Buzz Knight and Sam Ryder: Embracing Passion and Authenticity in Music's Emotional Journey Together" -Replay

Summary

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Takin' A Walk – Music History with Buzz Knight

Episode: Buzz Knight and Sam Ryder: Embracing Passion and Authenticity in Music’s Emotional Journey
Release Date: January 1, 2026
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Sam Ryder

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Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth and heartfelt conversation between Buzz Knight and celebrated musician Sam Ryder. They discuss Sam’s beginnings, his viral rise, the transformative power of music, his philosophy on gratitude and authenticity, creative struggles, and what fans can expect from his upcoming projects. The conversation is rich with personal anecdotes, candid insights, and memorable moments—ideal for music fans, aspiring artists, and anyone fascinated by the emotional journey underpinning the music industry.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dream Collaborators & Musical Idols

• Walk With a Legend ([04:19])
  • If Sam could take a walk with any musician, he’d choose Freddie Mercury, then pivoted to suggest Luciano Pavarotti—dreaming of a stroll through the vineyards of Tuscany before a majestic performance.
    • Quote:
      “Pavarotti would be amazing, right?... it’d be in some vineyard in Tuscany... air's cooled off... just stoked to be there, about to watch him sing.” — Sam Ryder ([05:22])

2. Early Musical Memories & Inspirations

• First Song, First Spark ([06:38])
  • Sam’s earliest memory: Singing Freddie Mercury’s “Living On My Own” in the back of his parents’ Volvo, much to his mother’s annoyance.
    • Quote:
      “That was my first memory of singing and also annoying someone, and they kind of go hand in hand, which is good.” — Sam Ryder ([07:17])

3. The Essence and Mystery of Music

• Trying to Explain Music ([08:37])
  • Sam and Buzz marvel at music’s inexplicably deep impact.
    • Quote:
      “It’s vibrating atoms in the air that our eardrums make sense of... Crazy. That’s mental, isn’t it?... Who knows why we cannot live without it?” — Sam Ryder ([08:37])
  • Music’s universality: It’s the first element considered for any event, be it wedding or charity.
    • Quote:
      “First thing people do... right, who are we gonna get to play? Every single time.” — Sam Ryder ([09:29])

4. Healing Power of Music and Mantra

• Therapeutic Magic ([10:06])
  • Sam discusses spiritual experiences in mantra and sound workshops:
    • Describes communal singing in Portugal, comparing it to the “Avatar” scene at the Tree of Souls.
    • Quote:
      “You’re one organism and one breath and one being with everyone in the room... It’s not about singing well... It’s really fascinating... very spiritual experience, actually.” — Sam Ryder ([12:04])

5. Viral Breakthrough & Perseverance

• From Renovation to Recognition ([13:00])
  • Recalls recording covers in his parents’ shed at age 31 after years of “crumbs” of success—until viral recognition by superstars like Elton John and Justin Bieber.
    • Quote:
      “I was getting to a place... making peace with the fact that I might not make it... never the big one, never the big loaf, just the crumbs. And then I just started singing for fun... Free from the shackles of... immense pressure.” — Sam Ryder ([14:41])
  • No Plan B, only music.
    • Quote:
      “Plan B was singing at weddings. But I’d never not sing in this life.” — Sam Ryder ([15:37])

6. Gratitude and Groundedness

• Personal Philosophy ([23:16])
  • How Sam stays grounded: prayer, empathy, kindness, and surrounding himself with positive influences.
    • Quote:
      “Daily prayer, empathy, kindness. Trying to surround myself with people that bring out the best qualities in me and hopefully I can help do the same... optimism and hope and faith, knowing that I’ve got a purpose...” — Sam Ryder ([23:16])

7. Frontier Soul – Defining His Genre

• Cinematic Influences and Emotional Honesty ([24:43])
  • Sam’s genre “frontier soul” fuses lush, cinematic “frontier” soundscapes with passionate, soulful vocals inspired by classic Westerns and golden-era Hollywood scores.
    • Quote:
      “Frontier soul... is mixing a little bit of the desert, a little bit of that dust, a little bit of those twangy Tarantino guitars in with passion, with feeling and with truth.” — Sam Ryder ([26:36])

8. Songwriting – ‘Feeling Never Went Away’

• Inside the Creative Process ([26:45])
  • The song encapsulates emotional honesty—recognizing that some feelings persist and self-doubt can resurface, but this doesn’t define one’s character.
    • Quote:
      “It’s about understanding and making peace with the fact that you might not have exorcised all your demons yet... all of us have angst in us just the same as all of us have kindness...” — Sam Ryder ([28:36])
    • Insight:
      Identifies the importance of “I’m feeling” instead of “I am”—not letting negative emotions define one’s identity.

