Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Sam Ryder (Part Two)

Episode Date: October 23, 2025

In part two of Emily and Ray’s walk with the brilliant Sam Ryder, the singer continues to share his warm, funny and heartfelt reflections on life, music and the whirlwind of recent years.If you haven’t already, catch up on part one, and don’t miss Sam’s stunning new album Heartland, a beautifully personal and intimate record that showcases his incredible voice and songwriting. You can also see him live at his forthcoming Wembley Arena show.Head to Sam's website for tickets and to listen to Heartland.Follow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Will NicholsMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part 2 of Walking the Dog with the very wonderful Sam Ryder. Do go back and listen to Part 1 if you haven't already and do make sure to listen to Sam's brilliant new album, Heartland, because it's such a beautifully personal and intimate journey he takes you on. I cannot recommend it enough. And you can also catch Sam at his forthcoming gig at Wembley Arena. Do book your tickets now, and for more info, go to sam-h-rider.com. Also, do give us a like and a follow so you can catch us.

every week. Here's Sam and his new best friend, Ray Ray. I want to get onto your brilliant album, but before we do, we're going to touch very briefly on Eurovision, because that's not who you are, and it's not your identity, but it was

a moment in your life and in all of our lives. Yeah, it was an era, as people would sort of like say now. Yeah. That's kind of like... He said slow, Sam, look at him. He's just chilling, honey, through the buttercups. You're not very stressy though, are you?

No, I can't, I can be. Are you impatient? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But not around other people. Only the, like, low, I can be. Yeah, lowest gets the worst. Isn't that the truth, right?

The people you love most get the worst to you. Are you quite, so is it time or just we need to get things done? I think I'm quite like. And to the pants? Yeah, don't ever stop fidgetting and moving and stuff like that, which can come across as impatience. But not really like today. I've got nothing to.

be impatient about whatsoever. And yeah, it's just a lovely day. So we should say what obviously got you to Eurovision in some ways was you had this, you built up this huge following over TikTok. And during COVID, and your videos, you know, looking back at those now, I think why they particularly touch people at that time was because of their simplicity and authenticity. and that thing you were saying earlier, isn't it funny that you can imagine with something like that, you could start overthinking it

and thinking, oh, well, this is too stripped back, I've only got a grey T-shirt. Is there a stain on it? What's the background like? It felt like you didn't give a shit and you thought, you know what? This is just me singing. Yeah, I remember making those

and when I spoke earlier about 25 being the sort of the event horizon of making it. I had just turned 30 at that point. I think I was approaching 31 rapidly. And I remember thinking to myself, obviously I'm not going to give up music because I've got this amazing group of friends

that I play weddings with. We've been doing it for eight years and we have so much fun. But every now and then I'd do a gig of my own music on the side. But I was making peace with the fact that that would be the dynamic of my life. life. Right. And I wasn't sad at that. I didn't, I still, I had a very lovely situation. I was blessed to have my own house with my partner, um, have freedom of time. Isn't that? That's mad.

Like, I could go to the cinema on a Monday and just chill. And like, I had no, I had a lot of freedom from concern, really. The only concern there was, was that I had this dream and I thought I was going to make it reality, but it was looking like it wasn't. Right. I just have to to see what life looked like beyond that and make peace with it. And then lockdown happened. And I just thought, well, I'm just going to sing.

Just to keep singing. And my friend had told me you should share some videos on the app on TikTok. And I was thinking, I don't really think it's my sort of like place, everyone just dancing and stuff like that. I didn't really feel that I fitted into it.

Trying to be cool. Yeah, yeah. I scrolled on it for a while. I found this little. subculture of singers who blew my mind. It was so good. And a lot of them have actually gone on to have big careers now, which is really cool. So I was kind of the class of those people. And I thought, you know what, if they're doing it, I'd fancy just joining in. And it wasn't for any other reason apart from just to join in. Because those videos weren't really getting a lot of views or anything

at that point, because TikTok was primarily for dancing and stuff like that. But I just just thought, they just inspired me and I was like, they can do it. I can do something. I reckon they'll, whoever made that video will see mine and they'll like it because you kind of singers real, like you get an idea for what other singers would like to hear and stuff. Did you feel nervous when you put the first video up? I've nothing to lose. Like, it was just fun. I didn't think anyone was going to see it because if anything, any evidence from my time on social media in the past is that nothing had ever worked when I tried to do something. So I was just like, this is just going to be for fun

and this is my life now. When lockdown finishes, I'll get back to weddings and that's it. Got a pretty good life, blessed, healthy. And then that didn't happen. No, it didn't. Because people like Alicia Keys and Justin Bieber came across your clips. Yeah, and Sierra and all sorts of people.

