iamsamway

[iamsamway]

ALCHEMY LYRICS

Finally

We found the thing

That will hold me though

The night

Now we spread our wings

And there were times

We faced defeat

You made me question everything

That I believe

Born in doubt

All those little victories

You let me smile

At all my inconsistencies

With every line

That seemed to solve

A Mystery

That brought me closer

To the unseen

Finally, we found some Alchemy

Carry my on

Finally found some Alchemy

Tell me stories

Made of dreams

Give yourself some

Time to make a masterpiece

Take my tears

Let me process

Illuminate the things

I’ve done that I regret

Play them out al your little histories

I don’t believe that everything was meant to be

So I will write another line of symphony

That brings me closer

To the unseen

See the shape

Of the your blessings

You’ve been given

Better use them

Stop guessing

Words of truth

Overdue

Come on don’t choke

Right now I need you

I need you

I need you

I need you

Finally, we found some Alchemy

Carry my on

Finally found some Alchemy

[iamsamway]

It's been a minute Tumblr

So, it's been a while my GOSH and to my followers on here, I'm wholeheartedly wondering if we're still connected.

If so, if you see this, throw a comment or a like and lets connect, even message me. I would love to share what's new, some poems, new writing and more to announce here.

Ok,

Over to you.

Humans our ghostly silence inbound.

[iamsamway]

One day old

The new song is here and it's one day old.

And if you haven't heard it yet, well…

Give your ears some soul food.

Song link - https://open.spotify.com/track/5hQVbksrHzHPKnkH07Gbsn?si=b83d5a8bf90146f1

I'll warn you, it's a painfully honest lament but we're dealing with some BIG and challenging subject matter after all.

I'll end with a more lighthearted story, then go get that song add to your playlists and share with anyone you think might vibe it. I would be so thankful for it.

Here's the story…

Someone who hasn't been on Instagram for a while logged in and saw my story saying ‘Happy Release day peoples'

This is what they said ……

PRISON!!!!!!!

WHAAAATTTT, I died

Big love all

SAM

[iamsamway]

Pre-order now - Livin - Signed A3 poster printed on Canvas

Hello there and OMG yay!

So excited to present the first issue of samwaymusic art prints now available for pre-order and digital download here for the very first time.

For this issue we collaborate with mixed media artist Sahaj Guptaa as she interprets two songs from the samwaymusic archive into visual form. Something to frame, or even pin to the wall, such is the beauty of printing on canvas.

These Canvas prints are fresh out of the oven so get them whilst they’re hot.

The first preorder for the signed issues will go to print on on the 17th of September 2021 and be delivered in the coming weeks after. We deeply value your pre-orders, and patience with delivery.

If you can’t wait that long and would like to simply print your own copy at your local print house, please see the digital download option where you can have access to to the high quality file for a more affordable price. Put it on a teacup - a tea towel - get creative, I would love to see your designs.

You can see more of Sahaj’s incredible work here, please follow her and support her.

https://www.instagram.com/sahajguptaa/?hl=en

My best

Sam

[iamsamway]

Sticker pack

12 Stickers. From laptop’s to notebooks, customise your life with these stickers inspired by Sam’s latest and forthcoming material. Ships worldwide

[iamsamway]

Hard Feelings Cap

Exclusive and limited edition Merch made to celebrate the release of ‘Hard Feelings’

One size, white flat cap - text reads ‘no hard feelings’ - go get it :)

[iamsamway]

More thoughts on Love

Thoughts on Love – Here, inspired by your thoughts on what ‘True Love’ is on Instagram are some of my ideas, and also thoughts and from some of the most seminal figures in literature who have made it part of their life’s work to understand and feel the depth of all this four letter word inspires. Lastly - a poem of my own...just because...

 I have heard of Love spoken about as being the most fundamental force in the universe. It’s difficulty with words, themselves trappings, to wrestle with the vast and complex feelings - and the many ways Love can manifest in our heads, bodies and spirits – that this word in particular (the most overused in all song writing) inspires.

 On true Love - I think there is Love in truth, as there is truth in Love, but what is true is always subjective on experience. Even what is objective, what can be seen and agreed on, is often looked at from a singular paradigm, our unique way of interpreting the world. Honest love, could be a condition of ‘True Love’ , faithful love could also be one, and from there having faith in Love itself as a force that could guide you ‘Truly’, that is to say ‘Well’ is an interesting idea.

