Following the release of his second studio album, Heartland, Eurovision star Sam Ryder played Exeter Cavern on October 22nd, as part of his ‘Road to Wembley’ tour.
You might be asking: why would someone as famous as Sam Ryder play a small venue like Exeter Cavern? Well, the answer is this is exactly what he wanted — the size made the whole experience more intimate and personal. Everyone could actually see Sam, and he could talk to the audience, and see the impact of his music right in front of his own eyes (something clearly meaningful to him). He even stayed after the show to sign CDs and records, and take photos with every single person in the audience. His dedication to the fans is clearly of the utmost importance to him, even going so far as to have a mug of tea to sip from in between songs, as the weeks of multiple shows a day (he played two shows that evening) begin to take their toll.
Despite the tea breaks, and his self-described “Radio 4 voice” moments between songs, his energy and musical talent shone through the venue effortlessly. Impossible falsettos and trilling runs rang through the air, joined by the crowd for most of the songs. Whether we were able to do any of them justice is another matter, but gathering everyone’s voices for this or that chorus created such cathartic moments of joy that you couldn’t help joining in.
In between belting ‘Tiny Riot,’ and serenading us with ‘Whirlwind,’ Sam explained the journey that writing and performing Heartland has taken him on. After rising to fame on TikTok in 2020 with his breathtaking covers, he shot to stardom when he appeared on the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022. There he performed ‘SPACE MAN’, from his album There’s Nothing but Space, Man!, and placed second overall, the best result the UK has achieved in many (many) years. Loved nation-wide for his achievement, and his happy-go-lucky personality, his first album branded him a bundle of sunshine wrapped in rainbow cardigans, with the voice of an angel of alternative/pop/rock.
However, he made it clear throughout the gig that a lot has changed since the There’s Nothing but Space, Man! era. While emphasising how grateful he is for the success it brought him, he explained that the energy that fuelled his first album was harder to find for his second. Finding the resilience to stay positive during the hard labour that went into putting together more music was a point of pride for Sam; he explained that he lost a lot of self-confidence and drive in the process, and worked hard to regain it. He emphasised how important it was to attach his positivity and hard work to a sense of purpose, and not simply an image of happiness for branding’s sake.
Most importantly for this, he thanked the team that helped him go completely independent for Heartland. The decision to make his second studio album independently apparently came after finding out his record label had fired the team he had worked with for the first album. Ryder spoke a bit about how he was proud that Heartland was produced independently, and the authenticity this gives the sound and messaging of the album, which seems to be in part about the importance of personal resilience. At the time of writing, Heartland is number eight in the UK album chart, and the only independent album in the UK’s top ten.
Wherever the album ends up in the charts, one thing is for certain: Sam and his team have put their heart and soul into both this album, and the tour, making it one of the most heartfelt and genuine exports of today’s music industry.