It's crazy. And then life just changed rapidly. And that's what I'm saying about the infinite reality is going on and the way to tune into them, the one that you want to be living is putting up as minimal resistance and pressure on the outcome as possible.

So if I'm sitting here thinking I must get I don't know I must make it in my pursuit of being a musician and have a career and be a big well-known artist around the world you keep on almost saying that this is the key to

how people get manifestation wrong I think in my opinion you think you need to keep repeating that to yourself and striving and putting pressure. But that pressure creates impatience and I know a lot about that. You know about that, Sam. Well, don't you think also?

You need to be just chill and put the intention out there and then be like letting go of the... And I'm saying this to help me as well, by the way. Position heal myself. Exactly. So if I say it, I'll then act it. It's also Sam that I think sometimes... You know you were saying just now about thinking

when you felt gratitude, when you thought it's a Monday I'm going to the cinema. I feel, you're right, because you can say, I want to be doing this, they're doing this. You know, comparison is the thief of joy and all this. And actually, I think, I honestly felt that this morning and I forced myself to do this. Like, I get in the car, I'm driving here,

and I think, it's a Tuesday morning. It's half nine, I'm in the car. I'm driving out to the country to see Sam Ryder and go for a walk with my dog. Poor you. But you know what you mean? When you put that in perspective, if you'd have said to me, I wouldn't have known you then, but the concept of you, I still would have fallen in love with.

So if you'd have said to me when I was like 12, this will be a day's work. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'd think, oh, where do I sign? Mate, I immediately take myself, in moments like that, take myself back to when I'd work in the joinery shop in winter when it was freezing cold. Like, you'd have to go up there in so many different layers. You had thermals on steel toes, jeans. then like a massive fluorescent sight jacket, everything possible to keep you warm

and you'd still be freezing at your desk, sanding doors, breathing in mahogany dust all day. And I'm just like, yeah, this is pretty all right, actually. And like, but I've got so much respect for people that do it now. And also singers that are on that wedding circuit that I know so well, because they're so good. And a lot of times, you know, singers on that circuit, They could sing a lot of people that have careers in, like, in the music industry into a dustbin.

They've got such stamina and such... It's funny, you should say that, Sam, because this brings us neatly on, before we get onto your brilliant album, Heartland, this brings us onto Eurovision, because what I was aware of and what I've always taken away from that performance, because we all felt it as a nation, God knows what you were thinking, but we were sitting there. I can remember that feeling so vividly. Yeah, same. It was a big, well, same. Slam.

But you know what? It was for us, and you've probably been told this so many times, there's been nothing quite like that. Even, you know, I'm not old, didn't you? But in my lifetime where I thought, I remember so vividly sitting there. And it was that same feeling of, you know, making food for Ray, thinking, oh, God, bloody Eurovision. Yeah.

And then you came on, and I honestly remember thinking, oh my God, he's fucking brilliant. And it was like watching England and the first touch of the ball thinking, oh my God, they're playing like champions. What the hell is going on here? The excitement that we all felt collectively. Well, I felt that too.