9. The New Album & The Road to Wembley

• Upcoming Milestones ([30:38])
  • Anticipating album release and headlining Wembley Arena, Sam shares creative struggles and hard-won lessons during the album’s creation.
    • Quote:
      “There were times I didn’t think I was ever going to finish it... but I think that’s what making stuff takes out of you. It shouldn’t ever be easy.” — Sam Ryder ([31:23])

10. Major Milestones: Glastonbury and Wembley

• First Glastonbury & Fulfilling Dreams ([32:09])
  • Describes Glastonbury’s scale (250,000 strong) and the relentless, uplifting energy of the festival.
    • Quote:
      “They say 250,000 people are in that area. So essentially, it’s like the city of Bristol in a field for four days... it never stops.” — Sam Ryder ([32:47])
  • Prepping for Wembley—where he first saw Sum 41 as a teen—and plans to leave something under his old seat.
    • Quote:
      “That night was so special and so... life-changing for me... I can only hope that people come and see us play... and leave feeling the same way.” — Sam Ryder ([36:19])

11. Coping with Pressure & Mental Health

• Facing the Darkness & Recovering Gratitude ([37:09])
  • Candidly details struggles with anxiety and feeling lost—emphasizing the importance of relinquishing control, leaning on gratitude, and knowing it’s okay not to have all the answers.
    • Quote:
      “To put yourself in a space of gratitude, for me is a space of trust... you don’t have control of what’s coming... That is making peace with that and knowing that you don’t have the control.” — Sam Ryder ([37:09])
    • Advice:
      Seek support in low moments; trust in hope, faith, and the people around you.

12. Memorable Moments & Tone

• Throughout, Sam’s candor and authenticity shine, drawing on humor, humility, and self-reflection.
• Banter about first concerts, family influences, and unlikely scenarios adds warmth and relatability.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “Pavarotti would be amazing, right?... it’d be in some vineyard in Tuscany...” — Sam Ryder ([05:22])
• “That was my first memory of singing and also annoying someone, and they kind of go hand in hand...” — Sam Ryder ([07:17])
• “It’s vibrating atoms in the air that our eardrums make sense of... Crazy. That’s mental, isn’t it?” — Sam Ryder ([08:37])
• “Frontier soul... is mixing a little bit of the desert, a little bit of those twangy Tarantino guitars in with passion, with feeling and with truth.” — Sam Ryder ([26:36])
• “It shouldn’t ever be easy, because it should be, you know, holding a mirror up to the darkest parts of yourself and confronting it and... trying to put it into words...” — Sam Ryder ([31:23])
• “To put yourself in a space of gratitude, for me is a space of trust... you don’t have control of what’s coming...” — Sam Ryder ([37:09])
• “That night was so special and so, like, life changing for me... I left that room knowing what I wanted to do.” — Sam Ryder ([36:19])
• “I’d never not sing in this life.” — Sam Ryder ([15:37])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:19] Dream musical walk: Freddie Mercury and Pavarotti
• [06:38] Early musical memories and influences
• [09:51] On music’s universal role and healing power
• [10:06] Spiritual and therapeutic experiences with music
• [13:00] Viral covers and coping with delayed success
• [15:37] No Plan B—music or nothing
• [23:16] Discussing gratitude and staying grounded
• [24:43] Explaining “frontier soul”
• [26:45] Story behind “Feeling Never Went Away”
• [30:38] Upcoming album, creative struggles, and Wembley
• [32:09] Reflections on Glastonbury and Wembley milestones
• [37:09] Managing anxiety, pressure, and hope

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Summary Tone & Takeaways

The episode is intimate and uplifting, marked by Sam Ryder’s humility, warmth, and passion for authenticity in music and life. Listeners gain insight into the “magic beneath the hood” of artistry—where perseverance, gratitude, and spiritual openness lead to both creative breakthroughs and healing. Sam’s journey, from humble beginnings to Wembley Arena, is rendered universal through frank talk about creative doubt, purpose, and hope.

For aspiring artists or anyone struggling with doubt, Sam’s message:

“You’re never given anything you can’t handle... finding the magic in it can’t be defined by any metric.” ([16:57])

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For more in-depth music history interviews, follow Takin’ A Walk on all major podcast platforms.

Transcript

[Buzz Knight]

Taking a walk.

[Sam Ryder]

I think you'd be a fool to think that you know everything about what's actually going on. Like the magic happening beneath the hood, essentially.

[Buzz Knight]

There's a magnetic energy in the air when music transcends the stage and pours into the streets, connecting people in the most unexpected moments. I'm Buzz Knight, and today I'm taking a walk. We're not just walking, we're soaring, thanks to the unmistakable voice and spirit of Sam R. From humble beginnings and viral covers to commanding the world's biggest stages, Sam's journey is a testament to the power of passion, grit, and gratitude. Join us as we step into Sam's world, discovering the stories behind the music and the moments that have truly defined his extraordinary rise. We'll be back in a bit after these messages.

[Gisele Bryant]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Danny Shapiro]

Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro.

[Sam Ryder]

We were in the car like a Rolling Stone came on and he said, there's a line in there about your mother. And I said, what?

[Gisele Bryant]

What I would do if I didn't feel like I was being accepted is.

[Buzz Knight]

Choose an identity that other people can't have.

[Gisele Bryant]

I knew something had happened to me in the middle of the night, but I couldn't hold on to what had happened.

[Danny Shapiro]

These are just a few of the moving and important stories on my 13th season of family Secrets. Listen to Family secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gisele Bryant]

You know the shade is always shadiest right here. Season six of the podcast Reasonably Shady with Gisele Bryan and Robyn Dixon is here dropping every Monday as two of the founding members of the Real Housewives Potomac. We're giving you all the laughs, drama and reality news you can handle. And you know, we don't hold back, so. So come be reasonable or shady with us each and every Monday, listen to Reasonably Shady from the Black Effect podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Malcolm Gladwell here. This season on Revisionist History. We're going back to the spring of 1988 to a town in northwest Alabama where a man committed a crime that would spiral out of control.

