I’ve been thinking about music and its place in the world. I’ve been thinking about artistic space and our willingness to occupy it. And I’ve been thinking, again, about success, what it means and to whom I ask for validation of it. These aren’t new thoughts exactly, but they are thoughts I have taken greater root this new year.

It feels important to say out loud that I am not competing with or against any other musician for your attention. I refuse to submerge my artistic practice in the barren, cold waters of marketing speak. Branding is for cows. And while of course I want to grow my audience, to reach further and farther, to travel and make new connections through my songs, what is meaningful to me is the depth more than the breadth. 

Experience and practice, the love of those this music has reached, the support of other musicians, have gifted me a perspective that brooks less doubt about the value of what I do these days. This is a kind of success. Thank you to everyone who nourishes me. 

My work for this year, hand in hand with the exciting and messy business of releasing a new album, is to more deeply embrace gratitude and practice some radical acceptance; to take a look around and realise this may be as good as it gets, and know that it is enough. The work continues. 

My new album 'To Everything a Season' is out on 11 October. 

Big love

The Magic Lantern / Jamie x 

"Excellent, intriguing and compelling, a man to watch"
-The Guardian

"Something very, very special"
- Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music

"Gorgeous, beautiful, this stopped me in my tracks. Slightly surreal, in all the right ways" - Jamie Cullum, BBC Radio 2

"Every now and again you come across a piece of music that will completely take your breath away. It might not be instant, but it will. The Magic Lantern’s ‘Holding Hands’ is one of those pieces of music. 8/10"
- Fortitude Magazine

"Creating something truly mesmerizing and incredibly unique. Jamie’s ability to combine jazz and folk into something ethereal and is undeniably spellbinding. Fans of Grizzly Bear and Chet Baker will feel at home here."
- The Vinyl District



www.the-magic-lantern.co.uk
Contact: jamiefdoe@yahoo.com

The Lyric Feature is RTÉ lyric fm's weekly documentary and music feature programme. Programmes are produced in house by Lyric fm staff or in collaboration with independent production companies. Subject matter varies from week to week but most of the programmes aim to provide insight into music and music making. 

This is a new community of song-collecting enthusiasts who strive to empower a new generation of collection and distribution of old, orally-transmitted song and wider culture.

Despite wide assumption that all the traditional singers have long passed away and no more culture is passed on through the oral tradition, there is in fact a wealth of song held by those unknown by the wider traditional music community. 


Pre-order Sam's forthcoming album here: https://slee.lnk.to/songdreaming
Released March 15th 2024
Tickets for my UK tour in March/April 2024 here: https://www.samleesong.co.uk/live

Welcome to SHED HEAD, a podcast series with Mac Macartney. Grab a cup of tea and join Mac in his shed to talk about the magic of a life well lived, stories of the past and the embers of a hopeful future.

Mac is an international speaker, writer and change-maker. Mentored by indigenous people over many years, he has acquired profound and original insights into questions preoccupying many contemporary leaders. Mac seeks to inspire the emergence of the leader in each of us, the leader who will take courageous action for a better world.

This is a collection of some of my concert music. See links below for more more more more more more more more more more more more more.

Please feel free to get in touch: peterabwilson@icloud.com

Sam Lee is following