Did you? I'm not good at football. I tried. I blessed my daddy. He tried getting me into it. Well, Keith would have loved you to have been good at it. Yeah, yeah. But I was like, I'd spend time like chasing butterflies on the pitch,

which is actually mental. But anyway, yes, I was on the B team. but yeah but it felt like the closest thing to wearing a shirt for your country and I loved it I felt so honored and what was so cool is I remember the spot I was in in my house in my bedroom upstairs when I was kind of I think I was just like I don't know cleaning the house soon as I'm hoovering or something but I remember the spot where I was like I'm at peace with the fact I'm probably going to lose doing this but I don't care because someone's got to go in and lose with style if we're going to lose and lose with grace

because you don't, just because you're losing doesn't mean you've lost, in my opinion. And you meant, why did you think we were going to lose because of the political? No, no, because I actually don't fully agree with the political kind of like script that people throw around. I don't think it's as simple as that. there's obviously like heightened

emotions around different countries at different times of course there is not going to deny that it'd be silly too but it's not everything no

I think that it's almost like you ruined it for us because we can't say that anymore the thing is right I went into it is it was a form of me showing it respect because we'd have such bad luck in the past.

We'd also had such luck in the past. We've done, on our record, we're one of the better sort of countries in terms of where we've come on the score sheet. Yeah, if you look back. My godmother came second in the Eurovision song crisis. Really? Yeah. She was, you should Google her. You'd love her, Sam.

You should have a, silver medal party. She was called Lindsay DePaul. You'd have loved her. She was very, he's no longer with her, sadly. But yeah, I love that snap. There's not many people you can say. Yeah, that's pretty cool. It's a good snap.

That's officially the first person that's ever said that to me when I said my godmother came second and he had on content. There's not many people who can say it. Did you realise when you were standing on stage? Oh, okay. Because we could all sense, you know, even at home,

we could sense it? Could you feel it? Yeah, yeah. I stayed away from everything online. I didn't use my phone. I didn't go on the internet. I didn't go on social media for months. I was just, I didn't talk unless I was singing or warming up.

I treated it like an athlete. And every single bit of respect and responsibility I could show it. I showed it. It showed. I remember everyone coming, like wanting, like flying over to Turin, wanting to hang out. And they found out very quickly how boring hanging out with me was. But they now, like when we talk, like people in like Scott, Ryland or. or Graham, anyone involved, like in that side,

they all see what it was doing and they appreciate it. It was at one time I've heard Graham Norton really struggle to contain his emotions. But you could hear him. I thought he was going to break down in tears. He was so happy. But it was a great thing you gifted us, Sam. So thank you for that. Mate, thanks for being so kind about it.

I loved it. I felt like it's just amazing memory walking. I remember like storming out with my uncle's flag who'd passed away his union jack from the army and just like having it in my arms and just running and I've got a picture of that and it's just so amazing to me it really made me cry seeing all the footage of like children like getting excited become very magic to like to so many people so I'm very protective of the song too there's been like times where people have wanted to um do versions of it that take it into a place so in my opinion it doesn't keep that magic anymore well i hope you're

approved of my use when i interviewed tim pique i did have to use your song no i mean like people changing changing vocals and stuff like that you i think with songs as a writer i believe you're almost like a custodian of songs so you because they they don't really they come from you to a certain degree but at the same time if you've ever written a song you know that it's a bit weird where it comes from yeah just sort of hands up. So in that way it's like you can't claim total ownership. You're kind of a... And you wrote that song in about 10 minutes. Yeah. Yeah. So tell me like how could I, like, I wouldn't have had that idea. Why did that idea just materialize in 10 minutes? It just arrived. And so yeah, you've got to be very, uh, like they're sacred, I think,

songs like that. I do as well. Yeah. Well, that's all used to me. Well, what you did that night And I'm going to sum this up by telling you, using a football analogy again, I'm afraid. In footballing, they call it playing the game, not the occasion. Yeah. So you don't let, you see really experienced footballers, you know, where they're so composed and controlled, even in a World Cup final, they don't let their emotions get the better, and they don't choke. And that's, I feel, watching you, I realize that's where all those weddings and all those years doing those pubs and all the nose. all the failures, all the unanswered emails,

all the sort of like maybes and nemesis and close calls that didn't ever happen. And that also that kind of angst that was underneath that 32-year-old skin kind of came up. Because I remember marching out on that stage like a lion. I was like, I'm going to, there's no chance I'm failing at this. I might come last, but I'm not going to fail.

And because you walk out and you look down a lens and you know that on the other side of that lens is 180 million people. So if you let that get in your head, you're not playing the game, you're playing in the motion. Yeah, yeah, which is a lovely analogy, by the way. Yeah, I've never heard that. You should, yeah, it's a good, it reminds me.