 True love is always felt in the present, in this moment. I think it’s a deep, accepting, surrendering, peaceful and life affirming, spiritual experience that is not necessarily dependant on gazing into the eyes of somebody else, but can be found on our own too. Maybe it’s right there in front of you, or within you all along. Can we practise ‘True love’ in all we do? By finding a quality of presence, a commitment to our passions, acting from our centre with all the compassion me can rouse, a kindness to ourselves, the earth, and the people circling our lives.

 Some say true love is unconditional – it doesn’t need to posses, and loves for the sake of loving alone, and one could argue, it doesn’t just survive the test of time, or the trials of life, but exists outside of them both entirely. Something not so much ‘lost’ or ‘gained’ but more something you become reconnected too.

 Finally, I think to say that an experience of ‘True Love’ could almost be like a meditation, it takes great discipline, but it’s something you can ultimately bring conscious practise too.

...

 A note on self love –  (I wrote this back in 2012…jeeeeezzzz)

Do you love yourself?

And if you don’t…then I urge you, with all your might, to discover why.

Understanding this is the first step on what I feel is the most important journey we can ever go on. The journey of love. It’s no doubt one of the hardest, but also maybe the most rewarding. Now the love I talk about here has nothing to do with vanity, or narcissism but more a deep, constantly connected feeling of self worth, respect and care. This is not a love that loves on some days and not on others, this love is unconditional, this love is constant, this love is transformative. For only when we have built this unconditional love in ourselves, will we be able to shower it, purely, on others, and in turn, let others really love us back.

If you fundamentally believe yourself to be unlovable and are using love as an escape from yourself – when someone ‘brilliant, and amazing’ – all the things you think you’re not - turns to say they love you, they distort your own worldview, they make you wrong. How could ‘they’, love someone like ‘you’ you might think to you yourself, so firmly attached, and ignorant, to your own script, they must not be all you thought they were in the first place, and you hence you sabotage everything because nothing discredits them further than loving the ‘un-loveable’ YOU..

So can we even begin to build this unconditional love in ourselves?  What’s stopping you? A pain in the past? The way you look in the mirror? Somebody else? You’re the only one who knows, and you’re the only who can do anything about it. Know this - you are deserving of love, no matter what, and remember this love, this unconditional love, accepts you for all that you are, for all that you’ve done and for all that you’ll do. If you believe in a God, this is the sort of love God would give you…so…be your own God…inspire that love in yourself, and through that, inspire others too.

Thoughts from others -

…

 The Art of loving. By Erich Fromm……. 

In attempting to Understand Love (point 30 something in my Bucket List – See below) I’ve been reading ‘The Art of Loving’ by Erich Fromm.  First published in 1957, some of his views are old fashioned, but regardless an exceptionally insightful book. Here summarised my thoughts. All quotes are from the book…which I highly recommend you read.

Is love an art? Should we treat it as one? And is love the most sacred art, a lost one perhaps, that we can devote our life too? Any artist works at his art, constantly seeking to improve and adjust his theoretical understanding and engaging himself physically in the experiences that will lead him to the next level; the next level of depth and understanding.  A real artist shows commitment to his art..and this…this real commitment to love is maybe what we’re missing.

In our culture we’ve come to adopt a view that ‘love’ is this magical, illusive thing that comes from nowhere, sweeps us away and recues us from the fear of being alone. Love in this capacity is fleeting, inconsistent and temperamental…all traits I’m sure we can agree one does not want in a lover. “Most people see the problem of love as that of being loved, rather than that of loving, of one’s capacity to love.” Hence the question arises ‘Am I lovable? How can I make myself more so? More pretty, More desirable. How can I make people fall in love with me?’ These are the questions we ask, questions that make us feel depressed and un-worthy when really we should be turning the emphasis inward and really asking ‘How can I increase my capacity to love.’ In the society we live in, one driven by the free markets and our insatiable appetite to consume, we have been conditioned to swallow everything, films, food, sights and people. “We have become a commodity, alienated from our fellow men and from ourselves. Transformed into a commodity” and this brings up feeling of anxiety, fear, and separateness. We have built a world where love is on the bottom of peoples priorities. How much am I worth? Am I a good investment? Our society is built to run on fear…So where is loves role in all this? How can we re-orient ourselves around love and escape from cyclical consumption?

