Organisations utilized: The Saving Grace Collective / Saving Grace Music
Period: 2019 – 2023
About Samh
Samh (pronounced “Sam Heych”) are a Wild Psychedelic Folklore band based in Huddersfield. Samh was formed in 2012 by the supremely talented Sam Hodgson, a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and music teacher who has taught in prisons, hospices, and for NEET and disadvantaged children throughout Kirklees. The Samh sound is both organic and otherworldly, introspective and celebratory, delivered with a diverse range of unusual instruments and Sam’s authentically-Northern, dulcet tones.
Samh’s music is intimately tied to nature, whether that’s our inner nature, the wilderness outside, or the convergence of these interconnected worlds. It’s fitting then that the band’s first EP Samh in a Green House was indeed recorded in a greenhouse. 2013 saw the release of the band’s second EP, Spin Us Still, and the evolution of the band into a five piece outfit. The band’s next release was the stunning Migration Patterns EP, released in 2015, representing a maturer, more confident sound that was easily as good as anything on mainstream radio at the time.
Samh began building a fan following, receiving support on radio and blogs, and playing festivals such as Bath Folk Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Leeds Fest and Tramlines Festival. In 2019, ready to take the next step of their musical journey, Samh signed to Saving Grace Music. Samh released their first record on the label the same year, the glowinglow EP, to an excellent reception. They followed this up with their debut LP, Fat of the Apple, released on Saving Grace in 2021, an astonishing body of work that received excellent reviews.
Samh’s latest project is Songs Of Place, a ten track EP about Huddersfield and surrounding villages, with each track being recorded in the place it was named after. A limited edition CD and lyric book version of Songs Of Place was recently released on Saving Grace.
Our Aims
Samh’s signing to Saving Grace was motivated by two distinct aims – increasing the band’s exposure, and maintaining creative integrity. As part of our Artist Development Program, Saving Grace provided Samh with multi-faceted support in various areas of the artistic process:
Brand Development
● Art direction and guidance.
● Promo music video production.
● Logo design.
● Single, EP and LP artwork design.
● Merchandise design.
Profile Growth / Increased Exposure / Promotion
● Marketing and promotion strategy consultancy.
● Social media management and engagement.
● Spotify play-listing.
● Music blog engagement.
● PR Campaign for singles and videos and album as a whole.
● Promotion to Radio DJs, print and online press.
● Pitching to Sync agencies globally.
Music Production Assistance
● Audio engineering assistance and guidance.
● Mixing services.
● Creating radio edits for promotion.
● Album and single mastering services.
Development of Professional Practice
● Press release and biography writing.
● Press pictures.
● Application of metadata to music releases.
● Digital release on all major streaming platforms via the Saving Grace Music label imprint.
● CD and artist merchandise manufacture and global distribution via Saving Grace Music.
Creative Integrity
Sam reflected on the decision to sign to Saving Grace in an interview: “I’ve always been really wary of record labels in the past, but with Saving Grace, I really believe in their attitude towards life, music, art, and everything… I don’t think a lot of labels offer such a great amount of creative freedom.”
The Outcomes
Since signing to Saving Grace in 2019, Samh’s Fan engagement, streams, record sales and overall online following has dramatically increased.
Below you’ll find a breakdown of his online engagement and its increase to current date.
● Followers: 287% increase
● Engagement rate: 55% increase
● Followers: 56% increase
● Retweets: 400% increase
● Followers: 20% increase
● Engagement: 147% increase
Bandcamp
● Streams: 230% increase
● Download Purchases: 147% increase
● Physical Purchases: 205% increase
Spotify
● Listeners: 300% increase
● Followers: 407% increase
● Streams: 213% increase
● Playlisting: Now listed on 103 different playlists globally
Youtube
● Subscribers: 16% increase
● Plays: 1490% increase
Physical Sales
● CD:
● Merchandise:
In Summary
Working with Samh as part of our Artist Development Program has been highly successful. The collaboration with Saving Grace has allowed the band to maintain their creative integrity, while reaching a wider fanbase with their authentic sound, as tangibly demonstrated by our statistics. We are happy to report that the aims of this project have been accomplished.
