Following the release of Sam’s highly acclaimed solo album Escape That in 2022, and after touring it to 33,000 people as well as supporting Bellowhead on their reunion tour, Sam released the second in a series of EPs titled Shapes. Shapes is a duo collaboration with Sam’s touring electric guitarist, Louis Campbell.

Sam is a veteran of Bellowhead and has worked with The Full English, Eliza Carthy, Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings, Fay Hield & The Hurricane Party, Emily Portman, Martin Carthy and more.

Louis, “a talent to watch” (Sunday Times), joined Sam’s band aged 19, while still studying at the Royal Northern College of Music under Martin Simpson, Stuart McCallum and Craig Ogden. His duo with fiddle player Owen Spafford released their debut album in 2022, receiving 4 and 5 star reviews from Songlines and RnR magazines and national airplay on BBC Radio 2, 3 and Scotland as well as RTE1.

Shapes was recorded on May 11th 2022 with long-time collaborator Andy Bell at St Martin's church in Stoney Middleton in the Peak District. The music is the result of two days. It was written at Sam’s house on April 14th 2022, expanding on a composing method Sam had previously explored on his 2020 album Unearth Repeat. Using 18th century manuscripts and collections as a springboard, the rough melodic shapes of traditional tunes were followed while ignoring the exact notes, time and key signatures and rhythms. Arrangements were left raw, leaving room to explore while recording in the glorious acoustic of the church’s octagonal nave.