[Buzz Knight]

And he said, I've been in prison 24, 25 years. That's probably not long enough. I didn't kill him.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

From revisionist history. This is the Alabama Murders. Listen to Revisionist History, the Alabama murders on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gisele Bryant]

The show was ahead of its time to represent a black family in ways that television hadn't shown before.

[Danny Shapiro]

Exactly. It's Thelma Hopkins, also known as Aunt Rachel.

[Gisele Bryant]

And I'm Kelly Williams or Laura Winslow. On our podcast welcome to the Family with Thelma and Kelly. We're re watching every episode of Family Matters. We'll share scenes, stories about making the show.

[Danny Shapiro]

Yeah. We'll even bring in some special guests to spill some tea. Listen to welcome to the Family with Telma and Kelly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gisele Bryant]

Did you know Tide has been upgraded to provide an even better clean and cold water. Tide is specifically designed to fight any stain you throw at it, even in cold butter. Yep.

[Sam Ryder]

Chocolate ice cream.

[Gisele Bryant]

Sure thing. Barbecue sauce.

[Danny Shapiro]

Tide's got you covered.

[Gisele Bryant]

You don't need to use warm water. Additionally, Tide pods let you confidently fight tough stains with new coldzyme technology. Just remember, if it's gotta be clean, it's gotta be Tide.

[Buzz Knight]

Taking a walk. We are in rarefied air on Taking a Walk. We've got Sam Ryder on. Hello, Sam.

[Sam Ryder]

What's up, mate? How you doing? You okay?

[Buzz Knight]

I'm doing terrific. I'm talking to you. So how bad could I be doing if I'm talking to you?

[Sam Ryder]

Oh, we're not doing so bad, man. We're above ground. That's the. That's what counts.

[Buzz Knight]

That's right. We're doing great. So thanks for being. On Taking a Walk, I want to let you kind of twist your imagination around a little bit. I want to ask you if you could take a walk with somebody, living or deceased, preference being a musical wish, but it doesn't have to be.

[Sam Ryder]

Yeah.

[Buzz Knight]

Who would you pick to take that walk with and where would you take that walk?

[Sam Ryder]

That's a great question. I think so many names are rushing to me right now. And then if I've got to keep it in the musical sphere, I would love to take a walk with Freddie Mercury. You know, I bet you've had that answer a lot. Have you had that before?

[Buzz Knight]

I have had Freddie has. Has come up for sure.

[Sam Ryder]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay, well, let's see if we can. Let's see if we can find someone else then.

[Buzz Knight]

That's all right.

[Sam Ryder]

Yeah, we want to, like. Yeah, I don't want to. Don't want to steal someone else's answer. So I'm just trying to think some of my absolute favorite bands. Pavarotti would be amazing, right?

[Buzz Knight]

That would be amazing. And I must tell you, Sam, that one is a first.

[Sam Ryder]

Okay, good. Yeah, let's. Let's yeah, that'd be sick.

[Buzz Knight]

Where do you think you would take that walk with him?

[Sam Ryder]

Oh, you know what, it'd be in some vineyard in Tuscany somewhere. It'd be just late in the afternoon, kind of the air's cooled off and there's maybe, I don't know, we're seeing little cars in the distance pass by, but they're little Fiats, do you know what I mean? Very like of the area, people just speeding about in those sitting down, having some lunch, having something nice to drink. He's probably got a show or something like that. I'm just stoked to be there, about to watch him sing. Yeah, it sounds like a lovely day to me.

[Buzz Knight]

I. I would like to be a fly on the wall if I could.

[Sam Ryder]

Yeah, yeah, that's perfect.

[Buzz Knight]

Perfect. Well, congratulations on the new single. We're going to talk about that feeling Never Went Away and, you know, the album coming later on towards the fall, certainly, and big stuff going on always with you headlining Wembley, which we'll talk about in November, and you just played Glastonbury as well. But I do want to ask you, what's the earliest musical memory that you have and who or what first inspired you to. To pick up a guitar or start singing?

[Sam Ryder]

All right, so we're going to go back to Freddie Mercury here. See, it's like he's like a magnet, right, to all of us. But I remember sitting in the back seat of my mum and dad's car. It would have been like an old red Volvo at the time. I can't remember how old I was, but I was very young, like, first memory sort of age, you know. And I remember singing along to Living On My Own by Freddie Mercury when it was on the radio, specifically the Tito Redo Diddo Redo. I ain't got no time for his market, you know that bit, but apparently I used to drive my mum up the wall singing that section and, yeah, that. That was my first memory of singing and also annoying someone and they kind of go hand in hand, which is good.

[Buzz Knight]

Well, I have to confess something, though. I've confessed this. Previously on the podcast. One of my favorite things that happens on the podcast is when someone of international stardom such as yourself actually sings a bit on the podcast that puts so much joy into my. My body. I. I can't even describe it.

[Sam Ryder]

So what's one of your favorite songs?

[Buzz Knight]

One of my favorite songs. Well, let me think. Okay, for. Let's go back to Queen and Freddie Mercury for a second. You're. You're my Best friend, I mean.

[Sam Ryder]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, you make me live now.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, it's amazing.

[Sam Ryder]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Buzz Knight]

But there's so many. My God. What. What is it about music? Can you define? If someone was just planted on planet Earth and knew nothing about what music is, what would you describe it as to them? Because it's something we can't live without.

