Sammy White Is Looking Forward With 'Friend Of A Friend': 'I Have More Stories To Tell'

Sammy White is back with a brand-new single, Friend Of A Friend, today. It’s been nearly a year and a half since we heard new music from the Queensland-based country singer, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been busy.

Discussing the wisdom behind Friend Of A Friend being the right song to open a new era for the artist, White tells Countrytown, “A couple of reasons... this song has been an earworm since the day we wrote it!

“A big part of me wants to release FOAF so I can finally have people singing along with me at shows. It also feels like a great stepping stone in the sound between my last release and the new music yet to come.”

Friend Of A Friend was written with fellow country singer Melanie Dyer, a close friend and one of Australia’s strongest songwriters.

Going back to the day the pair wrote the song, White recalls a “really natural” vibe that came with writing songs and drinking wine together.

“Mel and I have written so many songs together now that it feels like a well-oiled machine,” she says. “Because we’re so close, we can throw around ideas and laugh at ourselves - and it creates a really natural, fun setting, and in turn a great song. Friend Of A Friend was one of the first songs out of a writing trip we’d organised before Mel moved to Nashville. We wrote songs and drank wine for a week; it was awesome.”

Taking some time away from music also changed the way White approached writing and recording music. “Honestly, taking time between releases gave me space to think and feel,” she admits, “not lyrically, but as a whole picture. And I believe I’ve written better songs because of that.”

White also notes that due to having a break, she learned that it’s okay to take your time and return to a creative space when you’re ready. “You can’t pour from an empty cup!”

In the lead-up to the release of Friend Of A Friend, White found herself gravitating towards the songwriting styles of Brandi Carlile, Lauren Watkins, and Kacey Musgraves’ early material for her new music, which she describes as a “new chapter.”

“A lot has happened both musically and personally since I last released new music,” she explains. “It’s a little nerve-racking getting back into the swing of things, but it’s also very exciting, and I can’t wait to finally share this new music that I’m so proud of.”

The excitement and changes to her sound aren’t just fun; White is feeling the full range of emotions towards this release.

“I feel like it’s my first release all over again!” she remarks. Remembering a chaotic moment from the making of Friend Of A Friend, she tells, “Mel and I ended up entering into a karaoke competition at the local pub after writing this song. We had a few wines and sang Shania Twain, and it was great.”

While Friend Of A Friend is officially out in the world, White was wishing she could “leak” it to a few music icons.

“My first answer is always Miranda Lambert, because my life goal is to be best friends with her,” she reveals. “But I would also have to say Lauren Watkins. Her ‘Heartbroken Record’ album has been playing on repeat since a friend sent it to me over 12 months ago. And I’m so excited she’s coming to Aus next year.”

As for how Friend Of A Friend sets up what’s to come for Sammy White, fans won’t have anything to worry about: she’s combining country, singer-songwriter vibes with contemporary country sounds. Her upcoming music features banjos, fiddles, “and all sorts of country,” with Friend Of A Friend marking a middle ground between old and new music.

The song was born following a show last year, where White became aware of “false rumours” circling among concertgoers. She and Dyer got talking – they opened up about the power of stories and rumours, and how they can twist and travel, and how the truth gets lost in a pile of hearsay.

“This song is a great middle ground between my previous releases and the new music I’ve been working on,” White adds, “As I’m getting older, my songwriting continues to naturally develop and change - I have more stories to tell, more life experience and more influences. I think that’s really cool. And that can be heard in my upcoming music.”

Friend Of A Friend is out now.