NEW ALBUM

It's finally here! After years of stopping, starting, re-starting and stalling, I finally launched my new album 'As I Live and Breathe' last night at The Crown Joules in Codsall. The gig was ace, the supports (Brains for Breakfast and David Young & The Midnight Chorus) were brilliant as always and the guys that supported me in the band played a blinder! I couldn't be more happy with the way the night went.

So now's your chance to get the album! If CDs are you thing, you can order one from my online store by clicking the link here, or you can get it on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and Amazon Music (and probably more, who knows. Send me a message if you find it somewhere else!)

So that's it. It's been a long road, and now an even longer one begins. Good job I've got my walking boots on!

Another Express & Star article

The press pieces are coming in thick and fast now the album launch is almost upon us! Those great people at The Express & Star have done it again, this time doing an artist profile on me. You can read it by clicking the link to their website or just scrolling down!

https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/2017/07/21/unsigned-artist-sam-draisey-talks-about-forthcoming-midlands-gigs-/

'Some people are lucky enough to live and breathe what they love to do.

It is a hugely privileged position to be in, and Sam Draisey - who can count musician, gig and festival promoter, live sound and studio engineer, festival organiser and musician's union committee member among his job titles - is fully aware of that.

"It’s a great feeling knowing that I’m doing something I really love," he tells us. "I’ve worked in education for a few years but I’m leaving this summer to concentrate solely on music – I’m really excited about it.

"I like the diversity of having a number of strings to my bow when it comes to music, and that does seem to be the way the industry is going these days. It’s nice when other musicians come to me for advice on all sorts of things from recording and performing to distribution and copyright and I feel like I can help them."

Yes, some slave away for eight-plus hours a day at something which merely serves to pay the bills. But Sam, 29, from Wolverhampton, has other ideas for his life.

"I don’t aspire to be rich or famous, just to be able to live off what I do," he adds. "I get asked a lot if I would consider going on a TV talent show, but I don’t really think it would suit what I do, the type of music I make or the kind of person I am."

Sam is a busy man. Just playing music would give most of us enough to stay occupied. As a solo artist he has a new record he wants to show the world - releasing it officially on Sunday with a live showcase at Codsall's The Crown Joules.

"I class this as my third album, though it’s actually more like my fifth," he says.

He draws his inspiration from a range of artists as any singer/songwriter would. Notable influences include Frank Turner, Damien Rice, Jack Johnson, Cat Stevens, Paul Simon and the incomparable Johnny Cash, as well as other more traditional folk artists.

He also has extra cash flowing in through a successful wedding band called The Replicas for whom he plays bass.

But he has much, much more than just playing on his plate.

"I'm an elected member of the Midlands Regional Council of the Musician's Union, I run a songwriter's night at The Crown Joules every two weeks - one of which I'm hijacking for the album launch - and I've run recurring gigs all over the place over the years, including a monthly session at The Robin 2 for a while.

"I've gigged all over the region and supported acts like Ian Parker, Edgar Broughton, Bleeding Hearts and Under A Banner and played at various festivals all over the country."

He's also part of the committee that puts Codfest together every year and he is busy putting this year's event together for its usual September slot - though at the moment the exact date is a closely-guarded secret.

"Shhh, I’m not supposed to talk to the media about Codfest," he jokes, before adding: "I’m kidding, but we are very close to being at full capacity now without any real advertising, which I guess is something to be proud of.

"I’m on the committee that puts the festival together, as I have been since the start. My role is mainly to organise the music side of things, from booking the acts to managing the stages, helping to run the live sound and generally just being very busy about the whole event.

"You can find out more about this year’s festival – Codfest 8 – by liking their page on Facebook."

It has been a lifelong effort for Sam to get to where he is today, and he epitomises the hard work required to establish yourself in a crowded and often fickle environment where one minute's buzz-artist among listeners can be forgotten and one moment's enthusiasm from an artist can drain when met by obstacles.

"After singing all my childhood, I took up bass guitar at the age of 16, basically because the strings are further apart than on a six-string and I didn’t think I would be able to manage that," he jokes. "The first song I ever learned on bass was In Bloom by Nirvana, on Christmas Day 2004. By the evening I was jamming with my nextdoor neighbours Mick and Jack Edwards, who played guitar and drums respectively.

"In fact, Jack went on to play drums and congas for me on The List and Anthology albums," both of which are previous solo releases from Sam.

"A few months later I was asked if I wanted to join a newly forming band by an old friend of my dad. I learned a huge amount about playing live and working within a band from playing with Too Shrewd, and I still see it as an important part of my musical education. The band lasted for a few years before members started to move away."

To see that education put into practice, head along to The Crown Joules on Sunday to help Sam launch his new record. He will be selling CDs on the day, and it will go live on streaming sites such as iTunes and Spotify the next day.

The evening kicks off at 8.30pm, with free entry, and support will be provided by David Young & The Midnight Chorus and Brains For Breakfast.