[Sam Ryder]

Yeah, well, it's mad, isn't it? You start with the facts, right? And it's just. It's vibrating atoms in the air that our eardrums make sense of, or certainly they register, and then our brains make sense of the chaos and bring order to it and we turn it into music. It's crazy. That's mental, isn't it? When you boil it down to what it actually is, just this movement in the air. And who knows, man? Who knows why we cannot live without it?

[Buzz Knight]

Well, it's true, right?

[Sam Ryder]

Because anyone books, if anyone's making any sort of event, it doesn't matter if you're selling shampoo somewhere or you're kind of. You're hosting this massive, like, yacht party. The first thing. Which I've never done, by the way. I don't know if you have buzz, but.

[Buzz Knight]

No, I haven't.

[Sam Ryder]

Not yet, man. Not yet. But the first thing people are going to do, or, like, any charity organization or anything like that, first thing people do, they get a venue, they get a date, and they're like, right, who are we gonna get to play every single time? So it's this universal truth that music is something that we all want. You know, first thing you do, if you're at a wedding, you'll be, like, stoked. Stoked to dance later.

[Buzz Knight]

Well, and the fact is, it's been proven over and over again. I have this other podcast I produce that's called Music Saved Me, and it talks about the fact that music has therapeutic healing power as well. Do you subscribe to that thinking?

[Sam Ryder]

Certainly. I wouldn't rule it out. I think you'd be a fool to think that you know everything about what's actually going on, like the magic happening beneath the hood, essentially, of all this stuff. Like, I've done. I've done a fair bit, you know, of, like, the singing bowls and Mantra as well, in the past, which is all just music, essentially. It's just sound. And. And I've found that to be fascinating, actually. I don't know if you know much about, like, Mantra workshops and things like that, but my. Like, an old friend of mine, he ran one, and I just thought, you know, why the hell not? Life's too short. Go. Go see this thing. And spent a few days in Portugal, sat in this room with maybe 30 people in total. And you're just singing Sanskrit, and everyone's sort of moving as one being. So you take a breath in and you sing, and then you breathe out, and then you move forward. And it's kind of like. You know that bit in Avatar when they're around the massive tree?

[Danny Shapiro]

Yes.

[Sam Ryder]

It ends up looking like that. But you're sat on laminate flooring and. Yeah, you're just sort of. You're one organism and one breath and one being. Like with everyone in the room and you're singing. And it's funny because it's not about singing well. Cause you got to sing through your nose. There's like. Like this, like, through. Kind of really pushing everything nasally. But, yeah, it's really fascinating. And it's kind of like this free substance less high that you get because you kind of. I call it fizzing up. You. You finish it, and then you hold your breath at the very end of them, like, of one of the. What would I call it? I guess, like, sessions when you're. You're singing like a mantra and you finish it and then you hold your breath at the end and you literally feel like a rocket launching into the atmosphere. It's crazy.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, I love it. I just. I just feel like I went through the atmosphere just now. Just. You took. You took me there.

[Sam Ryder]

I certainly recommend it to anyone that has sort of heard of it and be like, yeah, I might give that a go. And, yeah, it's the cool thing for me was like, to. To understand this. You're kind of part of this spiritual choir when you do that. Do you know what I mean? It's not about, like, having the lead singer or anything like that, or even being good at singing in any way. In fact, it actually takes your voice into a place where you're more like sounding vowels and not trying to sing with vibrato or, like, any technique. It's just. You're part of the. The collective being in the room and Fascinating, like, very spiritual experience, actually.

[Buzz Knight]

What was it like suddenly having your covers noticed by, you know, these. These folks like Elton John and Justin Bieber and I'm sure others. What. What feeling was that like?

[Sam Ryder]

Ah, man, hard to express. Because, you know what, dude? Like, before that happened, I just turned 31 years old, and I was living. It was locked down at the time. So I was. Me and my partner, Lois, had actually just Bought our first house but it was in such a state it needed to be totally renovated and thank God my. Myself and my dad are carpenters. That's where I sort of learned a trade growing up was with my dad. So we'd be renovating this house, but it wasn't fit to live in at the time. Like we had is an old Victorian property that actually used to belong to an old ship captain and like that in America. That sounds fancy, right? Like, wow, that building's so old. But that's kind of like par for course over here in the uk everything used to belong to someone like that and. But yeah, it took us a while to do it. So in that time I was living at home, just turned 30 and I was getting to a place in my mind and like making peace with the fact that I might not make it. You know, I like certainly in music is what I'm. What I mean, like I've been following this dream and trying everything, leaving no stone unturned. Since I was 14 years old, I'd been on the road, been writing, been the hoping, praying and scheming for like any sort of crumbs of success. And I was getting some every now and then, but never like the big one, never the big loaf, just the crumbs. And then I just started singing for fun just into my phone being and kind of like free from the shackles of the. The burdened you with the weight of mad and immense pressure. Does that make sense?

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, completely.

[Sam Ryder]

I finally sort of like been like, you know what? I don't need that anymore because this is just me now. Just I'm a singer that's going to be singing in his mum and dad's shed before I moved to my house. And maybe that's where the magic was like. And I. All I know is I thank God it happened, man, and it, it truly changed my life. I know that that is a phrase that gets banded and thrown around incredibly liberally now and maybe it's just because a lot of people's lives are changing, but I can say from my experience that it truly did change my life.

