Sam Buckingham

Since releasing her career defining album Dear John in April 2022, Sam Buckingham has graced main stages at Woodford and Queenscliff Music Festivals, toured with the Festival of Small Halls, and headlined a sold out 34 date national tour. She’s also toured alongside Kate Miller-Heidke, Paul Kelly, Katie Noonan, Tim Freedman, The Whitlams, Kasey Chambers, Washington and Ben Lee. Now, two years on, Sam Buckingham is returning with her follow up EP Cyclone. To record Cyclone, Sam returned to Rockinghorse Studios - where Dear John was created - this time sitting solo in the producers chair. “With Dear John I was still feeling so raw from my experiences with ‘John’,” Sam reflects. “I’m so proud of what we created, and it was so rewarding, but also incredibly challenging. This time, in the studio, I felt light. Cyclone feels like the next chapter. One season of my life has well and truly finished, and another has begun.” A collaboration with award winning Brisbane based artists Emma Dean (piano) and Monique Clare (cello), the Cyclone EP explores classic piano-pop, borrowing influences from jazz, hip hop, gospel and soul. Vending Machine, written on a cramped bus from Spain to Portugal, reflects on the pressure we feel to keep buying more things in order to feel better about ourselves. Warning Signs is a gripping recognition of the psychological effects of violence against women. The title track, Cyclone, was written for one of Sam’s close friends, encouraging her to stay strong in the storms of hardship. The EP’s final track Across The Line, a co-write with award winning Melbourne songwriter Ainslie Wills, explores self love and the willingness to fully express who we are. To celebrate the release of Cyclone, Sam will play a very limited number of shows in seated venues across the country. For the first time ever, she’ll swap her acoustic guitar for a piano - but trust us when we say, no one wants Sam to play the piano! Sam will be joined by Emma Dean on keys, for the entirety of her set, performing the Cyclone EP and reimagining her potent album Dear John on piano. This will be a unique opportunity to hear Sam sing the Dear John favourites with a completely new sound. Emma Dean also joins the tour as Sam’s special guest, opening the show with her distinctive brand of pop, anti-folk and a touch of cabaret. Make sure you get there early so you don’t miss a thing - this is going to be a powerful night of music. “Masterful songwriting” - Kate Miller-Heidke 
 “The plain spoken piano of this EP hides nothing… powerful” - Bernard Zuel “It’s raw and full of power which somehow allows the gentle to shine through” - Fanny Lumsden "Byron Bay's next big thing” - Courier Mail