Samuel Thompson Herring (born April 13, 1984),[2] also known as Hemlock Ernst,[3] is an American singer, rapper and actor based in Baltimore, Maryland.

[7] In 2023, Herring starred in the Apple TV+ horror fantasy television series, The Changeling, alongside LaKeith Stanfield and Adina Porter.

[13] In 2013,[14] Herring took a break from the band's touring in order to spend more time on his solo rap project, writing more, and doing more shows.

[13] Parallel to Future Islands, Herring continued rapping either solo, under the moniker Hemlock Ernst, or with his brother as Flesh Epic.

[21][22] On March 24, 2016, British musician Four Tet sat in for Benji B on BBC Radio 1 and played "Rings in the Coffee", an unreleased track by Trouble Knows Me.