[Buzz Knight]

It's wonderful and it's. I would almost bet I know the answer to this question. So as you were forging ahead back, you know, when you were 14, 15, were you thinking, well maybe I need a plan B, or were you just so steadfast in your dream that there was no plan B?

[Sam Ryder]

Plan B was singing at weddings. But I'd never not sing in this life. Like, I feel like if God's put me here to do anything. He's put all of us here to do something. And if, like, I believe that, for me it's singing. Like, I've known that since I was a kid, since singing in my mum and dad's car, you know, like that that was what I was following. And I'm so lucky, man, that I found my purpose. Young. Some people go through their whole life not finding what it is that is their life's work and their sort of their pursuit and their spark that kind of ignites whatever's in the spirit. But I found that very early on. And I think maybe the price everything has, every action has a reaction right in this universe. And maybe the price I paid was that finding it so early just sent set me on a long path, I think, you know, you're never given anything you can't handle, but for it to take as long as it did. I've got the thickest skin, I think, in the game. I've been through every sort of failure. Could imagine every setback, every knockback, every. Like, I've been through it now. So to again stand in that shed singing into my phone at peace with the fact that that might not happen. And it's okay because I won't stop singing. And really, who cares other than that if I can sing? It just so happens to be right that we all live in a time of the earth where there's a music industry. Rewind the clock or fast forward it. Who knows what it's gonna be fast forwarded. But if we rewind like a hundred years and you were singing, there's no music industry back then at all. It's just singing. Rewind it even further. Singing is a behavior. Dancing is a behavior. Creating art is a behavior. Not a pursuit, not a craft, not a job. They're just behavior. So, yeah, I count myself incredibly fortunate that I knew what it is I wanted to do. And also I found the magic in it. Man. Like that can't be defined by any metric, Any sort of follow account number or chart placing or streaming amount, you know.

[Buzz Knight]

We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Malcolm Gladwell here. This season on Revisionist History, we're going back to the spring of 1988 to a town in northwest Alabama where a man committed a crime that would spiral out of control. 35 years. That's how long Elizabeth Senate's family waited for justice to occur. 35 long years. I want to figure out why this case went on for as long as it did. Why it took so many bizarre and unsettling turns along the way, and why, despite our best efforts to resolve suffering, we all too often make suffering worse.

[Sam Ryder]

He would say to himself, turn to the right, to the victim's family, and apologize. Turn to the left. Tell my family I love him. So he would have this little practice. To the right. I'm sorry. To the left. I love you.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

From revisionist History, this is the Alabama Murders. Listen to revisionist History, the Alabama murders, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danny Shapiro]

Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro, host of the hit podcast Family Secrets.

[Sam Ryder]

We were in the car like a.

[Buzz Knight]

Rolling stone came on, and he said.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

There'S a line in there about your mother.

[Sam Ryder]

And I said, what?

[Gisele Bryant]

What I would do if I didn't.

[Sam Ryder]

Feel like I was being accepted is.

[Buzz Knight]

Choose an identity that other people can't have.

[Gisele Bryant]

I knew something had happened to me in the middle of the night, but I couldn't hold on to what had happened.

[Danny Shapiro]

These are just a few of the moving and important stories I'll be holding space for on my upcoming 13th season of Family Secrets. Whether you've been on this journey with me from season one or just joining the Family Secrets family, we're so happy to have you with us. I'll dive deep into the incredible power of secrets, the ones that shape our identities, test our relationships, and ultimately reveal who we truly are. Listen to Family secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gisele Bryant]

You know the shade is always shadiest right here. Season six of the podcast Reasonably Shady with Gisele Bryan and Robyn Dixon is here dropping every Monday as two of the founding members of the Real Housewives Potomac. We're giving you all the laughs, drama, and reality news you can handle. And you know, we don't hold back. So come be reasonable or shady with us each and every Monday, I was going through a walk in my neighborhood. Out of the blue, I see this huge sign next to somebody's house. Okay, the sign says, my neighbor is a Karen. No way. I died laughing. I'm like, I have to know. You are lying. Humongous, y'.

[Danny Shapiro]

All.

[Gisele Bryant]

They had some time on their hands. Listen to Reasonably Shady from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The moments that shape us often begin with a simple question. What do I want my life to look like now?

[Danny Shapiro]

Dr. Joy.

[Gisele Bryant]

I'm Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford, and on therapy for black girls we create space for honest conversations about identity, relationships, mental health and the choices that help us grow. As cybersecurity expert Camille Stewart Gloucester reminds us, we are in a divisive time where our comments are weaponized against us. And so what we find is a lot of Black women are standing up and speaking out because they feel the brunt of the pain. Each week, we explore the tools and insights that help you move with purpose, whether you're navigating something new or returning to yourself. If you're ready for thoughtful guidance and grounded support, this is the place for you. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Kelli, and some of you may know me as Laura Winslow. And I'm Telma, also known as Aunt Rachel. If those names ring a bell, then you probably are familiar with a show that we were both on back in the 90s called Family Matters.

[Danny Shapiro]

Kelly and I have done a lot of things and played a lot of roles over the years, but both of us are just so proud to have been part of Family Matters.

[Gisele Bryant]

Did you know that we were one of the longest running sitcoms with a black cast? When we were making the show, there were so many moments filled with joy and laughter and cut up that I will never forget.