 “The deepest need of man is the need to overcome his separateness, to leave his prison of aloneness”

Do you feel alone? We were born into the natural world, in touch with it and it was a part of us. You only have to look at all the totems and practises of tribal cultures to see just how important our relationship with nature was. And it still is, but I think sometimes we forget this. Now as we move farther and farther away from nature, away from living in a supportive communities, as we used to,  it’s no wonder that now more than ever we feel alone. I don’t know any of my neighbours. Riding the tube into London everyone is silent, in their own world, playing games on their I-phone or zoning out to music which throbs in their ears. There are people all around you, but still, you’re alone. Now I ask the question….Can one person truly complete you? In the present climate is there a danger that love is being idealised as the only path to salvation?

I think it takes great strength to be alone. Some of the most creative and influential people in the world were solitary creatures. Being able to be alone is really important. (I highly recommend reading the book Solitude by Anthony Storr to find out more about the link between creativity and isolation) But one man in no man and we need each other to flourish. Eric Fromm believes there are different ways to attain this unity we all desire but the “full answer lies in the achievement of interpersonal union, of fusion with another person in love"

What do you think? Is love being put on a pedestal as our last hope for connection or like Erich do you believe that a mature, reciprocal, joyous and active love - a love we stand in rather than ‘fall’ into, can transform our lives.

From, OSHO, TRANSCRIBED TEACHINGS, THE GUEST

What is love? Love is the fragrance, the radiance of knowing oneself…of being oneself…Love is overflowing joy. Love is when you have seen who you are, and then there is nothing left except, to share your being with others. Love is when you have seen that you are not separate from existence. Love is when you have felt orgasmic unity with all that is. Love is not a relationship. Love is a state of being. It has nothing to do with anybody else. One is not in love. One is love. And of course when one is love, one is in love - but that is an outcome, a by-product, that is not the source. The source is that one is love.

 ...

And Lastly – a poem –

 The last poem I wrote, Love, and everything that come with it – the catalyst

  We dug

 We dug

Into earth that

Was harder than most

 We dug, and dug

Deeper still together

Until our hearts could take no more

Until we finally struck the reality of us

 In our weathered hands

Our golden promise

Was only copper

 So we downed our tools

And went to sleep

In separate homes

 ***

 I had always wished our dreams come true

I had always thought we were dreamers, you and I

More than we were diggers

 And yet look at the hole we made

 ***

 I often think of the ground we moved together

Of the pleasures of our sweat

Of the tears that bore us on

And all our stories

 Both of us buried in them

As we deepened into each other

And into the ground

 It’s all treasure

It’s all treasure really

All of it

 But, I do wonder

Where you’ll go now

And what I’ll find too

Now that we’re out of that hole

 We dug

[iamsamway]

New Music Mondays - Live @The Ned

If you’ve haven’t been to The Ned yet, brace yourself for a grand entrance.

Walking through it’s doors on Poultry St, the sheer magnificence of the lobby space with its high arching ceilings and twinkling chandeliers cannot help but inspire something of an emotional reaction. You’re walking directly onto a film set, that’s honestly how it feels, and to complete the picture situated on a raised circular podium in the middle of the room someone sits at a grand piano, tinkering with soft jazzy hooks and ear pleasing riffs that wash into the cavernous space above alongside the bustle and the chat of a crowd that looks as discerningly chic as they do at-ease. 

I freeze as I walk in, the performer in me tugging at my heart strings, and one thought begets my attention. ‘How could I get to play that Piano?’ I’m there tonight attend one of the many events they host on the lower floors but instinctively I begin asking questions that could lead me closer to playing one of the most beautiful rooms I’ve seen in London. 

I dig  a little - and yes - there is hope. I’ve been on the singer -songwriter circuit in London for almost 5 years now. There are a growing number of superb industry attended live music nights and open-mics across the city -  Sessions 58, run out of Though the Looking Glass, 49 Hackney Rd is always packed with Talent, and The Spice of Life in Soho always guarantees a  full room - but finding out that The Ned host weekly ‘New Music Monday’ nights showcasing some of the best talent in the city every single Monday had to be, one of my greatest musical finds of 2017. 