For more information on all of Sam's projects, live dates and past and future releases, search for Sam Draisey on Facebook or visit www.samdraisey.com

Express & Star review

Another great review of the album, this time from The Express & Star. Read it here or at the link at the bottom;

' Wolverhampton's Sam Draisey hides a deceptively powerful voice inside his slender frame.

The 29-year-old exercises his vocal chords on his new record that will be a hit with singer/songwriter fans.

It's a mixture of softer folk and country vibes with a drop of gritty rock here and there. He sounds a tad like an angtsy James Blunt when aiming high and a young Brian Molko when sinking low. Quite a combination, eh?

The guitar plucking on display from the Unsigned page star in The Ticket is talented, and the soft anarchy that flows through some of his tracks is a joy to hear.

There is a kind of been there, done that feel to the tracks, too. It's a confidence and assured nature which breathes experience rather than cockiness and arrogance.

Take opener Roots. A forlorn melody accompany's Sam's voice for a track that oozes gloominess but stops short of heartbreak. It's a good sound.

Upbeat crescendos permeate Five Years Later, a protest song that inspires rather than scaremongers. This is the kind of track which can fall flat on an unsigned release, sincerity and seriousness can get lost among bad production values. But Sam and his band avoid the pitfalls with ease, he produced and mixed the tracks himself so he shows a keen musical ear in more ways than one here.

Anger does break through in Used To Be My Hero - a different side to the vocals than heard previously. His gentle approach to the music allows his voice to take centre stage. It helps get his message across without being hidden by a wall of sound.

Perhaps the highlight moniker falls on Turning You Down, a lovely slow burner that grizzles raw energy when the rock outro kicks in.

This is a fine example of doing things yourself and could herald the start of something big for Sam Draisey. Scott Matthews has done it, is it time for somebody else to break out?

Rating: 4/5

Sam Draisey will be releasing As I Live And Breathe with a launch show at The Crown Joules in Codsall on Sunday, starting at 8.30pm. He also performs at Wolverhampton's Hogs Head on Friday, July 28, before playing at Village Coffee in Codsall the next day at 2pm.'

https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/2017/07/19/album-review-sam-draisey---as-i-live-and-breathe/#zse8zFVfFpK6Ccfg.99

Band announcement

Thanks to these heroes, I can officially announce what you may have known for while...

My album launch on Sunday will be a FULL BAND SHOW! I'm so bloody excited about it too!

Check out the Facebook event page here;

https://www.facebook.com/events/1866784633583576/?ti=as

West Wulf review

I've had another album review come in, and it's another really good one! Read it here and I'll copy it below - https://westwulf.wordpress.com/2017/07/05/sam-draiseys-new-album-brings-protest-love-from-the-heart/

Sam Draisey’s new album brings protest & love from the heart

If you live in Wolverhampton or South Staffordshire and like music, chances are you’ve heard of – if not seen – Sam Draisey. Sam’s been about for a few years yet hasn’t quite reached the grand old age of thirty yet, which will come as shock on hearing new album, ‘As I Live and Breathe‘. Draisey sings with a real conviction, you feel his words come from the heart, from experience, at times from personal anger about politics, greed and the state of England. There are echoes of Frank Turner here, modern folk and protest. But this is far from just a protest album, there’s plenty of love and upbeat melody here to raise a smile – even the songs that deride modern society, apathy and negative attitude such as ‘Scarecrows‘ play along to a positive rhythm – that feeling of “hey, despite how it looks, life isn’t all bad so keep your chin up! Things will get better.”

A favourite of ours, ‘The Worst Lie Of All‘ tells a story that many from the working class will be familiar with, trying your best to get somewhere but having the world against you, of the wealthy turning a blind eye to the plight of those struggling to make ends meet and of people in power treating the rest of us as political pawns rather than thinking, feeling people.

‘Used To Be My Hero‘ bounds along at quite a pace, another familiar theme for listeners – musicians that had a powerful message and gained a fan-base but ended up middle of the road once they’d become successful – and comfortable, losing their edge and putting out music just to keep people happy and the money rolling in, never regaining that original passion. ‘I Won’t Ask Why‘ is a thoughtful ballad about unexpectedly falling in love and cherishing it now it’s here, come what may.

There’s a lot of experience behind ‘As I Live and Breathe’; as well as having several albums under his belt, Draisey is a regular live performer. if you haven’t seen him live, it really is worth tracking him down – a recent Facebook post on Sam Draisey Music tells us that he’s approaching his 1000th gig since he started out in 2005 (both solo and in bands such as The Replicas). This includes the Molineux, Codfest, various festivals and pub gigs such as the Newhampton Inn and The Crown, Codsall. Live, Sam holds an audience captive – we’re looking forward to hearing some of ‘As I Live and Breathe’ in person.

‘As I Live and Breathe’ is being released on 23 July at The Crown in Codsall, South Staffordshire. Entry is free and the gig starts at 20:30.