A Reason for Poptimism with Sam Nulton of GoodNight the Satellite

Sam Nulton has previously been a guest on Good People, Cool Things — his episode is here — and like I said back then, he’s one of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet. He’s performed in international whistling competitions. He’s shot hundreds of sports events as a camera operator. Most recently, he’s launched a new album through his band GoodNight the Satellite. The album, Poptimism is an absolute delight full of gems and cool collabs.

Sam caught up with Good People, Cool Things on the making of Poptimism, his favorite events to shoot, and his growing family. Check out the conversation below and then listen to Poptimism.

Note: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity. Sam also answered these questions before the Miami Hurricanes had the biggest collapse of the college football season and perhaps the most bizarre loss in college football history.

What can listeners expect from Poptimism?

Poptimism is an uplifting dreampop synth record with everything from reimagined covers to original tracks to what I'm calling songbites (shorter interludes that are more jams and less full songs).  There's even a lighthearted track to finish off the album.  My year in review for Spotify a few years ago told me my top genre of the year was "Indie Poptimism," and I've never seen a more perfect description of my taste in music.  I knew it had to be the name of my album.  

The best example is the Coldplay cover of "Fix You," which is about a broken person, but it's perhaps the most upbeat and bright song on the album. I did most of the work on this album myself, but there are several songs that feature some incredible musicians as well.

Whether singing or whistling, what makes for a great live performance?

Bringing your unique voice. We've all seen someone sing or whistle before, but what about your art is different? That's what people want to see.

What's your favorite event you've shot? 

I love shooting football, so NFL games are really fun to broadcast for me. Otherwise, I enjoy shooting the US Open tennis tourney every year. Playoff hockey can be a fun atmosphere, as well.

You recently bought your first car. Have you developed a driving pet peeve?

Every driver knows that everyone who isn't you is a horrible driver. You're the best at it.  You always have been and always will be. All other drivers are terrible and should have their licenses revoked.  My biggest driving pet peeve, though, is driving through specific states that will remain nameless.

As of this writing, the Miami Hurricanes are undefeated. Is this a mirage, or should we be genuinely excited?

Before the season started, the odds for the Hurricanes season win total was 7.5. Since they have been absolute garbage — or at least fraudulent — no matter what the circumstances were for 20 years, I was convinced they would win less than 7.5 games. This is despite the fact that the roster has 42 new players on it and has been completely overhauled from top to bottom, including the coaching staff with two new coordinators in Shannon Dawson and Lance Guidry. They also massively upgraded their weak offensive line by acquiring Matt Lee from UCF and Javion Cohen from Alabama and got several key transfers at important positions elsewhere to add necessary depth. They also have an elite QB and an All-American safety in "contract years," meaning they better do well since they're going to the draft next year.  

Despite making optimistic music, I was still not optimistic about the Canes because of years of abject failure, even when all the pieces came together for success. However, after four games, the Canes look to be legit. I have changed my outlook after witnessing what appears to be the best team in 20 years. Both coordinators have found their footing with the players they have here and turned out to be elite hires for the fit of this program. Players have clearly developed their skills from season to season, which hasn't happened in eons. Stupid mistakes aren't showing up like they used to. No dumb penalties, dropped balls, lazy techniques causing big plays. Players are fired up about the direction of the program, and the recruits are taking notice of a new energy surrounding Miami. Head coach Mario Christobal has clearly instilled a culture of hard work and greatness that has been missing for years.  

This is all to say the foundations for greatness appear to be there, rather than being undefeated simply because of a few 4th down conversions to win close games. Contributions from young players like OL Francis Maugoa, DL Ruben Bain, and other true freshmen have me excited not only for this season but the future as well.  With several big-time recruits in the next class, especially if we can land Jeremiah Smith, it's looking like this is the direction the program is supposed to be headed.

What's next for you?

I'm expecting my first child in early February, so that's taking up a lot of my attention. I'm still making ridiculous YouTube videos, though, and plan to keep doing that for quite some time. Hopefully, I'll be able to release more music in the future as well.  We'll see how different life is after tiny human arrives.

Check out the link to stream the new album here: GoodNight the Satellite - Poptimism.