[Danny Shapiro]

Oh, girl, you got that right. The look that you all give me is so black.

[Gisele Bryant]

All black people know about the look. On each episode of welcome to the Family, we'll share personal reflections about making the show.

[Danny Shapiro]

Yeah, we'll even bring in part of the cast and some other special guests to join in the fun and spill some tea. Listen to welcome to the Family with Telma and Kelly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Buzz Knight]

Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast. Well, your gratitude is an important piece that comes through for sure and it. It certainly indicates how grounded you are in the midst of a very difficult business. How do you practice gratitude?

[Sam Ryder]

Daily prayer, Empathy, Kindness? Trying to surround myself with people that bring out the best qualities in me and hopefully I can help do the same. I mean, that's what life's about. And it's like no one wants to be surrounded by people that dim their spirit or take away from you like you again. Also, I kind of haven't got any interest in being around things that are overly cool as well, or living my life in constant fear of what my perceived identity is again, because it took me so long to get here because I know who I am. I know my identity. I know what it is that lights me up. I know what it is I value. I know that any failure I've been through can't define me. And I'm incredibly lucky to be here. So optimism and hope and faith, knowing that I've got a purpose and knowing that I'll live out the rest of my life, hopefully it's a long one, like aiming to fulfill that purpose, you know, that's what keeps me grounded.

[Buzz Knight]

That's amazing. So if someone does not understand the term that you've created in the genre that you've created called frontier soul, describe it.

[Sam Ryder]

Yeah, man. Frontier soul. So my granddad and I used to watch and still do a lot old westerns. It's kind of our like, favorite thing, you know. And I've always been really enamored and fascinated with the old scores in those films. And not just westerns, actually. If you go back to like those, that golden era of Hollywood, like Cleopatra and Jason and the Argonauts or like stuff like that, the scores in those movies I really enjoyed and even like the way they were shot and filmed and the colors in them, like super saturated blue skies and everyone's got the mad amount of fake tan on and stuff like that. Just those movies I really enjoy, like where the kind of credits are obviously hand painted on a projector or something like that. And when they come up, the orchestra kicks in. And then, you know, if you're chatting about Lawrence of Arabia, there's like a big intermission in the middle of it where it literally comes up and says intermission, and the orchestra come in and play the theme. That for me is the frontier aspect, like these very lush soundscapey strings that you can almost see the vista in front of your eyes. And soul, it goes without saying, it's soul music. It's just from the heart, it's from the spirit itself. It's anything sung with passion, with meaning and with truth. So for me, that's what singing is all about. So soul music doesn't just have to be. Whether it's like genre defined as soul music. It's about the feeling, like anyone can have soul. And in fact we all have soul. We just, we choose to express it or by avoiding it through being inauthentic, we fail to express it. So that's what frontier soul is, is mixing a little bit of the desert, a little bit of that dust, a little bit of those twangy Tarantino guitars in with passion, with feeling and with truth.

[Buzz Knight]

That's awesome. Take us inside. The creation of Feeling never went Away, which is absolute tremendous, man.

[Sam Ryder]

Thank you so much, dude. So Feeling Never Went Away was a song I wrote with my friends John Green and Mickey Echo. And it was very like, I had this idea of this phrase was in my head for a while, just the feeling never went away. And I find that's quite an interesting concept to me. Like, what does that mean? Is that good things a bad thing? Is it a longing? Is it sort of like a resentment? And then I sort of attribute it to what was going on in my life at the time. So I was just sat there with a bass guitar, And then we're just mumbling around. I think John was on the piano. Mickey's just humming these melodies, and he's amazing at it. And I was. Something came to me and I was. The feeling never went with you. And we were just like, that's the light bulb moment, right? That's our song. And now just don't mess it up. Just nurse it home, land the plane at that point, let's see what we can get. And it's about. Well, for me, when you write with other people, there's a bunch of stories going in. A lot of people's baggage gets thrown in on the same trolley, you know, when you're writing a song with other people. So the cocktail becomes this heady mix. But for me, it's about understanding and making peace with the fact that you might not have exorcised all your demons yet. They're still there. They still kind of bubble up and show their faces every now and then. But that doesn't define you as someone that hasn't managed to relinquish yourself of their grip. Because I think all of us have angst in us just the same as all of us have kindness in it. It doesn't mean we show it all the time, you know, because these are. These are choices and they're based on so many factors, whether it's the environment around us, the people that we're in contact with, the day we're having, you know, all those things. So. And. And for a long time over the last year, I felt a lot of doubt and a lot of, I guess, beating myself up. And I've really been, I guess, given myself a hard time. So I'm like hitting myself twice, because one, I've got the feeling. So that's your first punch. And. And then two is. I'm annoyed at myself for letting myself have the feeling, you know, I feel like I've let myself down by letting this sort of self doubt and self criticism make its way through the force field of my gratitude, you know, and my peace and my presence, because I was raised to have those things. And I think it was just the understanding of just because you're something a lot of the time, which in my heart, I hope to be kind most of the time. I hope to be present, I hope to be patient. I'm definitely not. You know, patience is a hard thing actually for me. But you're also gonna always come into contact with the full spectrum of emotions. And when you do, the important thing, Buzz, I think is to say that I'm feeling angry, I'm feeling upset. Rather than saying I am angry, I am upset, I am, I am doubting myself. Because I am is more of like you're identifying you are that person. But rather you should just say I'm. Currently I'm. It's not the weather. Currently I am feeling foggy with a chance of rain. But I'm not going to be like that forever, you know.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, well put.

