Did you know that Sam Buckingham was the fifth member to join I Heart Songwriting Club?

As a foundation member of the Club since 2014, Sam Buckingham is also a Beginner Songwriting Course, and Level Up Club mentor and her long road has brought her to the long-awaited third album, ‘Dear John.’

We could not be more proud that 9 of the 10 tracks of this album were written in I Heart Songwriting Club! Sam’s most personal and powerful album to date follows the release of her previous two albums; I’m A Bird (2013) & The Water (2017). Byron Bay-based, Sam has shifted from her usual indie folk/Americana sound to delve into the world of Alternative Pop on the new record.

 Trust us when we say that the melodies on this record will instantly hook you. The lyrics, however, are where you’ll be drawn to the raw, honest and emotive songwriting that Sam has honed in the Club over the years. From toxic relationships to female empowerment, gender equality, men’s violence against women and self-expression, ‘Dear John’ is the album Sam Buckingham needed to write.  

Co-produced by long-time collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Kent Eastwood, ‘Dear John’ was recorded in Byron Bay’s Rockinghorse Studios. Engineered by Paul Pilsneniks (Angus & Julia Stone, India Arie, Eric Bibb, Silverchair) and featuring Ross Irwin (The Cat Empire, The Bamboos), James Haselwood (Tim Minchin, Kasey Chambers) and more of NSW Northern Rivers finest musicians.  

Sam has toured alongside Kasey Chambers, Felix Riebl, Angus & Julia Stone, Washington and Katie Noonan. She has also sold out her own headline tours. Additionally, she’s been long-listed for the Australian Music Prize and is a seven-time finalist in the International Songwriting Competition.

She had this to say about the album: 

“The feedback from my group, while I was writing this album, helped me to see where I could refine and what songs were stronger than I’d originally thought. It was so validating to share the songs as I wrote them and have honest and supportive feedback to help each song reach its potential. Sometimes I wrote to the theme, and other times I went way off-topic, following the song wherever it wanted to take me.”

In conclusion, we couldn’t be more proud of Sam, her accomplishments and this amazing new album. Fill your ears with it below! Follow her on socials and if you are interested in having Sam as your songwriting mentor, join our upcoming songwriting course here.

Listen to the Album here