Sam Winston has achieved what so many aspiring musically-gifted young people dream about – he has just released his debut solo album, The Fire & The Icicle.

Sam has written and arranged all 10 of the songs, sung the lead vocals and most of the harmonies, played all but a few of the instruments and spent countless hours producing the tracks in his home studio.

For Sam its release marks the end of a life chapter and the beginning of another. What he leaves behind is the four-year period it took him to piece the work together.

Sam, 26, from Sidcup, used to be a cover teacher at Blackfen Girls’ Secondary School, a job he found both interesting and challenging. He came to a realisation though that the job did not give him the time needed to pursue his own ambitions.

Last summer he left the post to give private music lessons, both at Blackfen and at St. Paul’s Primary School in Swanley Village, as well as in his local area. Sam's students currently range from the age of 4 to 70.

Recently he has also started teaching adults with learning disabilities in Charlton, Abbey Wood and Eltham, helping them build up their musical confidence and self-esteem. He does singing and warm-up sessions with them, creating simple songs. The work is organised through the Shooters Hill School of Arts and is funded by Greenwich Council.

Regarding his change from full-time teaching, Sam, whose parents live in Eltham,  says: "I'm in a happier, more flexible place now which is much the reason why I've been able to finish the songs for my album over recent months."

A key element of The Fire & The Icicle is that it features a wide variety of instruments. There are the more expected choices of a singer-songwriter: piano, acoustic guitar; but also more unusual instruments like a Celtic harp, a Victorian dulcitone, mandolins, even his uncle's 100 year old accordion.

Though not featured on the album, Sam’s favourite instrument is now his new hand-made electro-acoustic guitar, produced by Mark Bailey of Bailey Guitars in Ayr, Scotland. The instrument was made using 100% renewable energy, which reflects Sam's own Green ethics.

Sam describes the album as being in the genre of 'Independent Folk Pop'. While some lyrics relate to an intimate relationship with someone from Sam’s past, all have a personal resonance with him.

One track, Stand & Fight, focuses on the 2011 London riots. Sam suggests in the song that instead of violence "we'll use words and we'll use heart to rebuild what they tore apart".

The title The Fire & The Icicle is taken from the most personal of the 10 songs. It evokes the contrast between light and dark which is a theme running through the entire album. Even the artwork features a lantern, illustrating the power of hope in the dark.

All the artwork was hand-drawn by German artist Christian Brix and his Dresden-based company KIDS Artworks. Whilst the recording and editing were undertaken by Sam at his Bexley studio, mixing was completed by Chris Brown, former head engineer at Abbey Road Studios. The album was then mastered by Geoff Pesche at the same location.

Before Christmas, Sam headlined a charity concert at the Moulton Theatre in Northampton to raise awareness and money for Alzheimer's Research. In the coming months, he has a variety of charity gigs lined up as well as the album launch itself. 

He has performed in aid of the Demelza Hospice in Eltham. He is also in the process of arranging more musical events for Young Minds, a charity which deals with mental health issues in children and young people.

The Fire & The Icicle was released on April 15 on iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp and other digital platforms, and as a limited run of special edition physical copies.

Sam hopes the album will prove popular with listeners and says: "I simply want it to build its own audience and gain momentum and hope that those who are kind enough to listen to the songs enjoy them."

Go to samwinstonmusic.com

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