INTERVIEW: Alessandro DeCaro
To say 2024 has been a whirlwind year for Samantha Mobley would be an understatement. Not only has Mobley been hitting the road hard as the bassist for the Dallas, Texas-based classic death metal revivalists Frozen Soul, but she has also somehow managed to find the time to own and operate her own business, Heavy Metal Tattoo, where she also works as a tattoo artist. While one would think juggling two fast-paced and time-consuming careers in tandem would be nearly impossible, for Mobley, this is just business as usual, and to be frank, business is looking pretty damn good between both of her careers.
Mobley’s drive and work ethic are inspiring, and the blood, sweat, and tears she has put into her passions are certainly paying off in spades. Following the breakout success of Frozen Soul’s 2021 third album, Glacial Domination, Mobley’s band has scored high-profile tours with death metal mainstays Gatecreeper and an arena run with Swedish melodic death metal veterans Amon Amarth. Whenever Mobley is home from a tour, besides catching up on her favorite video games, spending time with her dog, and reading up on witchcraft, you can catch her at Heavy Metal Tattoo in Fort Worth, Texas.
With Heavy Metal Tattoo, Mobley has put together a solid and tight-knit team of fellow tattoo artists who share a collective vision to make the shop an all-inclusive and safe space for their vast clientele in a male-dominated industry that has often not prioritized inclusion. The same goes for the music industry, and Mobley is a fearless trailblazer setting a strong example for the next generation of women entering the heavy metal scene.
In an interview with The Pretty Cult, we sat down with Samantha Mobley, bassist of the Dallas,Texas-based death metal band Frozen Soul and owner of Heavy Metal Tattoo, to discuss her whirlwind year of high-profile touring, juggling two careers, musical inspirations, fashion and so much more.
2024 has proven to be your biggest year yet for your band Frozen Soul, between arena shows with Amon Amarth, your upcoming tour with Gatecreeper and the warm reception for your latest album Glacial Domination. What has this last year felt like for you and does it feel affirming to see your hard work pay off?
Samantha Mobley: It’s been very busy and very crazy. Last year, I think we toured seven months out of the year but this year has been a constant grind with touring to get our name out there and promote our new record. It’s been awesome though and it’s been nice to see the reception to everything. That tour with Amon Amarth really was an affirmation that we are doing the right thing. For some of the shows, we were playing to six-thousand people a night, so going from 800-cap venues to that was a little bit jarring but also really cool.
On top of your very busy touring schedule, you also own and operate your very own tattoo shop, Heavy Metal Tattoo in Fort Worth, Texas. How does one juggle two fast paced and time consuming careers in tandem like this?
Mobley: I get asked this all the time, and honestly… I don’t know. [Laughs.] I kind of fly by the seat of my pants half the time. I do have a really good crew at the shop and tattooing for the most part is pretty self sufficient — If you’re not tattooing you’re not making money, so everyone’s really driven to work. I check in with everyone while I’m gone and whenever I get back [from tour], I make sure everything is up to code, we have our supplies and everyone’s doing what they need to do. I’m also a tattoo artist myself, so I understand what they need and what I need to do to keep the business working correctly.
I want to go back in time a bit and discuss your early days discovering music. Was there any particular band or artist that inspired you to pursue music and ultimately pick up the bass?
Mobley: The first thing that made me pick up an instrument when trying to learn how to play guitar was the band Kittie. I saw that they were all female and was like, “Shit, if they can do it, I can do it!” I messed around with guitar in my free time when I was younger but as I got older I just really wanted to pursue music as it’s always been a huge passion of mine. When I finally got the opportunity to do so [with Frozen Soul], at the time, the bass was the only instrument open. I had to learn it [fast] and now it’s my first instrument of choice, but I still play guitar passively too I guess.
In the same conversation, what drove you to tattooing in the first place? Additionally, how did this journey evolve into owning your own business?
Mobley: I’ve been an artist my whole life. Ever since I was little, I’ve always been drawing.
When I was teenager, I was also big into painting and charcoal stuff. I took a little break from it in my twenties but it’s really what I love to do. Tattooing has always been super cool and at the time was a good way for me to earn a living while still doing art everyday. I did an apprenticeship and then I got really busy with clientele and then the opportunity presented itself for me to open my own shop. I knew nobody was going to let me work at a regular tattoo shop and be gone seven months out of the year [on tour] so I decided to open my own shop and that’s pretty much how it was all born.
