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Sam Outlaw

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Sam Outlaw @ The Borderline, London by Claire Weston

Sam Outlaw’s debut album ‘Angeleno’ received its official UK release this month. This week, we were treated to 2 shows from him in London – the first as a support act for Aaron Watson at The Borderline, and the second at Rough Trade West for an in-store performance.

Entering The Borderline to the sounds of one of my favourite songs ‘Ghost Town’, which was written about his Mum and his family, the crowd were already attentive. I love the simplistic and refreshing style to his songs, very different from what we’re used to hearing in the country scene right now. He made his way through several songs from the album, alongside guitarist Danny Garcia, including ‘Jesus Take The Wheel (And Drive Me To A Bar) and ‘I’m Not Jealous’.

The title track ‘Angeleno’ gave him the chance to talk about life in LA. After signing to Six Shooter Records in 2015, ‘Angeleno’ was produced by Ry Cooder and features several talented LA musicians. It brings a California vibe to a more traditional country sound, which he refers to as ‘SoCal Country’ and with all tracks solely written by Outlaw himself.

Rough Trade West record store served as an intimate setting for a raw acoustic performance. It was great to see a mix up in the setlist from the previous night. Sam showcased 5 songs, including ‘It Might Kill Me’, ‘Country Love Song’ and ‘Keep It Interesting’, with smooth and soulful vocals.

Sam chatted as he tuned his guitar, sharing some of his own experiences of seeing some of his favourite artists at in-store performances. He joked that with a name like Outlaw in country music, it can probably come across as fake, before explaining that he uses the name Outlaw as it is his Mother’s maiden name. But Sam Outlaw is the real deal.

Fast becoming one of my favourite singers and songwriters, i cannot recommend Sam highly enough. He returns for his own headline UK tour in April, tickets on sale now.

April 10 – The Tunnels, Bristol
April 11 – The Borderline, London
April 12 – Jericho Tavern, Oxford
April 13 – Maze, Nottingham
April 14 – The Admiral, Glasgow
April 15 – Cluny 2, Newcastle

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