And I could use reminding that. I say it to myself a lot, like play the game, not the occasion. Not that I'm ever performing to 180 million. We all have our situations like that. Yeah. Like, for me, that would be Wembley. Like, don't play, like, of course, enjoy the fashion. We should say, this is a good opportunity to say, Sam is going to be at Wembley on, is it

remember the six? Which is so excited. I'm going to have to come and sneak Ray and don't tell security. But something like that is, and it couldn't be more appropriate because it's Wembley, play the game, not the occasion, Sam. Say that to yourself on the night. Yeah, play the occasion on the last bar of the last song. That's when you let it get to you. You know? Yeah. I want to talk about, because you'll hopefully be performing some bits from your new album at Wembley. Nat, your publisher, sent me your album, Heartland.

And it is honestly true because I said this at the time. I absolutely loved it. The minute I heard it, I've been playing it pretty constantly. Legend. I had Better Man on this morning. That's Ray's favourite song. Yeah, I bet, I bet. That almost didn't make it on the record, you know, that one. Stop.

I know. I was, I... It's always the way, though, isn't it? Yeah, recording the vocal for it. It was doing my head in so much. I couldn't get it the way I wanted it to sound. It's really four goes.

I've never taken that long to get a vocal on a song ever. But I was procrastinating and, I don't know, just getting in my head about that song because it felt too... I was worried it felt too obvious in a way. Really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But every single person that talks to me,

about the album they love that's the song that they love isn't that it's always a way in my own way there well this album i mean i loved your last album but this feels very different to me yes yes in a good way and i know you've we should say you parted company with your record label just because i get the sense that you really wanted to do things your own way and have in creative control over Yeah, it wasn't even particularly that I didn't have creative control. Back then, I just felt like I could see where the culture of that institution was going. And I loved being on Parlophone records. I thought everyone that was on that team, Nat included, Nat was on our team at Parlophone.

And there was some amazing people that worked on that first album, on everything. So all those sort of successes, all those things that came before, Eurovision and after Eurovision like getting the album to number one, getting like a sold out UK Europe tour, selling out Hammersmith Apollo, two Brit nominations, Emmy nominaries. All those things, they were like collaborative efforts from myself and the label

and all the team. So they were amazing. They're incredible. But what I didn't like is that overnight a lot of those people kind of received a phone call that their services wouldn't be needed at the label anymore because there's always levels higher up

that you cannot control. And I remember naively thinking that if we can achieve all these things, all these goals, like the nominations, the number ones and stuff like that, then our team would be safe. And it wasn't the case because there's always just something going on that you can't control. Maybe some entity of that label system isn't earning as much money somewhere else in the world and they've got to make cuts somewhere else to fix it and that's kind of the

case so um i remember being in that situation and seeing essentially all these people that i owed so much to being cast aside but also being invited to stay i'm like well what am i staying for i'm staying in like a shell of a house where all my favorite furniture's gone that's an awful analogy because people aren't furniture but it's all the things that um You know, who wants to stay when all your friends have left? Some people would have. Yeah, but I could see it in the eyes of the person asking me to stay. Most, like, I don't know, I think a lot of people would have, Sam.

I think that shows you in an extraordinary light. I think in that meeting, when I sort of looked in the eyes of the people that were kind of asking us to stay, I could see panic and chaos because they've seen that this is only the beginning. And that this is where it's going to. Essentially, that if you think that now that those cuts have been made, everyone's safe, you've got another thing coming. And of course that's the case. I found out the other day a load of people have been let go from different systems and different labels around.

And then you realise you have to look at Christmas future. And you think, well, what if my album's not really hitting quite those numbers? I'll tell you what. Is that me? Yeah, you can fail at something. but if you fail and you've made a wrong decision, that's worse. Whereas if you know you've made all the right decisions and something doesn't go your way, that's life at that point.

You know, you can't control everything. But I don't want to be an artist that gets inherited rather than chosen and championed for by people that really care. So a lot of people that used to work for Parlophone then we now work with on an independent basis because all of a sudden, guess what, they're all available. Yeah. You know, so. And you have, and this is your, so you're releasing Heartland independently.

