Hastings musician Sam Wills tours his debut album

Hastings musician Sam Wills has released his debut album via US record label eOne Music.
Sam WillsSam Wills
Sam Wills

Sam has been active in the Hastings music scene for more than ten years and this is a stand-out moment for him. He will mark it with a free performance in Hastings on Friday, June 18 as part of his Sam In A Van mini tour.

Having carved out a reputation for himself as a go-to collaborator and writer for nu-jazz trailblazers such as Jorja Smith, Tom Misch, Lucky Daye and Jordan Rakei, Sam says he is finding his own voice.

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The album is called Breathe. The lead single is Curious. It follows the news that Sam has racked up over 100 million streams on Spotify.

Curious sets the tone for the album. As one of the last songs written for his debut, it found Sam exploring a more uptempo side to his songwriting.

“I wanted a high-energy track to round out the album and this was the final track I wrote for it.

“I usually shy away from four on the floor kicks and the more dancey side of things, but I wanted to explore all sides of my musicality on the album and this one felt perfect for that challenge.”

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Lyrically, the single is about the beginnings of a new relationship, as Sam explains: “It’s about wanting to explore a deeper relationship with someone, when you don’t know how they feel. Taking a leap of faith even though the odds aren’t in your favour.

“The strange excitement is in the risk of it all”

The last 18 months have seen Sam release a steady stream of singles, host and perform in his own pre-Covid monthly live session at Brighton’s Green Door Store and find fans in everyone from DJ Target and Jamz Supanova to Trevor Nelson, Huw Stevens, Jamie Cullum and Julie Adenuga.

The Hastings leg of the Sam In A Van mini tour will be at The Chess Square in Old Town at 6pm on Friday, June 18.

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