Sam Lee

Sam Lee burst onto the music scene in 2012 with his aptly named debut album, ‘Ground of its Own’. This startlingly original work garnered instant acclaim, an Album of the Year nomination from the prestigious Mercury Music Prize, 3 x BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominations and was awarded fRoots Magazine Album of the Year. The recording was a musical manifesto, reflecting the unusual artistic journey Sam has taken so far.

Now in his early 30s, singing was relatively new to Sam until his first encounter with folk song nearly 10 years ago. This discovery of a new world, and a naturally gifted voice, compelled him to abandon his
work as a trained visual artist, teacher of wilderness survival, and part-time burlesque dancer to embark on a journey into the old songs of The British Isles. London born and bred, Samʼs musical training came via a unique four year apprenticeship
under the legendary, late Scottish Traveller Stanley Robertson – last of the great ballad singers. Sam became the musical Ê»next of kinʼ to Stanleyʼs vast repertoire of songs and an ancient, idiosyncratic Traveller
singing craft. Sam has also spent time researching and documenting the music and stories of the Romany Gypsy and Irish Traveller communities.

Sam Lee’s impact on the music scene began several years before his emergence as a singer in his role as an award-winning promoter and live events producer. Under the banner of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Club of the Year, ‘The Magpie’s Nest’ (now ‘The Nest Collective’), Sam and his team played a key role in the resurgence of the current thriving live folk music scene and most crucially, fired up interest in traditional music amongst younger performers and audiences. The Nest Collective continues to be behind many innovative concerts in London and on festival stages throughout the UK.