Well, on an independent label. On an independent label, yeah. No, I don't mean it's like, you're not like. It's people that used to work. Exactly. And it really does sort of show, I think, in this album. Because a weird thing happened. I was telling that your publicist.

And I said, do you think Sam would be offended if I said this to him? And she said, well, it wasn't offended, but I just said, do you think it'll be all right? Because, you know, I know artists can be sensitive about comparisons. And I said, do you know, listening to Sam's album, it evoked similar feelings in me to when I used to listen to my mum's Billy Joel albums. Wow, it's my favourite. Well, and then, and I said it's just the raw power of that voice with this vulnerability

and the songwriting ability. And she went, no, no, I think he'll like that. You walked out wearing a t-shirt saying, Yeah, my only Billy Joel Tehirt. I very nearly didn't wear today actually. So I've done the right thing, haven't I? Absolutely, you have.

He's my favourite. Really? He's one of my favourite songwriters that's ever existed. Absolutely. So, the album Heartland, which I've already compared to Billy Joel, I think it's to do with your vulnerability

that comes across to me. And I hope that's an all right word to use. Yeah, yeah, no, totally. It feels like we're getting to see very an emotionally intimate side of you, I feel, with this. Well, I went through a lot of, I guess, a lot of emotional challenges making this album. I lost loads of self-confidence along the way. And it's like a year, over a year-long process of making it.

And, you know, it's all really empowering when you leave a label system that has been so crucial to your success and stuff like that. It's really empowering when you leave it. and you know you're leaving it for the right reasons. And, you know, you put the video up and you put the announcements out that you're leaving and everyone rallies behind you. And it feels really empowering in that moment. When the empowering feeling goes, it's about two weeks or a month later, when it's quiet.

And you've actually got to get the work done. Yeah. And you don't have that big sort of corporation. Yeah. And let me tell you, that machine stops churning the day, the day that you leave. and yeah and then you start trying you know to do things and um and create work and get into rooms and studios and you you have a fraction of the resources that you once had and that can play with your mind as well because a lot of us accidentally hello saying hello just a gentleman

on the farm we accidentally tie our self-worth and validation up into what mountains can be moved for us by the people that we work with. And when you've got to push every single one of those mountains yourself, it takes you back to, you regress essentially in terms of, well, hang on, this feels a lot like what I used to do. Yeah. And what I used to do didn't ever get me anywhere. Because, or at least that's what it feels like,

that's what your, those kind of inner voices that are always trying to trip you up, say to you, you know, you're like, well, all those years I was struggling and I couldn't make it and everything, every road seemed blocked and every path seemed like there was a broken bridge to the next bit. Like, that's how it feels now. So how am I going to make this work, you know? And that can really affect your sense of worth and value and well-being and it sucks all that confidence away. So, So all that delusion I was talking about earlier has completely run dry by this point. You know, you're on fumes. And there's times where you think, like, what's the point in doing this?

Is anyone going to hear it? Well, this is your new album. Yeah. And also, yeah, because it's sort of you're in charge, in a sense, much more. Yeah. And so the good thing is that you almost haven't got people saying it's got to be this, it's got to be this. But that's also the difficult thing, you know. Yeah, because you don't feel like you've got the cavalry behind you.

There is no cavalry. And if the album comes out and it's not right or you're not, you can't say, oh, well, it wasn't really the album I wanted to make. Yeah, exactly. Well, fortunately. It's all on you. There's a lot of pressure and I could really, I could feel that. And I think I was just going through like a shift.

And, you know, your cycle is growth as a human being as well. I was starting to realize that, you know, my parents are getting older. My grandfather's getting old. and that this golden age of my life isn't going to last forever and I became really emotional at that fall like any time I'd go home, everything was changing like silly things like new roads and roundabouts but in new buildings just making you feel very, very much

like further and further away from this recognisable point of your childhood. Sam, don't you have that as a real, I call it a melancholy Yeah. When you go back to where you grew up and the shop closed down or something that you used to go to. And it's that awful passing of time. Yeah, I'm really easy to get with that. Are you? Yeah, it's definitely Achilles Hill of mine.

