I was about seven, I started having these profound moments before sleep — where there was no “me,” no Sam, just space. Then I’d open my eyes and come back into my body, back into the awareness of being „me.“ It was very deep and powerful. That was my first real spiritual experience.

Then around age 14, I had another turning point — in a religious education class where we learned about Buddhism. The teacher told us the story of Siddhartha Gautama and how he became enlightened. Until then, I hadn’t known that the Buddha was a real person — born into immense wealth and luxury, with all the pleasures anyone could want, but still unsatisfied. And something in my heart just knew: life must be about more than pleasure and fun. There had to be something deeper. And this changed my life completely.

Then, at 16, my grandmother passed away. My dad was grieving, and someone gave him The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. Seeing how that book changed him made me curious and I felt intrigued to read more about these traditions, learn about meditation and yoga.

How did that shape your musical journey?

So I left all those punk and rock bands I’d been playing in. Even now, I still love that music — that’s what I listen to when I go skateboarding but something deeper was shifting within me.

And I think I knew that because of everything I’d already experienced — those moments as a child, that lesson in school, seeing my dad transform. All of it pointed to this deep inner knowing: there is something more. From there, my interest in yoga and meditation just grew. I became drawn to Indian culture, to the sadhus and monks who had renounced the world. And I felt: this is my path.

Is it true you taught yourself guitar, rather than being taught?

Yeah, it came naturally because I have dyslexia, which is a learning difficulty. I find it really hard if someone’s trying to teach me. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

I would just listen to songs that I loved like Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana and I would find the notes on the guitar and I learn through my ear. I also picked up a lot from my brother watching him and listening closely.

That’s impressive. Now when you play the guitar — would you say the guitar is playing you?

Yeah, I don’t really think about it anymore — it just happens. I’m not even trying to learn anything. It just flows.

And I feel life is the same. It’s unfolding, and my role is to step aside — to let the spirit move through. I don’t understand it with my mind, but I know it — in here. (points to his heart space)

Yesterday on stage, the energy between you and your guitar was really powerful. Is there one in particular that carries a special energy for you?

Actually, I do have an old guitar that I love, but it’s so worn out — cracked and fragile — I can’t travel with it anymore. But honestly, it’s not even about the guitar itself. It’s more about the spirit that comes through. You don’t really need much.

I’m not into big productions, lights, and fancy things. That’s never been my thing. I just want to sing from my heart. And I trust that it’ll reach the people who are open to receive it.

How did you get into mantras?

Before I went to India, I was working with people in the music industry who were trying to mold me into something they could sell. They wanted me to cut my hair, look a certain way, write songs about clubbing, drinking, chasing girls — but that just wasn’t my truth.

Music started to feel like a struggle. And I remember thinking: “If I can’t sing what’s truly in my heart, then I’d rather not sing at all.”

So India helped you reconnect with music?

Exactly. When I went to India, my intention was to live there — find my guru, live in a cave. I truly believed that was my path. I didn’t want to do music anymore. I had given up all my possessions, packed a small bag, and planned to become a monk and never leave.

But everywhere I went, someone would be playing guitar and asking me to join in. And every time I played, the room would fall silent. I’d be singing, when I looked up, people would be watching, wanting more. It kept happening, over and over, wherever I went.

Something awakened in me that had always been there. In the kirtans, it felt like a celebration of the Divine — everyone singing and dancing in love, joy, and bliss.

That’s when I knew: This is what I’m here to do. This is my path. My sadhana, my dharma: to sing the names of God with people around the world.

Do you remember the moment when that realization came to you?

I do. I was in a kirtan, everyone was singing bhajans — jumping, ringing bells, full of joy. It really touched me. I suddenly saw: this is what music can be. It doesn’t have to be about money or success. It can simply be about love. About joy. That moment reconnected me to the real reason I fell in love with music in the first place, which I’d come away from. And now I was coming back to its essence.

It wasn’t about Hinduism or any one religion. It was about the living spirit that flows through all paths. Beyond dogma, beyond labels — there’s a space of openness and freedom. It was about singing from the heart. About freedom. About love. That’s what I connected to.

Who are your sources of inspiration, your biggest teachers?

My biggest teachers are the elders in my life. My guru, Mooji. My elder, Ras Bongo from Jamaica. And many others — Neem Karoli Baba, Ramana Maharshi, Anandamayi Ma. But beyond spiritual teachers, my greatest teacher is life itself.

The more you live, the more you see — everything is teaching you something. Every person you meet, every experience you go through.

Ramana Maharshi didn’t have a guru himself. When asked about it, he said, “Life is my guru.” And that really resonates with me. It’s not about one specific teacher or path.

The more open your heart is, the more life can teach you what you need to know. But when you’re attached to your own agenda or desires, that’s when suffering arises. And even that is a teacher. So no, it’s not one thing…

… it’s everything — all the little things and all the big things?

… and everything in between. Relationships, family, travel, spiritual experiences — it’s all contributing to our awakening.

The more you recognize that, the more life can work with you. And the more open you become, the more you start to see.Life is simply unfolding — just like us sitting here now.

Everything is happening spontaneously. And the more you step out of the way — just stay open — life begins to flow through you. Then you realize: “I’m not doing anything.” Life is just happening. And I’m dissolving, more and more, into that spirit.

There’s no word for it.

The more we try to describe it, the more we complicate it — turn it into concepts.

How do you relate to the idea of something greater — a deeper presence beyond the surface of life?

People have all kinds of ideas about what something greater is, and I don’t deny any of them. Everyone has their own experience, and that’s valid. But for me, it’s not really about labels or concepts — it’s about life itself. Existence. Something that’s always here. Not something you can switch on or off. It’s simply what is.

This world is a play of duality — of you and me, this and that, light and dark, male and female. But beneath all that is something deeper. A presence beyond separation. In that place, there’s no fear. No division. And the more we remember that, the less power hatred, greed, and corruption have over us. Because so much of what we see in the world — violence, fear, disconnection — it all comes from forgetting who we are.

So for me, sharing music is a way to help bridge that gap. To remind us that we can come back together. That we’re not as separate as we think. That’s my joy. That’s my service. That’s what I’m here to do.

And I feel if you’re just showing up as you are and you give from love, that’s actually the most spiritual thing you can do, isn’t it?

Well, this is really the heart of spirituality — but it’s so easy to get lost in the practice of it. We do yoga, we meditate, we sit with plant medicine, attend workshops — and all of that can be valuable, up to a point. But eventually, we have to go beyond that.

There’s nothing we need to do to be ourselves. Some people think, “If I practice enough, I’ll eventually be free.” But it’s not like that. You’re already what you are. If anything is needed, it’s simply to let go — to drop all the doing and just be. And being yourself isn’t difficult — it’s actually the most natural thing. Because of all the conditioning, it feels very difficult. But it’s actually very simple.

So we take on all these spiritual practices to try to get somewhere that we already are. It’s kind of funny, really.

It’s like that story of someone sitting in the shade on a hot day, then suddenly thinking, “Maybe it’s better over there.” And so they go off on a big adventure, get overheated, exhausted, go through all kinds of experiences — only to return and sit back in the same shade and think, “Ah, I’ve made it.”

But they were there the whole time. And that’s life. What you are is already here. We just forget, go out into the world, get lost for a while — then finally come back and realize: “I’m here.” But you have always been here and you will always be…

Funny, isn’t it? (smiles amused)

Thank you, Sam. That gets right to the heart of it. (both laugh)

More Informationen:
samgarrettmusic.com
IG: samgarrettmusic