Sammy Rae

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Sammy Rae
Birth nameSamantha Rae Bowers
Born (1994-01-04) January 4, 1994 (age 30)
Derby, Connecticut, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • Piano
  • Ukulele
  • Banjo
  • Guitar
Years active2016–present
Labels
Websitesammyrae.com

Samantha Rae Bowers[1] (born January 4, 1994), known professionally as Sammy Rae, is an American jazz rock and indie singer-songwriter and the leader of the band Sammy Rae & The Friends.[2][3][4] She has released one album, two EPs, and one live album, with another studio album slated to be released in 2024. Her musical style is influenced by funk, jazz, rock, folk, and pop.[5]

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

Rae was born in Derby, Connecticut on January 4, 1994. Rae enjoyed singing from a very young age, starting with nursery rhymes as a toddler.[6] When she was young, her parents fostered her interest in the arts, taking her to participate in a children’s theatre company in Shelton, after-school choirs, and piano lessons.[7] She realized that she wanted to be a songwriter at the age of 12 after watching a segment on VH1 about Bruce Springsteen.[8] When she was 15, she played her first show.[7] She attended Sacred Heart Academy, a private, all-girls Catholic high school with uniform requirements and little chance for self-expression, where she was a member of the art scene.[7][9] She then attended the University of New Haven for one year studying sound engineering and audio technology.[10] In 2013, at the age of 19, Rae moved to New York City to pursue songwriting and study music and teaching at Manhattan College.[11] She dropped out in 2014 and worked waiting tables while pursuing music in her free time.

Career[edit]

Rae took up a six-month residency at the Cotton Club jazz lounge in Harlem, while regularly singing at open mic shows and writing and recording her own songs.[9] It was during this time that she met the six other musicians who became her bandmates in 2016.[11] In November 2016, she released her first album, Sugar, with 10-tracks recorded at Flux Studios on the Lower East Side.[6] She later deleted the album, claiming it was "off-brand".

In 2018, her band, Sammy Rae & The Friends, released their EP The Good Life, followed in 2021 by their EP Let's Throw a Party.[12] Through 2021 and 2022, the band gained popularity on Spotify, partly due to being featured on the platform's "Discover Weekly" playlist.[11]

The band cancelled its 2020 tour dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] In 2021, the band embarked on the Follow Me Like The Moon Tour, playing shows across the United States, as well as Toronto, Ontario.[13] In 2022, the band completed their If It All Goes South tour.[14] In 2023, the band released an album composed of live recordings from this tour, called The If It All Goes South Tour (Live). In 2023, the band began its CAMP: The Tour! tour, named after the artistic style of camp.[15][16]

The band is in the process of recording their debut studio album, slated for release in 2024.[16]

Influences[edit]

Rae stated she was influenced by church music (particularly gospel music) and classic rock, as well as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon for vocals, and the E Street Band for their group dynamics.[17] The band's style is influenced by the diverse musical backgrounds of all its members, with genres such as jazz, rock, funk, folk, theater, and world music.[11]

Personal life[edit]

Sammy Rae identifies as queer and uses she/her or they/them pronouns.[11] As such, her music often includes themes of queer and female empowerment. This is most apparent in her song "Jackie Onassis," which Rae has stated is "a love song to my first crushes, and it’s also a love song to all young women."[18]

Discography[edit]

EPs[edit]

Release Date Name
July 20, 2018 The Good Life
January 22, 2021 Let's Throw A Party

Albums[edit]

Release Date Name
November 4, 2016 Sugar
August 11, 2023 The If It All Goes South Tour (Live)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Nunn, Jerry (November 5, 2021). "Sammy Rae". GoPride.
  2. ^ Feldberg, Isaac (February 7, 2020). "Conn.-raised jazz-rock singer Sammy Rae brings her Friends to the Sinclair this weekend". The Boston Globe.
  3. ^ Bastian, Annie (November 16, 2020). "Artist of the Month: Sammy Rae". Ball State University.
  4. ^ Shaffer, Delaney (October 12, 2021). "Sammy Rae & The Friends set to perform at Westcott Theater with Sarah Gross". The Daily Orange.
  5. ^ Reavis, Lily (February 14, 2020). "Sammy Rae talks origins, influences and the Friends, announces upcoming performance at Mount Holyoke". Mount Holyoke College.
  6. ^ a b Sanci, Elissa (November 23, 2016). "Sammy Rae Doesn't Sugar-Coat Anything: The Not-So-Sweet Reality of Independent Artists". Medium.
  7. ^ a b c Schlansky, Evan (September 29, 2023). "Derby-Native Sammy Rae to Play Sound on Sound Music Festival Saturday". CT Examiner.
  8. ^ Amarante, Joe (August 28, 2019). "Derby-raised Sammy Rae brings The Friends to Space Ballroom Sept. 5". Connecticut Post.
  9. ^ a b Pollauf, Colette (April 9, 2022). "More than a band: Sammy Rae & The Friends creates community for queer youth". The Huntington News.
  10. ^ Cope, Oliver (March 7, 2022). "Sammy Rae Sits Down With The Argus and Talks The Friends, Lyrical Inspiration, and Female Empowerment". The Wesleyan Argus.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Doyle, Céilí (March 17, 2022). "Why Sammy Rae & The Friends is the perfect band for the pandemic era". The Columbus Dispatch.
  12. ^ Walthall, Catherine (April 16, 2022). "Sammy Rae & The Friends: We're Throwing a Party & You're Invited". American Songwriter.
  13. ^ GENSLER, ANDY (March 9, 2022). "How Sammy Rae & The Friends Have Fans Following Them To The Moon: Rae Co-Manager Doug Shaw & Paladin Artists' Seth Rappaport Break It Down". Pollstar.
  14. ^ WEATHERBY, TAYLOR (October 19, 2022). "ReImagined At Home: Sammy Rae Scats Through A Bouncy Rendition Of Billy Joel's "The River Of Dreams"". Grammy Awards.
  15. ^ Lichty, Emily (October 8, 2023). "Concert meets camp at Sammy Rae & The Friends' 'Camp: The Tour'". The Daily Northwestern.
  16. ^ a b McColl, Molly (September 18, 2023). "Sammy Rae talks tour, trees and trust ahead of Boston show". WGBH-TV.
  17. ^ MILANO, BRETT (October 16, 2022). "Sammy Rae & The Friends ready to change the world". Boston Herald.
  18. ^ Watson, Rob (November 11, 2022). "Sammy Rae & The Friends bring musical effervescence to LA". Los Angeles Blade.
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