I don't know if it's Achilles Hill. I think it means you're empathetic and sensitive. Yeah. Yeah, no, I can see that. No, no, no, I am because I do like feeling like that. I think it helps. with being kind to people when you feel those things, but you can also be in danger of always making up stories in your mind that aren't necessarily true. And there is a power in,

yeah, probably good. Can you hear that noise? I should say, we've heard there's a Doberman on the farm where Sam's rehearsal spaces in Sussex and I think the lady we saw who might have worked worked on the farm. What were her exact words, Sam? She said, breakfast. You're having for breakfast. Hello, Doberman. Oh, good. He's massive, isn't he?

Oh, he's a big boy. All right, darling. And do you know what, he's odd? He's barking at the window rather like a grumpy old man. I thought he's a man in a Doberman mask. I mean, how do you know it isn't? Yeah, maybe. So, yeah.

For me, this album is for anyone who feels like they've been on that journey and lost a bit of their confidence along the way and to be a little bit kinder to yourself because you always have these voices in your mind that kind of trip you up and tell you that you know you're not doing as good as you should be and comparison being the FIFA joy like you said yeah but it's it's for those people that feel that and just to remember that although that voice sort of disguises itself in your voice you think it's you talking to yourself but it's not It's, um, it's just, you can't let that darkness in, I don't think. You've got to, you've got to just keep on going. But except that also life has those little seasons of being, um, you know,

easier to navigate. And then it can, it can get tough and, uh, make you second guess yourself. And I think we all have that in common. We're all kind of in this stage of online fatigue. as well. So you have it sometimes. 100%. Yeah. The amount of musicians I meet that like kind of wish they weren't chained to having to operate in these two spheres, especially now that that online landscape is so botified.

You know, they reckon in a few years' time that human sort of engagement online will be the minority compared to bots, bot accounts and stuff like. that. So it just becomes a little bit, you know, we, we used it as a tool to connect, but now every time you try and connect with people, comic sections just flooded with bots and yeah. Do you need a hand, mate? Oh, don't. Firstly, I want to tell everyone to buy Heartland because it, honestly, it left me with a very happy heart. Thank you. That's the intention of it. Get out of your mind and and into the heartland a bit more because you, I feel like... I felt in the heartland. I felt

empowered as well. Yeah, your mind gets in the way of your true expression, I think, most of the time. We always like, but tell me, try and procrastinate and think and control and curate our lives, that's when boundaries go up and when you can, scary, but if you can knock them down, but you have everything really that you need for life to just weave its own magic. You just let go and trust. It's very difficult. It's easier said than done. And I've accomplished it many times in my life and I've failed at it. many times. And in the last year and a half, I'd say that I failed at it. But I think making this work and putting it out and having conversations like this with you, it's really helped me to,

I don't know, pass the message on, because I know I'm not on my own feeling out. I know everyone does. Yeah. So that's what I want the album to speak to for people. I want to, before I let you go, I have to ask you briefly about Lois. Yes. Because Lois has been by your side for, is it 14 years now? And what's key about this is she was there, no offence, but when you were the wedding singer, singing the greatest love of all. Mate, I remember being with Lois, where I had nothing in my account and we'd, our holidays would bring a tent down to Cornwall and we'd sleep in a campsite and we didn't even have enough money to go out for drinks.

So what we'd do is get a tiny little hip flask of gin, like a little bottle of Gordons, go to Padstow. And you know, if you sit on the harbour, there. I can't even remember the name of the pub that's right on the harbour, but we'd, uh, she'd go in, get two little, um, glasses of tonic water and then she'd bring them out. We'd sit on the harbour wall, I'd chuck the gin and, and we're just, yeah, and then we'd walk back to our tent later in the evening, but like going out for a mill was a big deal. Like, I remember that. It was really, that you'd, you'd pick, if we were away for a few days, you'd pick the one night, right, we'll

spend our money and we'd go and get like, this is back before I was, uh, uh, you'd, uh, you'd pick, you'd pick, I, well, yeah, I'd have like spaghetti or something in this really, for us, it was like a really nice restaurant. But like it's just normal, nice restaurant, you know? But yeah, like that's how it looked like at the beginning. And then there's been times where she'd have no money and I'd help her. And she's a jewellery designer, isn't she? But she also works on the project. She's creative director.

