Emerging NZ talent Sam Heselwood releases soaring new single ‘Home’
His songs have had millions of streams and are featured on the NZ Top 40 and Hot Singles charts. Now Ōtautahi talent Sam Heselwood has released his exciting new single ‘Home’.
A vulnerable and heartfelt song, ‘Home’ is brought to life by Sam’s soaring vocals and brilliantly layered production. A relatable love song about life’s ups and downs, it’s also about appreciating life when it’s good – and those who make you feel at home, with Sam saying the inspiration for the song was his partner. “I enjoy writing about personal, relatable things in my life and think ‘Home’ hits the nail on the head with that,” says Sam.
Made with the support of NZ on Air and co-written with NZ singer-songwriter Sally Faherty, it all began with a Zoom call and a question. “Sally asked me what I wanted to write about and I was a little stumped. I told her I didn’t have anything jumping out at me, to which she replied by asking if there was anything troubling me, or anything going on in my life. I told her not really, that life was pretty good right now.
That sparked the first verse ‘Life is good right now, but it doesn’t mean it always was.’ We then talked about why life is good right now and I explained it was to do with my partner. In an hour or so we had the whole song written minus the bridge.”
The bridge came when the song was shaped more at a getaway weekend with Struan Finlay, Robert Daglish and Terence O’Connor. “We played around with a few ideas for three days over beers and food, then spent countless hours playing around with more ideas to perfect the song. We then recorded it in a little studio with Terence, then it was mixed by Simon Gooding in his studio.”
Rugby player turned songwriter Sam Heselwood is definitely one to watch. He’s placed No 4 on the NZ Hot Singles for his 2022 single ‘18’; no 29 on the NZ Top 40 Singles charts; had strong support from radio (ZM Locals Only); had millions of digital streams – including over 1.5 million on single ‘Book Full of Answers’; received back-to-back single funding and support from NZ on Air; and featured on playlists Coffee + Chill (500k), Spotify’s Fresh Finds (1m), Spotify’s Fresh Finds Pop, Spotify’s Fresh Finds AU & NZ, Apple Music’s New, Music Daily, Apple Music’s A-List Pop, Apple Music’s New in Pop!
Influenced by the likes of Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi, his music is warm and intimate, showcasing a refreshingly authentic sense of vulnerability. Exploring themes of family, love, and mental health, Sam is trying to break down boundaries through his music.
Growing up in the small rural town of Darfield, it wasn’t until Sam was 19 that he penned his first song. At 21 he entered and became a finalist at the Golden Guitar Awards for his song ‘High Off Love’ – which was recorded in his room on a USB mic. He went on to release ‘Another One Too Young’ in 2020, followed by a self-titled EP in 2021, and a collaboration with DnB act CSM, on the track ‘Hold Me’, which is on their album Onesevenfour.
After a year of gigging in Wanaka, Sam then returned to Christchurch and was due to go overseas on a rugby contract, but due to COVID-19 he was led on a new path and joined SOLE Music Academy. In 2022 he released his five-track EP BLOODLINE – which features hauntingly beautiful ‘Outside Kinda Kids’ (350k Spotify Streams) and ‘Book full of answers’ (1.3m Spotify streams). With each release, Sam Heselwood showcases his versatility as a songwriter, blending elements of folk, rock, and pop to create a sound that is uniquely his own.
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