[Sam Ryder]

No feelings ever go away.

[Buzz Knight]

There you go. Well, it's brilliant. What can we expect from the album later on down the road? I know it's a little early to be talking about it, but what can you share about what's going to be happening album wise?

[Sam Ryder]

So the album comes out later in the year and we've got a massive show at Wembley arena around just after it gets released. So it's kind of like there's a big road to Wembley happening at the moment, which I'm sure we'll talk about later. But I think it's, you know what? Part of me is like I want to set goals and have ambitions and stuff like that. For the record, of course I do. That's a normal thing. But at the same time I don't want to pin. I don't want to fence things in because I want to try and go into that space. I was. When I was singing into my phone, I didn't have any like boundary lines set for that. That was just for fun. And I let life do its thing with those videos and because there's way more magic than I could ever think up. So I hope the same for this. I know the album is the best work I could have made. I went through, I guess, mental hell and back to make it. There were times I didn't think I was ever going to finish it, that I wouldn't be sat here chatting about music so openly with yourself or anyone else for that matter. But I Think that that's what making stuff takes out of you. It shouldn't ever be easy, because it should be, you know, holding a mirror up to the darkest parts of yourself and confronting it and trying to put it into words in the hope that you connect with someone out there that's listening to it, that's going through the same.

[Buzz Knight]

You just played Glastonbury, and then, of course, the road to Wembley that you mentioned in November, which is unbelievable, explain to somebody who's never experienced the massive community that you'll be in front of at those shows and what that feels like, that you're making so many people connected and so happy.

[Sam Ryder]

Well, first of all, I just want to say this is my first podcast in the us by the way.

[Buzz Knight]

High five.

[Sam Ryder]

High five. And. And I guess a bunch of your listeners, some have them, might have been to Glastonbury once or twice before.

[Danny Shapiro]

Oh, yeah.

[Sam Ryder]

But there's probably a lot of people listening that have never been. Because I live in the uk, I'm not far from Glastonbury, really, in the big scheme of things, but this year was the first year I'd ever been to play or just to be there in general. I'd never been. And it is hard to explain how big that place is. They say 250,000 people are in that area. So essentially, it's like the city of Bristol in a field for four days. How crazy is that, man? So it's crazy. Think of. And it never stops. It's just going and going and going. There's always someone to see someone playing. I mean, obviously, like, in the early hours, it's dance tents that are just absolutely popping off. But, yeah, it's crazy. We did. And also, no one just goes there to play their show. Like, I did, like, five secret sets throughout the time. And, yeah, just really wrung out the Glastonbury flannel for everything it had in it. And I wanted to experience as much of it as I could, you know, it was so sick.

[Buzz Knight]

How do you prepare yourself for Wembley?

[Sam Ryder]

Well, we're going through that right now, actually. You know, when you play a venue like Wembley, as an independent artist or someone on a major label, it doesn't matter. You turn up there and that place is empty. There's. You got. You got to bring the stage, you got to bring the pa, you got to bring the crew that are going to rig up the pa, and obviously all the normal things, like your team, your sound, your monitors, the band, like, all that stuff. But I bet that some people didn't know that, you know, like, those venues are shells. They're just warehouses until a band comes in and fits all the speakers round like it's a. It's a massive undertaking and makes you realize why, you know, those tours are grueling in the best way. You know, it's a legendary spot. Like that patch of land in London has played host to some of the most amazing artists and creatives the world's ever seen. And to be there, I don't know, on November 6th is going to be not just a dream come true. That's way too simple to print it like that, but it's. It's going to be monumental for me in my life. I'm so excited. And, you know, it was the first place I ever saw a band play as well. And who might have that ever been to. It was some 41. Let me show you something right now, actually, I've got it here.

[Buzz Knight]

All right.

[Sam Ryder]

This is the ticket.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, wow.

[Sam Ryder]

From playing Wembley. See that?

[Buzz Knight]

Yes.

[Sam Ryder]

Some 41. And the reason I'm awkwardly covering up some of the numbers in it. In fact, let me do that one. If you share anything online, use that. Is because the seat number that I was in, I'm gonna leave some in fun under that seat for whoever gets it this time. Because that night was so special and so, like, life changing for me. I was just a kid, probably 15 years old, maybe. Me and my friend Dan. Funnily enough, Dan is the guy that gave me the scar on my head because he had one too. We ran into each other when we were kids, so me and him went to go and see some 41 together. First time seeing a gig, had no idea what to expect. I literally thought it'd be kind of just like a small hall and everyone would sit on the floor and watch a band as they came in. That was it when I got in there. And it's this massive, like, just almost church of rock and roll, you know?

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah.

[Sam Ryder]

And this band, like, miles away. Yeah. It changed my life. I left that room knowing what I wanted to do. And I can only hope that people come and see us play on November 6th and leave feeling the same way. Because that was kind of like a. For me, getting a compass heading from the universe. I left, you know, those doors, headed home, and I was like, ah, cool. I know what I want to do with my time on this earth.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, man, that's wonderful. I want to close with this. Sam, you've spoken very candidly about panic attacks and dealing with pressure. What helps you get through Tough moments. And what advice would you give to others who might be struggling with similar challenges?