What is your vision and mission statement for Heavy Metal Tattoo and how do you want your shop to differentiate itself from other tattoo shops?
Mobley: I want everyone to feel like they are welcome there and that it’s a safe play to get tattooed where you’re not going to get harassed or feel uncomfortable by male tattooers — which is a pretty big problem in the tattoo industry. Everyone’s welcome and I just want everyone to have a good time. I also want it to be a good environment for everyone who works there to grow [in their career].
Is there a particular tattoo style you gravitate towards and is there a new style you’d like to add to your rolodex? Additionally, what does a perfect tattoo represent to you?
Mobley: I would like to implement more neo-traditional stuff [in the future] but I naturally gravitate towards traditional with big, bold, line work and colorful tattoos that are straight to the point. A perfect tattoo is subjective but it would be one that you’re totally happy with and the client is ultimately happy with.
Your upcoming tour supporting Gatecreeper kicks off later this month. Do you have any cool outfits and accessories you plan to coordinate with your live performances?
Mobley: I have some custom straps that I designed that are coming in today from South America. I want to go for a more goth-look for this tour, so I’m gonna be rocking my black Iron bird with black and leather spikes. We’re also utilizing a lot of stage props and they look very icy so I’m kind of weaning that super dark with a hint of shimmer for my makeup. It’s also going to be halloween time so I think I will be going extra dark.
Are there any current fashion or makeup brands you are digging lately?
Mobley: I work with Glamlite a lot. They will send me palettes and I really like them. I’m really liking [Halsey’s] makeup brand about-face and I use their eye paints for more bold looks. As far as accessories, I get a lot of custom stuff from friends who make jewelry. All of my sword earrings are from my friend Laura at Eternal War Designs and I got a bunch of cool leather stuff from Leather Hoards down in Austin, Texas, so I’ll have some cool charms and gauntlets on my boots too. It’s going to be pretty sick.
It’s well documented that life on the road is far from easy. Touring requires a lot of sacrifices, and at times, going without certain rituals or comforts that you are used to doing while you’re at home. With that being said, how do you practice self care on the road and what are the essentials you need to make yourself feel as comfortable as possible?
Mobley: For self care, on an off day I will do my own thing and take an Uber somewhere to get a pedicure, manicure or maybe a massage. I feel like that is very important for me on tour because I'm always the only woman in the band. It’s very chaotic and hectic every day, so having a little bit of peace, at least once a week is essential. I like to bring my noise canceling headphones and those have been a lifesaver for sleeping in the van or whenever I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. It’s important for me to take time to do fun stuff whenever I can because it can become repetitive [on the road]. Sometimes, I’ll go find a local card store and play Magic: The Gathering or go shopping even if I don’t end up buying anything. I feel like I’m kind of bougie but I bring a massage gun, face masks and satin eye things to help me go to sleep which really helps me. I also bring my Steam Deck so I can play video games. Any little thing helps.
With The Pretty Cult having a background in Tarot Cards and Witchcraft, is that something you are interested in as well? If so, is there a Tarot card that resonates with you the most?
Mobley: Oh yeah! I have an entire wall of books that are just occult and astrology stuff. I used to study pagan witchcraft when I was younger and studied it heavily for fifteen years and am still very interested in it. I would say the “Three of swords” card is my favorite, I actually wanted to get that tattooed on my chest at one point. I’ve always liked the imagery of it and think it looks sick.
What are you looking forward to the most for your career in the next year?
Mobley: Well, I can't divulge too much about next year, but this Gatecreeper tour concludes our touring cycle [for 2024]. As soon as we’re done with that, we’re gonna go home for six days before heading out on the Headbangers Boat cruise (Featuring Lamb Of God, Dethklok, Poison The Well, etc). I’ve never been on a cruise before so I’m super stoked. It’s going to be sick, we’re going to the Dominican republic and that will be the cap for our touring schedule for the year. Next year, we’ve got some pretty big stuff lined up. At the end of this year, we will be doing some writing and really buckle down and hammer out this new record.
Catch Samantha Mobley and Frozen Soul on tour with Gatecreeper this fall. Tickets on-sale here.
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