On Monday the 19th of the February just gone - A highlight no doubt for what is already turning into quite a 2018  - my hands fell upon those keys as I sat at that piano and sung my songs out and into the space above. A smile crept gently to the edges of my mouth. That begetting question...‘How do I play that Piano?’ now fully realised in the present moment. I was lucky enough to host and programme the nights entertainment, and it was a joy and a relief to see my musical companions give their best and their all to the room and for the night to go down so well. 

For artists and music industry alike The Ned is the real deal. Offering a generous 50% off all food and drink every Monday pending you sign up to their ‘Neds Music Mates’ scheme it truly will become one of my most visited haunts to hang out, meet, and in the future play again, as it so beautifully encourages emerging talent -  and established artists too  -  the space for them to really shine. The hotel and members club, which is certainly one of the most exclusive and incredible of it’s sort only opened it’s doors a year ago, but it’s initiatives like this that authentically bring in the wider artistic community that give it so much damn charm. 

There are 8 different restaurants in the Lobby so your taste buds will most likely continue to be challenged as you take in some of the best and newest sounds coming out of London’s thriving music scene. 

So, See you there?

Join the conversation - Where are your favourite spots for new music in capital and elsewhere. 

Discover more online @TheNed 

[iamsamway]

https://soundcloud.com/iamsamway/share-you-stone-acoustic

[iamsamway]

52 songs....

And ....one more thing....

As of monday - I’m going to try to write one song a week - 

Ill push songs out on sound cloud and give you a taste of them if they’re any good ;) be sure to follow me at 

https://soundcloud.com/iamsamway

Wish me luck....

[iamsamway]

One thing....

Firstly - its pleases me greatly to say - as off tomorrow I am off on TOUR. Me and fellow artist Dawson Shaw are starting in Devon o Crediton - moving through Bath, Bristol - Suffolk - Derby and Blackpool. 

If you want to host a house gig on the 4th of May in Bristol, we are running a comp. Just copy and paste this link and tag me in it...it’s the latest acoustic video we shot in LDN. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhtwc5ABoIc

We bring the music - you bring your friends, it’s that simple.

We’ll be visiting my old school and seeing some of the students there and I’m excited about heading back to play for my home crowd...

Im going to be using this blog, maybe more than ever to document and write about the entire experience, so..

Stay tuned...theres more to come...

[iamsamway]

https://soundcloud.com/iamsamway/sam-way-henry-dell-pretty-liability-new-immunity-remix

[iamsamway]

How to songwrite

Songs are made of magic. They transport us into other worlds, make us dance, console us and give us hope when all seems lost. They raise us up and speak to our very souls it seems, in ways in unique and powerful ways.

 I look at mine as strange, deeply revealing, almost living creatures that have bloomed, changed, and died too as these small years have passed by and as I have grown, literally and as an artist. I never thought that writing songs would become such a massive part of who I am or become one of the most significant ways I process life. To me each song, every creation of mine, has come about because it simply felt like it was necessary. However, seizing the creative impulse aside, I have methods to help me work with my madness. If you’re a songwriter or have any interest in the art, read on.

 1)   Read – If words are going to be the very fabric you use to weave your songs together it makes sense to consume as many as you can. It doesn’t really mater what you’re drawn towards, though some texts will undoubtedly be more inspiring than others, just always be sure to carry something with you and as you go if anything pops out at you, any specific words, sentences or sections, underline them, bracket them or make a note in the margin of the page.

2)   The notepad – The 2nd thing you’ll need at hand. This will become your silent refuge, somewhere you can jot ideas, observations or lyrics. A place to begin collecting some of those disjointed words - the ones you’ve been so furiously underlining in your books - now removed from their original context to be used at your will. Scatter them freely on the page, next to others from different places and see what appears. Your own private ‘word bank’ as such will be one of your biggest assets if you ever have writers block. An audio notepad is also useful on the move, just record yourself on your phone, hum lyrics or a melody into it to listen back to later. They could all turn out to be tuneless, useless mumblings that amount to nothing, but then at least you can have a laugh.

3)   Turn up – For me the urge to create, to songwrite, will often be so overwhelming that I will loose all sense of time entirely. Hours will pass and I will either be late for whatever else is in the diary or if one of these fits takes me in evening I won’t get much sleep. Albeit important and essential to channel these bursts of inspiration, it’s equally as so to schedule your time, have a routine, sit down, show up and work at your craft.

