X Ambassadors: How a "Fake Manager" and an Accidental Jeep Jingle Ignited the Band’s Massive Success

The Great Creators with Guy Raz

Sam Harris is the frontman for X Ambassadors, a multi-platinum pop rock trio from Ithaca, New York. Sam sits down with Guy to talk about his bond with his brother and bandmate Casey, who was born blind; how X Ambassadors felt “so not cool” and faced lots of rejection while trying to make it in the Brooklyn indie rock scene of the late 2000s; and how getting tricked into writing the song “Renegades” for a Jeep commercial turned into a big break.

Sam also shares the story behind getting discovered by Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds; his daily routine and habits; the two recent, emotional events that inspired the band’s new Ithaca-focused album; and much more.

You can buy X Ambassadors’ latest album, Townie, here: https://shop.xambassadors.com/

Links from the Show:

• Litost
• Jungle music video
• Renegades
• Unsteady
• Your Town (Todd Peterson tribute from Townie)
• No Strings (from Townie)
• Blinding Lights (The Weeknd Cover)
• Sam Nelson - when love has gone (Sam solo)

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

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