Sam Buckingham takes Dear John on the Road
As Sam Buckingham began pre-production for her third album ‘Dear John’, it became clear to her that she had to start again. The Byron Bay-based singer-songwriter had 12 tracks written for the album in May 2020 but after the end of a toxic, long-term relationship, Sam knew she needed a clean slate, both personally and creatively. The turning point for this realisation came with ‘Run’, a song that powerfully illustrates the internal battle between loving someone that’s treating you badly, and loving yourself. So for the next six weeks, Sam re-wrote 70% of the album. Now the new album is out and Sam has embarked on a national tour to show everyone her “It's not a break up album, It's a wake up album”. We spoke to Sam about her latest song release ‘Run’, the ‘Dear John’ journey and how excited she is to be out on the road again.
For those that haven’t heard your music before , how would you describe your sound?
Alternative-Pop
Tell us about your newest song release ‘Run’? What does the song mean to you?
This song is really important to me, because writing it marked a turning point in the creation of my new album. I had twelve songs written for the album and we’d already started pre-production. A week or so into pre-production I woke in the middle of the night and wrote “Run”. I realised in that moment that the album I was about to record wasn’t the album I wanted to create… so I scrapped 70% of the songs and started again. Writing “Run” showed me that I needed to dive deeper into telling my own stories, and create an album based around women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Who came up with the concept for the ‘Run’ video? Any memorable moments during the making of it?
I did! And then I worked with Phoebe Adams (choreographer) and Leo Becker (videographer) to bring it to life. As with my previous video “Something More” it felt like everything that could go wrong did go wrong…. We had to reschedule three times because of Covid, the smoke machine broke and all sorts of other things kept coming up to challenge us. But, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I think the video we made really helps to tell the story of the song.
What can fans expect from the new album, Dear John?
Judging from the response so far it seems like tears, a sense of empowerment, and a sense of deeply relating to the lyrics are the top 3 things people can expect.
You are quoted as saying ;It's not a break up album, It's a wake up album; ( love that statement by the way) was this album a cleansing for you? an off*loading of baggage for you, Sam?
Haha thanks. It really was. The break up certainly triggered a lot of the songwriting, but the songs are informed by a lot of personal growth work and education I undertook, to help me understand my own experiences and those of many other women around the world. At the time, I was writing the album that I really needed to hear, so it was very healing.
What Makes this album different from your previous releases ; I'm A Bird and The Water ?
There’s a lot more “fk you” in this record
“There’s a lot more “fk you” in this record ”
The tour for the Dear John album kicks off in May and sees you travelling around the country, are you excited to be getting back to performing live?
After two years of very minimal touring, excited is an understatement!
What's your Favourite thing about touring and being on the road?
I love the feeling of being in motion. Being in the car, in hotel rooms and at the airport has always felt like home to me. I love home too, so much… but being on the road feels like I’m out in the world doing what I was put here to do. It’s very satisfying.
“being on the road feels like I’m out in the world doing what I was put here to do. It’s very satisfying.”
What's the worst part about touring and being on the road?
It can be really exhausting at times. Late nights, early mornings and a lot of emotional output at the shows. I kind of view my main job on the road to be looking after myself for 23 hours a day, so that I can be the best version of myself for that one hour I’m on the stage.
What's the one thing you HAVE to take on tour with you?
A thermos for tea.
“ I kind of view my main job on the road to be looking after myself for 23 hours a day, so that I can be the best version of myself for that one hour I’m on the stage”
How did you get your start in music?
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember… There are recordings of me at five years old, making albums with my Granddad, who was a singer and actor. I’ve always loved words too and was really into writing short stories and poetry when I was a kid. My uncle gave me a hand-me-down guitar for Christmas when I was 14 and it suddenly just made sense for me to put music to the words I’ve been writing. It’s always felt natural to me, even when I began performing and was terrified to be in front of an audience. There’s always been an instinct in me to just keep going.
Who do you credit as your musical influences?
This changes all the time but, for production and writing the album, I was influenced by Solange, Taylor Swift, Phil Collins, Nina Simone, Tom Waits and Blondie, to name a few.
Where was your first gig? Was it a success or flop?
My first gig was a huge success and the second one was a flop… I got over confident at the second one! I remember the experiences but I don’t remember where they were…
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout out but never gets one? And what is it they do that keeps your world turning?
I love this question! My agent Clinton Parkes deserves a massive shout out. He signed me when I still didn’t quite know what kind of artist I wanted to be or how I wanted to tour… and we’ve worked together to kick some really massive touring goals. We collaborate so well, challenge each other and have so much respect for each other as colleagues and people. He works behind the scenes to make live music happen, because he’s passionate about helping artists build sustainable, fulfilling careers. I think that’s rare. I appreciate his work so much, and we’ve become good friends. I count myself really lucky for that.
What's next for Sam Buckingham for the second half of 2022?
If all goes well, I’ll be on the road for the rest of the year touring the new album. After the last two years, being able to do that is something I won’t ever take for granted.
Watch the Dear John Video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlw3qb7-AOs
WEBSITE: www.sambuckingham.com
Tickets on sale now via www.sambuckingham.com
SAM BUCKINGHAM DEAR JOHN TOUR DATES 2022
5 May | Birtinya, QLD | Malt Shovel Taphouse
6 May | Gold Coast, QLD | Dust Temple
7 May | Brisbane, QLD | Junk Bar
13 May | Bellingen, NSW | Bellingen Brewery
14 May | Murwillumbah, NSW | The Citadel
19 May | Cronulla, NSW | Brass Monkey
20 May | Marrickville, NSW | The Great Club
21 May | Bulli, NSW | Heritage Hotel
22 May | Canberra, ACT | Smith’s Alternative
27 May | Newcastle, NSW | Stag & Hunter
28 May | Bathurst, NSW | Little Alberts
4 June | Northcote, VIC | Wesley Anne
10 June | Hobart, TAS | Republic Bar
11 June | Launceston, TAS | Royal Oak
17 June | Fremantle, WA | Aardvark
18 June | Perth, WA | Four5Nine
19 June | Thebarton, SA | The Grace Emily
Interview by Michelle Symes
April 2022