4)   What do you want to say? And why you want to say it? - Always ask yourself these fundamental questions and then try to sum up the song in a single sentence. Once you know what the song’s about and you know why expressing it is meaningful to you – sometimes it’s purely the expression itself that is most meaningful – then really focus, catch yourself wandering if you start to go of course and pull yourself back to the point and thrust of the song.

5)   Structure – Have a sense of the structure in songs and then mess about with it. Most commercial records stick to the pop formula of (Verse) (Chorus) (Verse) (Chorus) (Middle 8/Bridge) (Chorus X2) But sometimes you’ll discover something so much more interesting when you switch things around. You can always go back to the tried and tested form. Why not add a variation, an adlib or even some space into a piece. Remember though, think of your listeners and make sure they will be able to join all the dots.

6)   Get the hell out - Your experiences in life, the stories you carry inside you will immediately fuel your desire to write.  See your life as a unique tapestry, a story that deserves to be told. Get the hell out, place your undivided attention onto someone or something else, forget all about songwriting, abandon all your projects, and explore your edges. Do the things or go to places that challenge you, but be sure to write about it in your notepad when have the chance to. Reflect on what you’ve seen or done and come back to writing with a different way of looking at things. If all the arrows point in, you’re going to implode.

7)   Collaborate – A sure fire way to test yourself, grow as a songwriter and increase your work rate is to write with someone else. Don’t be scared of it either. Compatibility is a big thing here, you’re not going to write well with everyone but there’s such a joy in writing with someone else when you click and especially if the majority of your time writing is spent alone. From a professional standpoint, I’ll always bring a few ideas, a loose verse, or a chord progression to the session. Even if you do end up working from scratch, starting somewhere is better than nowhere.

8)   The Hook – I couldn’t not mention this point, though I almost forgot to include it because it seems so obvious, you’ll need something that’s going to get your listeners  ‘into’ the song. Something that they’re going to remember and hum without realising it. Try not just having one hook either; incorporate other little ‘earwigs’ into the song and play around with melodies that are simple, uncomplicated and catchy.

9)   Don’t settle. Don’t Rush – If this is your art, then don’t just settle for verse A) when you know something doesn’t feel right and you haven’t even tried to write verse B,C,D or E. Over create and then strip back to what’s essential to the song. This applies to the small scale, substituting one word for a better word, to the large scale and the question, ‘Is this song actually any good?’ Give yourself the time away from the song too. You could be thinking you’ve written the next No:1 and then half an hour later, through sheer frustration of not being able to finish it, realise you absolutely hate this song and never want to play it again….CHILL….You cannot rush art, but you must wrestle with it. Ideally you give yourself a 3 months breather away from a finished project and if you can listen back to it again then and not want to change anything, then you know you’re going to be really happy with it. Time is this industry and in life itself, now more than ever it seems, is a fleeting luxury, so if you are on deadlines, self imposed or otherwise, try and give yourself at least a weeks space.  A final thought on this is that you shouldn’t wait forever either, if you leave it too long to push a song you’re not 100% happy with you run the risk of growing up, your tastes changing and never even singing or releasing the song in the first instance….and that…doesn’t that just seems a bit sad.

Well then…I think that’s all you get from me for now. Other songwriters, a call to you should you wish to add to the article and comment. How do you manage the mysteries, means and machinations of your songs.

[iamsamway]

Fresh tracks added every week. The Playlist - By Sam Way. Follow on @spotify

[iamsamway]

Sam Way - Live - Exclusive tracks

Live - Exclusive recordings only available on samwaymusic.com  

These are some live recordings that you're not going to get anywhere else. There is nothing like playing live, and here we have captured some of those magic moments on stage. I hope you find in these recordings all the joy and thrill of what it was like to perform them. Thank you. Sam 

[iamsamway]

https://soundcloud.com/iamsamway/my-response

[iamsamway]

The complete collection - All my work to date

Via digital download 

A digital download of all my work to date. Including the early releases - Dancing Shoes - Bucket List and Golden Soldier - The Architect EP, and my Brand new single 'Last Page.' Support new music and download it now. 

Please note that the file is compressed as a ZIP file - so to get the tracks all you'll just have to unzip it...Ta Da ;)