Testimonials
Performance/Recording
We were traveling in England on our 2022 tour - our drummer became ill and we needed someone proficient and incredible - we did a lot of personal calls and referrals, we received over 15 replies - Some offered to play for free - to say what you pay for is an understatement, Sam not only took 10 songs in the scope of a day, but delivered, musical proficiency and attention to detail - the reason we chose Sam is his willingness to work with us and empathy to relate to us as a band member not a hire on.
We have played with lots of drummers and studio session guys all over the world, and Sam is the real deal,
I highly recommended him. He is a very versatile drummer.
We hope to work with him in the near future
Thank you Sam
The Falling Doves
Christopher and Mike
The Falling Doves - Los Angeles, CA
"Sam is a super professional and nice person, he puts everything into his work. He really knows what gear to use and he's definitely knowledgeable about how a drum kit should be recorded. Always open to listen to your intentions and reading your notes, registering that and adding his own thing as the great drummer he is. Most important thing? He's concerned about your song and your genre, so he can do a great interpretation; that for me, is a huge deal!"
Flavio Echart Kuc - Guitarist/Songwriter - Montevideo, Uruguay
(Remote Session Client - 2018)
"Sam is hands down the best drummer i've worked with.
He's full of great ideas that really serve the songs, and his sound is massive. Every project we work on sounds better than the last.
He really is world class!"
Baz Hilton - Music Producer, Tour Manager, M.D.
"I HAVE WORKED WITH SAM ON A FEW DATES AND HAVE TO SAY HE IS ONE OF THE MOST PROFESSIONAL AND COMPLETE ALL AROUND DRUMMER/MUSICIAN/EDUCATOR AND NICE GUYS OUT THERE. HE IS MORE THAN 100% COMMITTED AND WILL GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO LEARN THE MATERIAL - WHATEVER THE GENRE. HE IS AN AMAZING TEAM PLAYER AND ALWAYS HAS MY BACK WITH HIS POWERHOUSE DRUMMING."
Jondi Mac - MD, Musician, Keyboard Virtuoso
"THE GIGS I PLAYED WITH SAM WILL ALWAYS STAND OUT IN MY MIND. I HAD NEVER MET HIM BEFORE SOUND CHECK BUT HIS AMAZING ENTHUSIASTIC AND FRIENDLY PERSONALITY MEANT GOOD VIBES FROM THE START. WE PLAYED AS A DUO WITH KIT AND ME ON ACCORDION AND VOCALS, AND MY MUSIC STYLE IS PRETTY ECLECTIC, SO NO YOUR STANDARD SET UP, BUT SAM TOOK IT IN HIS STRIDE. HE'S GOT A GREAT EAR, SENSITIVE BUT CAN THRASH OUT PLENTY OF ENERGY. ALSO A FUN, ANIMATED PERFORMER - GOOD FOR YOU AND THE AUDIENCE!" - STAGG
Lewis Kane - Musician/Stagg
"SAM IS THE FIRST CALL FOR CELTIC ROUGE WEDDING AND EVENTS BAND. SAM IS FIRST THERE AT AN EVENT AND LAST OUT. SAM'S DRUMMING IS WORLD CLASS. PLAYS APPROPRIATELY TO THE EVENT REGARDING VOLUME AND APPROPRIATELY TO THE MUSIC IN TERMS OF FEEL. HE HAS AN AMAZING TOUCH AND GROOVES ON SLOW BALLADS AND ROCKS HARD ON UPBEAT NUMBERS. HAVING HEARD SAM PLAY IN MANY DIFFERENT SETTINGS I CAN COMMENT ON HOW SENSITIVE HE IS TO THE JOB REQUIREMENT, AND HOW HUMBLE HE IS TO ASK IF HE IS PLAYING WELL. PERSONALLY, I JUST LOVE THE SOUND IN HIS HANDS. CONSUMATE PROFESSIONAL, HE IS SET UP AND HELPING LOAD IN AND LEAVES AFTER DOING THE HEAVY LIFTING ON PACK UP. ALSO GREAT FUN TO BE AROUND AND HAS AN ENTHUSIASTIC MINDSET WHICH KEEPS EVERYONE IN GREAT SPIRIT."
Lewis Cannon, Celtic Rouge Wedding & Events Band
"Played alongside many excellent drummers over the years but Sam is world class. A band can relax and perform when the drummer is on top of every number and that was the greatest joy of playing with him. Nothing is beyond him, and he is happy whether featuring or just carrying a slow blues. (He’s also a nice guy!!) My only worry is that if I ever get round to doing an album I won’t be able to afford him!!"
Billy Brown - Musician, Artist & Author
WHENEVER I WORK WITH SAM ON A PROJECT I NOT ONLY FEEL THAT THE DRUMMING ASPECT IS COVERED EXCEPTIONALLY, BUT THAT THE ENTIRE PROJECT SEEMS TO RUN A LOT SMOOTHER. AS WELL AS BEING ONE OF THE MOST GIFTED MUSICIANS I'VE WORKED WITH HE'S A FUN GUY TO BE AROUND, ALWAYS MAKING THE EXPERIENCE A MEMORABLE ONE.
Fraser Edwards, Producer, UK
" It has been my privilege and pleasure over the years to work with many of the best drummers in the business. It's always about the groove and the feel, and Sam comes up top-drawer on both counts, as his work on Gavin Sutherland's recent Wishing Tree project illustrates. Look forward to working with Sam on many more sessions."
Richard Digby Smith - Audio Engineer, Author
TQ1 Music
Former Chief Engineer for Island Records
Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, The Sutherland Brothers, Free, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton
Author of the book "One Two Three Four: The Life & Times of a Recording Studio Engineer"
"I've known Sam for some years now and worked with him on a lot of projects including my last couple of albums. He's got all the licks and chops in his locker, but more importantly, from a writer's point of view, he doesn't just hit drums, he plays songs. Always a pleasure to work with, a friend, and, yeah, a good guy."
Gavin Sutherland - Musician
The Sutherland Brothers