In the opening to the review of Sam Lee‘s last solo album ‘Old Wow‘, David Weir wrote: “Conservationist, promoter, activist, broadcaster, song collector; whether he anticipated it or not, Sam Lee has found himself lead-man in a number of different roles…However, never before have the many strands of Lee’s work come together as they do on Old Wow.”
Reading what Sam has written about his new album songdreaming (out on March 15th 2024, via Cooking Vinylsa – pre-order here) and hearing his new single Bushes and Briars (see below), there’s a strong suggestion that his previous quintessential act of resistance has blossomed on “an album dedicated to the natural world and a suite of love songs to the Earth sourced out of my lifelong adoration, concern and fascination with nature, especially the natural heritage of the British Isles.”
Like ‘Old Wow’, songdreaming was also produced by Bernard Butler.
In his words, ‘songdreaming’ is a collection of new writing inspired by our tradition speaking to the present as much as honouring the past. Each song reflects the complexities and singularities of how our ancient relationship with nature manifests, sublime yet disrupted, present yet out of reach but always so visceral for so many.
Directed and produced by Adam Loften and Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, the accompanying video for his recently revealed Bushes and Briars was released in association with Emergence Magazine, an online publication that explores the threads connecting ecology, culture, and spirituality.
The Cinematography by Adam Loften and Jeremy Seifert is stunning, to say the least, capturing Sam on one of his legendary Nightingale night walks. Musically, it’s as we’ve come to expect, widescreen and sweeping with heartfelt passion but also with a sense of anxious foreboding and warning…”sometimes I think we’ve gone too far to turn it around in time…”. While this may sound like a reflection, it’s also borne out of activism, an invitation to forge new paths and bring about change, both within and on earth.
Bushes and Briars is “an invitation to consider what appreciation in the age of extinction can feel like. It was composed in response to the many hours I’ve spent in the company of the nightingale; listening, singing with, and devoting attention to their iconic voice.”
He adds:
This is an album of anthems honouring our identity and diversity. I believe it is through nature our country can find unity like no other convenor can. These songs tell many stories, both collectively and personally, of how we can learn so much by listening deeper to what our land is saying. I’ve never made an album like this one, and hope you will appreciate its approach as the most bold and personal work of my career thus far.
I’ve no doubt that the message of songdreaming will resonate with the young and old…those who genuinely care about our fragile planet’s future.
Sam and his band are embarking on a UK-wide tour:
Also, until Sunday 10th December, in London’s Oxo Tower @ The Bargehouse, Emergence Magazine has installed a magnificent exhibition dedicated to art and nature. “It is free entry and you can turn up without prior booking and they will make room despite it being mostly sold out! The gallery is filled with magnificent works of art, installation, VR, and immersive sound experiences, but I am most proud of the screening of the 40-minute documentary on my relationship with nightingales. The film ‘The Nightingale’s Song’ is a work of great beauty charting my mission to highlight the demise of this bird and the wonders of their habitat that sustain their dwindling populations.”
More: https://slee.lnk.to/songdreaming