[Sam Ryder]

Oh, man, I think for me, I say it all the time, sorry for the deja vu, but it has to be gratitude. It's just like the. I feel like it's the answer to everything. Because to put yourself in a space of gratitude, for me is a space of trust. And more importantly than that, like the relinquishment of control. Because you don't have control of what's coming, you know, whether it's in your health or just in your environment around you. Seldom do any of us have the control that we think we do. You know, we, we only are kind of able to change something within our small orbit and. But that doesn't make it insufficient, you know, that is incredibly substantial because I think you realize that with the right people around you, you can do amazing things. And for me, that's just what I always try to come back to if I ever. Like I'm in a dark place and I'm feeling, I don't know, like, to be candid, man, like over the last year, I say about gratitude, I needed to take my own advice so many times because I was off the rails. I was falling and spiraling into a darkness I'd never experienced in my life before. And I had no idea where it came from because I'd always been this person that was like, I'll find the optimistic way of looking at it, you know, I will see the silver lining in the clouds. I'll find my resilience and my. The center of myself and my self worth to move through anything that life throws me. I was always that guy. And then all of a sudden I am just like bedrock, you know, and to claw out of that. I can't express, like how when you're in that space, life feels meaningless. Everything around you feels meaningless. It is the epitome of an existential crisis. And you're like, where did this come from? What did I let in to make me feel like this? And sometimes you don't know the answer. And that's hard because I'm terrified that could happen again, you know, in my life. I've never had it as bad as that before. The part of me that wants to control something, wants to understand why, so I can almost, I can figure out how to build defenses so it can never get in again, but I can't. And nor can you and nor can anyone else listening, you know that. And that is making peace with that and knowing that you don't have the control. I think it brings out the necessity for hope and faith and gratitude because it's accepting that if I ever go down in those depths again, in those fathoms, I know someone's going to be looking out for me. I know that I can turn to prayer. I can turn to my loved ones. I can turn to my gratitude and sense of. Of purpose. Does that make any sense? I just tried to. I don't know.

[Buzz Knight]

It makes a thousand percent sense. And you know, I have tremendous gratitude for this moment, speaking with you, connecting with you. And I know if, if you did go down that path you just described, you'd have a lot of people that you've made happy and continue to make happy. That would be sending the energy your way to lift you out of that.

[Sam Ryder]

Appreciate it, man.

[Buzz Knight]

I truly believe that and I'm so grateful to have this opportunity to speak with you. It's been wonderful. And I'm so grateful that you came on the Taking a Walk podcast, Sam Riding. I'm grateful you gave me a seat on the spaceship known as the Sam Ryder spaceship, which. Which is on its way to places unknown, but big places. So thank you so much.

[Sam Ryder]

God bless Buzz. You take care of yourself, man. Thanks for having me on your podcast and hopefully I'll see you when I come to the US Next because I live in Nashville now. I'm like half time in UK and Nashville, so maybe, maybe we'll bump into each other at a show.

[Buzz Knight]

And I love Nashville too, so.

[Sam Ryder]

Oh, it's a good time.

[Buzz Knight]

Okay. Thank you, Sam.

[Sam Ryder]

God bless, man.

[Buzz Knight]

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcast.

[Gisele Bryant]

You know the shade is always shadiest right here. Season six of the podcast Reasonably Shady with Gisele Bryant and Robyn Dixon is here dropping every Monday as two of the founding members of the Real Housewives Potomac. We're giving you all the laughs, drama and reality news you can handle. And you know, we don't hold back. So come be reasonable or shady with us each and every Monday listen to Reasonably Shady from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danny Shapiro]

Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

We were in the car like a.

[Sam Ryder]

Rolling Stone came on and he said there's a line in there about your mother.

[Buzz Knight]

And I said, what, what I would.

[Sam Ryder]

Do if I didn't feel like I was being accepted is choose an identity.

[Buzz Knight]

That other people can't have.

[Gisele Bryant]

I knew something had happened to me in the middle of the night, but I couldn't hold on to what had happened.

[Danny Shapiro]

These are just a few of the moving and important stories on my 13th season of family Secrets. Listen to Family secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Malcolm Gladwell here. This season on Revisionist History. We're going back to the spring of 1988 to a town in northwest Alabama where a man committed a crime that would spiral out of control.

[Buzz Knight]

And he said, I've been in prison 24, 25 years. That's probably not long enough. I didn't kill him.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

From Revisionist History, this is the Alabama Murders. Listen to Revisionist History the Alabama murders on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Gisele Bryant]

The show was ahead of its time to represent a black family in ways that television hadn't shown before.

[Danny Shapiro]

Exactly. It's Thelma Hopkins, also known as Aunt Rachel.

[Gisele Bryant]

And I'm Kelly Williams or Laura Winslow. On our podcast welcome to the Family with Thelma and Kelly. We're rewatching every episode of Family Matters. We'll share behind the scenes stories about making the show.

[Danny Shapiro]

Yeah, we'll even bring in some special guests to spill some tea. Listen to welcome to the Family with Telma and Kelly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Buzz Knight]

There are parts and then there are B Pro auto parts. Parts built for every vehicle. Parts built to fit and function. Parts that are refining how we drive and redefining the category because every vehicle is a sum of its parts. So do yourself a Favor and put BPro Auto Parts on the vehicles you service. Parts now. Parts into the future. Welcome to the new aftermarket.

[Gisele Bryant]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.