FOR Sam Ryder’s second album it was time to ditch the spacesuit and move on from Eurovision.
The singer, Eurovision runner-up in 2022 with the song Space Man, says: “I created a world around Eurovision and that was the character I wanted to create.
“I thank my lucky stars it worked. But that story finished with the first album. Now it’s time to go back to what I started before all the crazy happened.”
And he isn’t hanging around on the day we meet — he’s got a plane to Germany to catch, so we talk en route as he drives to Heathrow, full of energy and excitement for what’s ahead.
Essex-born Ryder says: “There needed to be a circuit-break moment for me because we were just everywhere.
“You need a palate cleanse for people to get excited about what the new sound will be and what you’re going to make next.
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“But it’s hard to find your feet. “From 2021 onwards, every big TV or touring moment came with a load of media around it. Sometimes it’s hard to find the time for creating music because most of it is promo and marketing.”
‘Didn’t recognise me’
Heartland is an album inspired by stepping into a new chapter of making music as an independent artist.
“I really struggled during the 18 months I was making this record,” he admits.
“I was battling that demon of self-doubt, trying to believe in myself and find some confidence. For a lot of that time, I had no confidence, no self-value, no real idea of myself as any kind of success.
“It was very difficult, especially because I’d always been that super-smiley, positive, optimistic person, over-excited about the smallest things.
“Then suddenly I was like, ‘What happened? Was I like Samson — did someone cut my hair or something?’. I didn’t recognise myself.”
Recent single, the uplifting Better Man, was the first song written for Heartland, but nearly didn’t make it.
Ryder says: “Better Man was written shortly after the release of the first album and everyone loved it and was a bit gutted that we didn’t get it out in time for the first album. And back then, I really liked it.
“And then, as I went to write this new album, it felt too poppy, too obvious — like I was just trying to write a hit record.
“I hated the way I was hitting the notes,” he says.
“The more I heard it, the more annoyed I got and the more I rebelled against it. I didn’t think it should be on the record at all.
“Then, six hours before the album deadline, I decided to give it one more shot. I called my producer friend Jamie, and we set up in a hotel room in Glastonbury — both of us in swimming shorts and shirts, me full of hay fever.
“I just stood at the mic, sang it, and channelled a Bobby Caldwell vibe. Suddenly my mind changed about the song — it didn’t feel cheesy any more. The first album might have been more pop, but this one’s different. It’s rooted in soul music.
“It still fits within the world of popular music, but it’s not straight-down-the-line pop.”
Weddings were like a vocal workout for me
Sam
Nashville, a city which Ryder calls his second home, has been a huge influence on Heartland and is where a lot of the tracks were recorded.
“I just moved there,” he says. “It was always a dream to put down some roots there, as it’s such a lovely community. We’ve had a house there for about ten months and it’s been lovely to finally realise that dream.
“When I first went there about 14 years ago, I fell in love with the place — partly because I’d just started getting into country music. I fell in love with the lyrics.
“I had a radio app on my phone and used to tune into country stations all the time.
“I also met my now-manager there, and there’s this real fire that gets ignited when you’re making music in Nashville — everyone’s in the same part of town, chasing the same thing. I’ve been lucky with this album too — people wanted to work with me, and that’s an amazing position to be in.”
Singing without ego
Before Eurovision fame, Ryder earned his stripes as a wedding singer — an experience he says kept him humble and still shapes the way he makes music today.
“It taught me to sing without ego,” Ryder explains.
“I did eight years of weddings and it’s all about the love and enjoyment of performing. At weddings, no one cares about the singer. You stand there anonymously as guests greet friends they’ve not seen in years.
“So, you’re on the periphery and you have to learn to sing without getting any applause.
“I’d sing covers of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Aretha Franklin, all these big female singers I could sing because I had a high voice.
“I had the chance to sing these songs, so weddings were like a vocal workout for me.”
Ryder’s early years singing at weddings and with alternative bands gave him a grounding few pop stars get. He learned his craft by putting in the work, earning every moment that’s followed.
“I have all these amazing memories of touring in a transit van.
I’ve played heavy metal, punk, hardcore punk in South America and underground bars in Russia.”
There’s a lot of fire in the belly of this album
Sam
Ryder says it was important to make a record that was authentic and came from the heart.
He says: “We’ve created this strange world where we package and sell it and then judge success by metrics, a chart position or trophies. And I’ve been part of that. I’ve celebrated chart results and awards, so I’m not chastising them.
“But I want my songs judged on how they connect with people. The emotional response.”
That honest approach runs through the new songs, each rooted in emotion and experience.
Ryder says: “Quentin Tarantino, The White Stripes, Dusty Springfield and Sinatra have all influenced this record. It’s varied and shows all my different styles.”
Gorgeous album opener Olympic 89 is a tribute to spaghetti Westerns and also Ryder’s grandad — the pair had a tradition of watching a Western together every Thursday. It’s a poignant track.
Eyes On You is another standout and is about staying present and not neglecting loved ones when chasing dreams and success.
‘Fresh pain’
Armour was written about someone involved in this project at the beginning who Ryder was later forced to part ways with.
“It’s only after you move on, you find out how much you were held back by people without you even knowing,” says Ryder.
“Then later, when I performed it at the South By Southwest festival (in Austin, Texas) I realised this song was about me as I held so much resentment.
“I was very fresh with that pain. I was the one carrying around all the drama and this massive suit of armour.”
Resilience is also a theme throughout the album, stemming from all the years Ryder tried to make it.
He explains: “I felt like I had the rug pulled from under my feet many times. It was tough. So, this album embodies kindness, empathy, gratitude, resilience and perseverance. It’s not just my album but my team’s too, as they’ve been through it.
“I was due to make three records with my label Parlophone, but a lot of my team lost their jobs and so I decided to step away and go independent — with them.
“When I announced this project was going to be independent it felt so empowering — but it was hard stepping away. I count myself lucky that I didn’t make it till I was 31, so I could navigate through it all.
“There are so many horror stories of younger people being treated badly in this industry.
“So, there’s a lot of fire in the belly of this album.
“It comes from a kind place, but there’s also that ‘we’ll show you’ fire — because it’s important.
“If people don’t see your value, you’ve got to remind yourself of it. And the people around me — their value is supreme. I couldn’t have done anything on the first record without them.”
Next month, Ryder steps up to his biggest headline show yet at London’s OVO Arena Wembley — and he’s been gearing up for it for the past few weeks.
I’d love to be a global arena artist
Sam
He says: “We just did a week of rehearsals for the UK tour. We’re treating Wembley like a completely different show from the tour, so we go back into rehearsals after the tour for another week just for Wembley.
“We can do so much more with Wembley in terms of space, set length and lighting design, so the show needs to be treated as its complete own entity, which is really fun.”
The build-up to his big night has fired up Ryder again after a challenging period.
“I’m grateful to have new goals and ambitions, and to know that my career doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s in my industry. I have been so lucky with things deemed ‘uncool’ such as making a Christmas show, hosting a TV show and doing Eurovision. And I feel proud about that.
“But for a while I failed to see how they served my strength and I didn’t look at them with gratitude.
“There have been side benefits like writing for Ted Lasso with Queen’s Brian May, and writing the theme for David Attenborough’s Parenthood.
“So now I feel I can do anything I want — my dreams include studying Egyptian archaeology and writing the score for a movie or a TV show from start to finish.
“I’d also love to be a global arena artist and make a rock record in California with the Queens Of The Stone Age.
“For now, I’m enjoying breaking the pop rules and doing things my way.”
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SAM RYDER
Heartland
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