She makes most of the outfits. She makes a lot of your clothes. And everyone fell in love with that famous, jumper with the flowers on it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was one of her creations. What would she say, I can tell she's good people

because of you. What would Lois say was your biggest floor? Patience, 100%. Yeah. Not enough. Yeah, patience and comparison and always think, like, when will it be enough?

You know? She always jokes about the song, More, that I wrote. Because I wrote it from, such an honest place but like when and like I said life can be seasons you can feel connected and and in the right intention for something but then when you're impatient something pure like that like I'm saying I want more time more life more feeling and and basically like all of us who want more of the the good pure things in life that money can't buy and it turns into when I'm not in

the right frame of mind and not coming from the right intention it's like I just want more I want more more ambition, more results, more success. And that is like a destructive route to be taken. And like I said, I'm not going to be too hard on myself because everyone does that. There's not one person alive that hasn't been through a phase of wanting more, you know, and maybe more of the wrong things that don't actually serve them, that they think they do, that they think does serve them. But yeah, that would be. a quality that I need to work on for sure. Well, whatever you're doing, keep doing it.

What I like about walking the Samrider is that... It's a meander. Yeah, I feel... You said you're impatient and you've focused on this quality, this is your flaw. But I'm a bit worried that you don't have any flaws because you're very patient. But the thing is, I... there's a no one's one version of themselves

so when I'm on my own if I was walking you'd think honestly that I was marching to war like it's crazy because I make it a game I think how far like how

how far and how fast can I walk like I truly think I could walk to Scotland right now that's how I'm not even joking that's how my brain was like I know I could do it. If I had to, I'd do it.

The proclaim is so strong about that. Yeah, yeah, they did, yeah. Do you know, I knew I was going to like you, but I didn't know how lovely you'd be. And I know you sometimes worry about that, because I've heard you talk about this saying, lovely has become sort of your brand. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

You want to be careful not to turn that into a currency. Yeah, only because I don't believe it to be, I know it's not totally true. There's plenty of times I'm a pain in the ass. And Lois will tell you. But I don't want lovely to be misconstrued. Like, for me, it's just good manners. Like, what makes someone, even a point to even worth worth mentioning

if someone's got good, that should just be the norm. Yeah. But I know that, and having had enough experience in the short time I've been in this industry, I know it's not the case. where a lot of people are me, they're like, they can be quite cold or, yeah, not really having that gratitude or those manners. So if that means people say that, then I'm very grateful for it. But for me, it's just basic manners, I think. Well, do you know, I think your parents did a really good job.

They did. No fizzy drinks, that's why I probably. No Sky TV. No fizzy drinks. Could be some truth in that. I only had film four and the terrestrial channel. Sam Ryder, Bray and I have absolutely loved meeting you. Have you enjoyed it?

May. I've really enjoyed. Have you? Thanks so much. Yeah. Thanks for coming down. And thanks for being so flexible with dates and where we were going to do this really means a lot. Because I know it wasn't super easy. But it's just because we're rehearsing.

Quite a lot on at the moment. You've got Wembley Arena coming up soon. And your album, which I should say again, I genuinely, absolutely laughed. I put it straight on when I got it and I was singing along in the bath. Quite a sight to behold.

And it just, it's brilliant and it feels so you. I can't explain. It just feels like this is the sound, this is who you are and this is the music you should have always been making and you are and I'm so pleased for you. We love you, Sam.

It's been so lovely. I really mean it. It's been such a lovely chat. I've so enjoyed it. And have you like, do you like Ray? Oh, he's such a legend. Has it made you and Louis want to get a dog maybe? Yeah, one day it will happen. When I'm old and I'm surfing and we've got a place

I could just run out the front door and get on the beach. I'll have a little dog just waiting on the sand. Well, you say goodbye to Ray. You can sing goodbye. Goodbye, my lover. A bit weird, son. I really hope you enjoyed that episode of Walking the Dog. We'd love it if you subscribed.

And do join us next time on Walking the Dog wherever you get your podcasts.