Artist Spotlight
SAM FREEMAN ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE ‘AMSTERDAM’
Swansea-based singer-songwriter Sam Freeman is delighted to announce a brand-new single “Amsterdam”. Amsterdam is a chilled, mellow acoustic pop ballad written by Sam during the first Coronavirus lockdown in 2020. It captures that feeling of longing to leave behind a normal life and start a new adventure in a new city with that special someone. The track’s autumnal vibes and mellow feel lend themselves beautifully to any chilled acoustic pop playlist. In the song, there are references to many of Amsterdam’s most famous features such as the iconic bridges and canals which make the city so iconic.
Sam elaborates more by telling us “When I visited Amsterdam in October 2019, I just knew I would eventually write a song about the city. The architecture, boats, bridges, and canals are just perfect on an autumn day. Paris and Rome are known as the cities of love, but I can’t think of a better place to fall in love than Amsterdam…
My new single is all about being brave enough to ditch the day-to-day routine of normal life, grab that special someone, pack your bags and fly away to Amsterdam to start over again. Something which most of us will never do, but that everyone dreams of at one time or another.
He adds “I wrote this song almost a year ago during the Coronavirus lockdown. My trip to Amsterdam was my last holiday abroad and during a time where no travel was permitted, the process of writing this track allowed me to return, at least in spirit, to one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen. I really hope it can take listeners on a similar sort of journey.”
Sam released the demo version of his first single, Eden, in January 2020 and later released the studio version in June 2021. Described by Andrew Locke- Scobie (Head of Music at Xpress Radio) as ‘Beautifully put together and ‘Striking a chord with so many different emotions, the demo version of Eden has amassed almost 18,000 streams on Spotify alone.
Upon hearing Eden for the first time, BBC Radio 1’s Sam MacGregor said he was ‘excited to hear more of Sam’s music, and this came in the form of his second single Rose, released in August 2021. This track epitomized Sam’s story-centered approach to songwriting, taking listeners on an emotional rollercoaster whilst following the relationship of a couple from the beginning until the very end.
Sam is immensely proud of his roots in South Wales and is a regular on the weekend gigging circuit in Neath and Swansea, playing bars, clubs, and private functions. In the past few years, he has supported Midlands-based singer-songwriter Alice Meixner and recently supported up-and-coming indie-funk band King Cerulean in their sell-out show at Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach. Outside of music, Sam manages and presents his own football-based podcast, ‘Send Him Off!’.
Sam has interviewed several high-profile guests on the show, notably actor, producer, and TalkSport host Jonny Owen and S4C football reporter Sioned Dafydd. He is a passionate Swansea City supporter and regularly attends matches at the Swansea.com stadium.
Passionate about local grassroots music and always keen to lend a helping hand, Sam was social secretary and later welfare officer of the Live Music Society whilst studying law at Cardiff University. He took part in several fundraising gigs for the charity Mind Cymru and performed at sell-out gigs at notable Cardiff venues such as Ten Feet Tall, Porters, The Moon, and Gassy Jack’s.
What do you think about this song? Drop a comment below…
Artist Spotlight
Lana Crow turns challenges into a celebration with “Laugh With You”
“Laugh With You,” the latest single from Lana Crow, is a sincere rallying cry to embrace life in all its messy, beautiful mess. In the song, indie pop and alt-pop combine to deliver an emotional blow that feels both personal and universal.
“Laugh With You” feels like an instant connection, and Crow is telling you stories of hard times with a cozy, knowing smile. This song is as much about struggle as it is about how strong you are. It serves as a reminder that these struggles are simply what give us the strength to keep going, even when life is tough.
Crow encourages people to welcome them, create happiness in the cracks, and laugh even as the world gets heavy. The result is a song that delicately nudges you to love and embrace yourself. It is an anthem for anyone experiencing tough times who refuses to give up hope. Lana Crow continues to demonstrate her songwriting skills, both musically pleasing and emotionally rich, with “Laugh With You.”
It’s a reminder that it’s how we respond to tough times, rather than how they affect us, that’s key. With this song, not only does Crow provide us with music, but she also lets us know that sometimes a laugh is what we need to remember that there is always something to smile about and that, even when it feels like life has waged war against you, laughter can still be found.
Artist Spotlight
BluntBrad Jr. finds calm ambition in the laid-back shine of “It’s All Good”
BluntBrad Jr.’s new single, “It’s All Good,” sounds like a steady handshake and a deep breath. It’s warm, honest, and not trying to be cool. There isn’t any fancy production hiding behind layers of polish here. Instead, the song is all about being honest. The song is laid-back and offers up the shine of a studio recording for the feeling of a candid introduction, a musical “hello” from someone who wants to be heard for who they are.
“It’s All Good” is a very human way to be hopeful at its core. The feeling is simple and real, like someone who won’t let little things stand in the way of their goals. The words to the song sound like friends talking to each other. They discuss their goals, their drive, and their need for attention in a way that is honest and not needy.
The production backs this up by making sure that everything is open and airy. The instruments are simple and easy to understand, so BluntBrad Jr.’s voice and message come through clearly. The song feels real because it doesn’t have a lot of extra stuff in it. You’re not hearing a heavily constructed persona; you’re hearing someone at the start of a journey, eager to make their mark.
The song’s rough edges make it captivating, which is better than polish, which would have smoothed it out. This way of thinking fits with the theme: hope isn’t naive here; it’s realistic and steady. It speaks to people who like simple songs and value honesty over artifice.
“It’s All Good” is an engaging and approachable phrase that offers context for an artist who is confident and clear about their artistic vision. This is the kind of song you listen to when you need some honest encouragement to remember that just being human can help you move forward. This is only the first chapter of something serious, so expect more from him.
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