Sam Dickinson, 10 Questions with TotalNtertainment.
‘Cry Wolf’ is the latest release from Sam Dickinson and infuses disco, pop and a confident message of empowerment.. Taken from the upcoming album ‘Off Script’ due October 2020, ‘Cry Wolf’ and is now available to download and stream across all platforms .
1. Hi Sam, thanks for your time, how are you keeping busy during lockdown ?
Hi, thank you for having me. Oh, I’ve been really busy. In some ways lockdown has been a blessing as it’s allowed me to focus. I’ve been able to do a lot remotely in terms of songwriting, interviews, my radio show, promotion. I can do most, if not all from home. It doesn’t mean I don’t miss going out and socialising mind, I do still get to take my dogs out though.
2. You’ve just put out a new single, ‘Cry Wolf’, can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the song ?
Cry Wolf is a funny one. When you listen to the song you imagine a tale of heartbreak, of deceit, of being wronged. The truth is it’s actually about someone I used to work with. He would rent expensive cars on a weekend to pull women, pretend he was some corporate executive and see where it would get him! It’s quite funny really. I never really intended to write a song about him or the situation but we were banding ideas around and the idea of crying wolf was thrown around and I said, “I have this really funny story” and it went from there.
3. The track is taking from the album “Off Script” which is due out in October, what can you tell us about the album in terms of what fans can expect from it ?
They can expect a pop record! I wanted to create a pop record with so many side influences from disco, to soul, to dance, to funk. The album is a journey. I recently signed to management and my manager said he probably hasn’t listened to an album in it’s entirety then listened again in full for ten years he enjoyed the album that much. It’s packed with emotion, with fun, with stories. I’m basically telling people the rollercoaster journey of my life over the past seven years since my first album.
4. As a songwriter where do you look for inspiration?
I look mainly to my life because, as a songwriter, I think you write your best material when you’re writing about yourself and what’s affected you in your life. It’s as simple as that really.
5. The album is due in October, have any of your plans been affected by the current lockdown? What are your plans for the rest of the year / 2021 ?
My plans have totally changed. I was due to open for some pretty big people on tour this year, that’s obviously changed, thankfully, it’s moved to 2021. I plan on touring in 2021 now. I’m writing for other artists now, some pretty big and amazing artists too, I can’t say too much but I’m really excited, they’re stars!
6. “Off Script” is your second album, how do you feel you have changed as a songwriter when you listen back to the first album ?
Massively, I think with my first album I wanted to write about heartbreak and losing love and this time I wanted to write about different things. I wanted to explore different parts of my voice. This time I feel more proud of my voice. I don’t have the big, belty Aretha voice that I wanted but what I do have is beautiful in it’s own way. I feel I can open up about different topics, topics which mean something to other people too.
7. Was there a particular artist or album which took you down the path of music? If so what/who was that album/artist and what was it that was so life-changing for you?
I think there’s so many. If anything, the defining thing for me, the thing that sticks out for me, was the car journey’s to school. They were only short, less than five minutes a journey but they were defining. Me and my sister would get into my Mum’s Astra and put the cassette in and we’d listen to the songs of Lighthouse Family, Gabrielle, Cece Peniston, Texas, Beverley Knight, Beverley Knight, Mica Paris, Simply Red, Lisa Stansfield to name a few. That sticks with you, the British Soul invasion of the 90’s. It was fabulous.
8. Given the terrible effect the virus has had on the world, what would you like to see change when some form of normality returns ?
I hope we become more considerate of one another. Life is so much more than material possessions.
9. Just for fun: If you were transported 400 years into the past with no clothes or anything else, how would you prove that you were from the future?
Well I’d be worried where my clothes were for a start! Well I think it was James I on the throne in 1620 so I’d probably try to predict the future of his son and his execution, although that may result in me being a witch?
10. Finally, thanks for your time and good luck with the album. What is the first thing you’ll do when we finally get out of lockdown ?
Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate! I hope you do the same with your loved ones!
Sam will be opening for Alexandra Burke in 2020 and Gabrielle in 2021. Catch Sam every Sunday on Pride Radio from 10am for ‘Sam on Sunday’, on 89.2fm across Tyneside, via TuneIn or ask Alexa to play Pride Radio.
You can find out more about the single here
Keep up-to-date with all things Sam Dickinson on his Website – http://samdickinsononline.com
