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ON THE COUCH WITH: Sam Buckingham

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ARTIST INTERVIEW

Access All Areas.net.au: Where did your interest in music come from?
Sam Buckingham: i think it started with my parents playing beatles to me in the womb haha!
my dad’s a mad music fan and mum’s a classically trained singer and
pianist so there was always some kind of music playing at home. we were
always encouraged to make noise!

Access All Areas.net.au: How do you describe your style of music?
Sam Buckingham: oh I don’t know this question always gets me! It’s very lyric focused,
with country and jazz flavours. so i guess it's folk.. it's very pretty!

Access All Areas.net.au: Who do you see as your musical influences?
Sam Buckingham: Bic Runga, Fiona Apple, Kasey Chambers, Aretha Franklin, the list goes on!
I love music that surprises me by playing a few unpredictable notes or
having an unlikely lyric and emotionally strong vocals.. i think i relate
more to female artists in terms of what they write and the way they
express the song but iOTA, Tex Perkins, David Gray and Marvin Gaye make me weak in the knees!

Access All Areas.net.au: When a fan goes to one of your shows what can they expect?
Sam Buckingham: i think i'm more myself on stage that i am any other time. You can expect
storytelling, emotion and a few laughs .. i get abit excited at times

Access All Areas.net.au: How have you progressed throughout your career in music?
Sam Buckingham: I feel much more comfortable now with myself and what i do than i did when
i first started out. i think i've gotten less scared. I'm not afraid now
to say what i need to say or be bold in my decisions. i guess that's a
natural confidence that comes with time and it'll keep on growing.
Musically i think i'm more aware of what i don't know which means i'm
always looking to try new things and stretch myself that little bit more.
i'm not scared to admit what i can't do and i'm not ashamed to admit what
i can.

Access All Areas.net.au: Do you feel your style has changed?
Sam Buckingham: Definitely - i don't think that ever stops. You can't stay in the one
place too long. It’s a natural thing I think as you have more experiences
and listen to more music and learn more about yourself your musical style
just naturally evolves. The core of it’s still there but the little
details change

Access All Areas.net.au: Do you prefer the recording or the live experience? Why?
Sam Buckingham: That’s like asking who’s my favourite sister! I love both in different
ways and for different reasons. Live is great because I’m connecting with
all these strangers and by the end of the show I feel like they’re my
friends and I’m an attention seeker so I love being on stage! Recording is
exciting because I walk into the studio with nothing but a vocal and
guitar and half an hour later we’ve given a whole new life to the song. i
love the collaboration you get in the studio and someone will come up with
a part or idea you'd never think of in a million years and it fits
perfectly. at the risk of sounding corny.. it's magic.

Access All Areas.net.au: What are your thoughts about the current musical climate within Australia?
Sam Buckingham: I try not to have too many thoughts about it. There are some great things
going on and some things that really suck, musically and financially. I
think there's alot of great songwriters and performers that need to be
heard and i think there's a few shocking artists that get heard way too
much.

Access All Areas.net.au: How do you feel you fit into that climate?
Sam Buckingham: I try not to think about that either. i prefer to just carry on with the
day and play my music. If i start to think about what's happening and how
i fit into it all i forget why i was doing it in the first place.

Access All Areas.net.au: What have you learnt from being in the music industry?
Sam Buckingham: I’ve learnt that patience is a virtue I don’t have

Access All Areas.net.au: Is there anyone you would like to record with?
Sam Buckingham: Oh yeah. Too many to name! i have a list on my bedroom door that I add to
almost every day

Access All Areas.net.au: What is the plan from here on in?
Sam Buckingham: The plan is to play as many shows as I can, keep on writing and remember
to enjoy. I think I’ll work harder this year than any other and I’m happy
with that

Access All Areas.net.au: What can you tell us about your new release?
Sam Buckingham: It’s great! Haha it’s a real mix of styles and moods and as a whole is
quite uplifting. Great for singing along and driving and full of love
songs!

Access All Areas.net.au: Do you have any words of wisdom for any up and coming musicians?
Sam Buckingham: Take all the advice you can get then make your own decisions. Surround
yourself with people who believe in you and people you can trust. Trust
your instincts and be humble.

Access All Areas.net.au: Do you feel you have more control over your career as an independent
singer/songwriter?
Sam Buckingham: YES! Not that I’ve ever been signed but from what I’ve been told it’s a
completely different world. going independent is not for everyone but if
you can be disciplined and find the right people to work with the pay off
is huge. For me it’s all about creative control and not feeling rushed to
write any songs or make decisions. I just go with what feels right at the
time and trust that in the end, the music will speak for itself.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Listening to Sam’s music, the most striking feature is how quickly she commands your attention. Influenced by anything from the classical greats to the Motown classics, the diversity of Sam’s song writing leaves you never knowing quite what to expect. This music is steeped in the traditions of folk and blues, while her dewy voice is jazzy and smooth, baring comparison to many a modern songstress but creating a distinct new fashion all of her own. The best artists are always hard to pin down and fortunately for Sam, that’s the case here. One listen to her debut album Daydreamer takes you on a journey of foot tapping, soul searching and good old-fashioned grooves.

