Sam Buckingham

With an Angus & Julia Stone-esque sound, Buckingham’s style certainly had the early arrivers entertained. Her brand of music seeming to please the die-hard Washo fans, all of whom seemed to have forgotten they weren’t in class, as they had all decided to sit neatly and quietly in a huge semi-circle around the stage, making me come to the conclusion all that was missing was a few western-style trailers and a huge campfire (where is Bear Gryllswhen you need him?)- which in hindsight would’ve gone down a treat with Buckingham’s pop-folk set. Seeming genuinely enthused to be receiving such a warm welcome from the attentive audience, Buckingham’s bubbly personality and all-round kindness had her filling the stage with her presence alone, a feat that even the most accomplished solo artists still struggle with. - Shout Out Music

When I finally got inside, there was a pixie from Sydney already playing onstage. Not an actual pixie of course, but a lady who reminded me very much of one, a Miss Sam Buckingham. I had no clue who she was or what she was bringing to tonight’s musical menu, but I was pleasantly surprised. She fit right in to that niche of female Australian musicians who are currently stamping their presence on a music scene which extends beyond the realms of Triple J; think Kimbra, Julia Stone, Clare Bowditch, etc. Buckingham exuded charm and held the attention of the already large crowd with her warmth and set of acoustic-driven tunes. - Sosefina Fuamoli, The Au Review

February 2011, Sydney based songbird Sam Buckingham is embarking on the aptly named 'Homeward Bound' tour.

Always thinking outside the square, Buckingham recently ran an online competition to name her next single. Putting it out to her fans on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and her Email Mailing List, Buckingham uploaded a video playing an acoustic version of her un-named song, asking fans to send her their song name suggestions. After receiving more than 150 names, Buckingham narrowed it down to a Top 5 and again put word on the web for her fans to vote for their favourite name to determine the winner and name of the song.

Enjoying this interactive approach and having it received with such acclaim, in the lead up to the single's release, Buckingham has announced she'll be touring Australia in February 2011, with the majority of her shows taking place in the homes of her Australian fans.

Wanting to branch out from the pubs and clubs of Australian city and regional towns, Buckingham has once again got in touch with her loyal musical followers and invited them to host an intimate, acoustic House Concert for their family and friends in their loungeroom, backyard, local hall or other intimate, homely space.

This is not only a smart move for an independent artist in keeping venue hire and promotional costs low, it also brings the benefits of social networking off the internet and into real life with Buckingham encouraging her fans to share links to her music, videos, website and networking sites in their efforts to invite friends to become part of the tour. The idea was met with such an overwhelming response that Buckingham was forced to extend the tour into March and April to make sure to visit each 'venue'. - Sam Buckingham

For the past two months, Folk singer-songwriter Sam Buckingham has been filming her performances in and around Sydney and posting the clips onto the World Wide Web as part of a six-month online tour called 'Under The Deck'. In this way she not only continues to produce music, she is circulating it to a wider audience, all without having to travel out of Sydney. Sometimes in collaboration with other artists, and at times alone, Sam Buckingham records two new performances on a different theme each week and then uploads them onto YouTube for public consumption. Some are performances of songs she has written herself and some are covers of songs by other artists. They are largely unedited, and short, in keeping with the blog-like concept of the show.

Sam Buckinghham's voice is pure and exquisitely clear, her guitar acoustics beautifully pared-back, and her songs personal and deeply felt. She also has a mercurial ability to turn her voice/ string instrument to any musical style she pleases. On August 24, as part of her Under The Deck tour, Sam Buckingham uploaded a playful cover version of Justin Bieber's 'Baby' and a cover of Cher's 1989 classic 'Turn Back Time'. Her interpretation of the latter gives the original song a distinctly Country feel. Buckingham's voice here attains a full-bodied earthiness and ducks and weaves, playing wonderful havoc with a well-worn melodic trajectory. In between lovely meanderings and breaks, she draws out some long quavering notes which bring to mind such artists as Dolly Parton. Wonderful stuff. - Sonic Kerfuffle

'... Folksy with an
edge of blues chucked in. Her material is extraordinary. I hear some influences at times but overall Sam puts her stamp on her music. I wonder if she comes out of the shower with a triple album under her arm. She is confident, cheeky and sings like a siren...' - Shane Cook (Songwriters Across Australia)

Ever wish you could say you’d seen The Waifs, John Butler or Kasey Chambers back in the 1990’s when they lived in campervans and no one went to their gigs except for toothless cattle rustlers and their mangy dogs? Too late for that, tiger, but how about exploring an impressive emerging folk star.

Sam Buckingham’s sweet new EP offers five nourishing, unadulterated songs refreshingly light on smoke, mirrors, bells and whistles. Sweetest Sound neatly positions Sam as a female counterpoint to Old Man River’s brand of sunny Australian pop, Lady Lady will appeal to fans of The Waifs and the simple acoustic chirp of My Own Horse couples the songwriter with her [July] touring companion Sarah Humphreys.
- Rip it Up

It was quite admirable and honest of Sam to realise she was beating her head against a wall to the point of losing her love of music and it’s creation, and so step back and take a complete break from it, until the muse came back to her. What appears on her return is music of confidence and an obvious personal enjoyment. Good for her. And luckily, good for us, as the songs here have a more individual quality to them – some old jazz crooning and even a little country elevating it from the too orthodox girl-and-guitar rut. Stylish - Drum Media

On a cold weeknight, an acoustic show with the title "Warm of Winter' will hit the spot better than any cup of hot chocolate and bad
romantic movie ever could. Sydney-siders Sam Buckingham and Sarah
Humphreys have come together on their aptly titled tour to celebrate
their simple camaraderie, like-mindedness and Buckingham's stunning latest EP "My Own Horse'. Adelaide's leg of the tour saw the Grace Emily's music room fill with earthy, warm tunes and stories from each artist… Sam Buckingham's jazzy performance and soulful tracks translate to her live performance spectacularly well despite the instruments missing tonight that created said feel on the recording. The title track My Own Horse rose as the tiny singer's standout.
- dB Magazine

Sydney’s Sam Buckingham is certainly one to watch. Sure, there are a mass of female singer/ songwriters out there at any given moment but there are only a handful that can hold one's attention for more than a three minute pop song. To celebrate the release of Buckingham's second EP, she embarked on a magical tour of Oz over winter and it's here she managed to win hearts showcasing her love and skill for enthralling audiences with her angelic jazz-infused acoustic sound. On 'My Own Horse' Buckingham again proves her quality.

Buckingham's slinky, soulful jazz pop is one of a kind, further made unique by her cheeky vocal curbed with a strong Australian accent which never sounds forced. Her music is somewhat experimental but the end result is never messy - she is cheeky in delivery but never suggestive. Love Look What You've Done is a perfect example, opening with a groovy jazz bassline covered by her cherub sweet vocal, a delicate banjo appearing soon after. The song then closes with gorgeous and smart layering of 'shoop ba doop' male backing vocals and female harmonising. The sauntering title track sees Buckingham return to those faithful harmonies, but the solo tracks exhibit her precious voice at its best. Train's metaphoric story captivates with lyrics like "You could try and love me but the trains are breaking down." Coupled with the simplicity of solo vocal and sweet keys, you will find yourself humming when you least expect it.

Monika Laskowski - dB Magazine