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Track-by-Track: Sam Drysdale Dives into ‘Bonnie’s Sad Songs’

Up-and-coming singer-songwriter Sam Drysdale joins us for an exclusive track-by-track rundown of his latest record ‘Bonnie’s Sad Songs.’

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Sam Drysdale, photo by Helder Matias
Sam Drysdale, photo by Helder Matias

Songwriting and storytelling are basically attached at the hip, especially when it comes to Sam Drysdale. The singer-songwriter uses his music as his outlet to explore his thoughts, his feelings, and his experiences. He just released his new album Bonnie’s Sad Songs last month via Slaight Music. He views the album as the latest chapter in his journey as a songwriter. His third proper record, he views the album as a personal exploration of heartbreak and self-discovery. Drysdale also views the record as a return to his musical roots, an offering of songs based around guitar-focused storytelling.

Bonnie’s Sad Songs is the follow-up to 2022’s Testarossa: Fully Loaded. The songs are mostly structured around acoustic instrumentation coupled with Drysdale’s heartfelt lyrics. Each song stands as a lesson learned. They document the highs and lows of a previous relationship that helped shape his understanding of what he views love to be. Throughout the record, Drysdale proudly stays true to his roots while not being afraid to let his vulnerability show through.

Sam Drysdale joins us today for an exclusive Track-by-Track rundown of Bonnie’s Sad Songs and how the songs all came about.

1. “Only The Strong Survive”

“This is the song that almost wasn’t! It was the second last song we worked on for Bonnie’s Sad Songs and almost fell by the wayside completely. It’s essentially about a woman who has become hardened through repeated failed relationships. The big twist in the final chorus is that the entire song is actually sung through the perspective of one of her past loves who failed to be good enough for her. At its heart, ‘Only The Strong Survive’ is really about how love is most maturely displayed through action.”

2. “Bonnie”

“An ode to Bonnie & Clyde! This was the first song I wrote for this project and, at the time, seemingly came out of nowhere. I had just watched The Highwaymen and I really liked how they portrayed Bonnie Parker. For the first time, she was really at the helm of their criminal enterprise. She was the fearsome one. This whole album is an exploration into different lessons learned about love and I just thought Bonnie and Clyde provided an excellent framework for a certain kind of passionate, but dangerous relationship.”

Sam Drysdale ‘Bonnie’s Sad Songs’ album artwork

3. “Love & Violence”

“The first song Joey Verskotzi and I recorded for the project! This song is really about the fine line that can exist in relationships between selfishness and selflessness. It’s about the blurred lines that can happen when you’ve been in a long-term relationship, and it becomes hard to tell how pure your motivations are. I liked these two words together because, to me, they represented polar opposite behaviours. In its purest moments, love is always displayed through selfless acts. Putting someone else before you entirely.

“Violence is almost always committed out of self-interest or self-preservation. This song was really an attempt to flesh these ideas out and show both the beauty and the chaos of trying to love someone the best you can.”

4. “Any Other Season”

“‘Season’ is a reference to the different stages of life someone goes through. This song is all about how, in order for a relationship to truly last, you’ll have to see and support your partner through many different chapters of life. Even if some are incredibly difficult to navigate. This was the first time that I’ve ever released two versions of a song (‘Spring’ + ‘Winter’). We chose to do this because we felt the song needed expressing across two totally different sonic landscapes. One which used colours of sadness, and one which used colours of anger and frustration.”

5. “Would’ve Been Beautiful”

“The true inspiration behind the ‘Sad Songs,’ portion of the album title. This is the saddest song on the record. It’s about the family that you’ll never have with someone. The house, the children, all of it. It’s probably the best song I’ve ever written, and the twist at the end still breaks my heart every time I listen to it.”

6. “Cherry Summer Dress”

“The one happy song on the record! I thought it would be funny to have the final song of the album end with a happy song that acknowledges it’s a happy song. ‘Happy songs have always come so hard, but if I had to write one, this is where I’d start.’ This song is a love letter to someone very special to me. I’ll leave it at that!”

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