Right from the beginning of the albums title track it’s obvious that this music comes from an organic place. With James Gillard (Renee Geyer, Paul Kelly) on the double bass, leading the song into a laid back groove Sam sings of unrequited love and the need to find more than she’s ever had. A couple of songs in, and we’re transported to a dimly lit piano bar, where Sam battles with the frustration of a rocky relationship. Yes, there’s a trend here; themes of love lost and found run thick through Sam’s song writing. However, there’s an unlikely blend of innocence, maturity and lyrical quality not often found in songwriters of her time that takes this music beyond the average. Maybe that’s what attracted multiple Golden Guitar winner Garth Porter (Sara Storer, Melanie Horsnell) to produce this stunning debut.

At the age of 14, Sam was given a hand-me-down guitar for Christmas. Made in Spain, nylon stringed and with a rich, warm quality, she discovered music as an outlet to express what she couldn’t say in words. The organic quality of this guitar, coupled with her youthful expression meant Sam began her song writing career with no pre-conceived ideas or expectations of how her music should sound. Eight years on, and there’s still no definite style or comparison to be drawn. This is new music at its best.

The beginning of 2004 saw Sam release her first EP, Bittersweet. With haunting melodies and her trademark honesty, Bittersweet was soon turning heads in all the right places.
You’re Such a Man, the EP’s third track, was featured on triple j; Secret became a regular on Sydney’s FBi morning program and Stars and Hearts appeared on Australian Compilation Sounds Like Café (Vol 4) alongside such artists as Tina Harrod, Wendy Matthews and iOTA.

Recently announced as a Top 10 finalist in the Annual Music Oz awards (Jazz) and with a number one position on Australia’s biggest music download site (Country Pop category) Sam is well aware of the pitfalls of not sticking to one particular genre. ‘When people ask me what kind of music I write, I have to say, well, sometimes jazzy, sometimes folk and country, sometimes bluesy or pop, it depends on what kind of mood I’m in. That can confuse people because we all like to be able to put things in a box or draw comparisons. But each song says what I needed to say at the time and evokes some sort of emotion and somehow they all tie together and that’s what matters. In the end it’s not about what it’s called, it’s how it makes you feel.’

Daydreamer in stores 20th February (Yellow Brick/MGM)

www.sambuckingham.com

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MY FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

Mental As Anything
It's a pretty horrible one actually. On the Australian Made Tour in, it was about 87' - 88'. There was us, there was Barnsey (Jimmy Barnes), The Models, The Divinyls. You know it was a really fun tour actually, and we were sharing a brass section with The Models and the guy... One of the brass players he was fairly frail, he was quite young and he had a pacemaker and he actually collapsed and died during our set which was rather disturbing. It would be the most memorable but, only because it was so unpleasant. I would have to say that one sticks out for me.

What's your ideal festival line-up?
Gee, that's a hard one. It's pretty good these day's they have guys like Neil Young coming out, and it's good. It shouldn't be a real generational thing. There are still a lot of good musicians that have inspired a lot of the younger bands and I think that it's nice that they put these guys on the bill. It's an economic thing, obviously a lot of people want to see them but, I think it's also good for the younger people to see where a lot of this kinda stuff came from in the first place. I think the bills are pretty good actually.

Also, with the older bands and artists playing at shows it's a big thing for the younger ones because they have been inspired by that performer and seeing them play and being able to play along aside them is a big kick.
Yeah, I think it's great and as long as they can still cut the mustard, I've heard that on some occasions they have been a bit disappointing but, they really have got there acts together these guys if they are still doing it. It's pretty obvious when they aren't. I sort of jokingly say "I'm getting the hang of it now", because I sort of am really, It's taken awhile but, you kinda have to be a bit more professional as you get older about doing it because, you need to be. It's amusing to see the 20yr old guys staggering around drunk on stage, that's kinda entertaining. But, when you get older it's not such a good look. You need to start thinking about being a bit more professional and getting your act together a bit.

The fall of the aging rock star.
Haha Yeah, that's your job. If you want to keep doing it you need to stay reasonably healthy. I swim, I try and swim some laps everyday. That's how I occupy myself on tour. I've got to find out where the pool is otherwise I get a bit twitchy if I don't get to do my laps every day. You start to realize if you don't have your health you don't have anything. It's true of anybody but, particularly for entertainers if you let yourself go, your in trouble.

What's your most favourite artist you have seen at a festival?
I would have to say Roy Orbison. I saw him only a couple of year's before he died. I couldn't believe it. He had already had the open heart surgery and, he had a shocking life the poor guy. He's always been a hero of mine. I actually got to see him, which was a big thrill.

What are your tips for attending a festival?
I don't know. My kids are going to them kind of regularly and they seem to have a good time. I think the main thing is you need to get in early if you want to get ticket's to these things, because they seem to sell out really fast. They are really popular and just enjoy them.