Samuel Taylor – Little World: Suffolk indie-folk newcomer Samuel Taylor signs to No Roads Records and releases anticipated debut single ‘Little World’.
It feels like Samuel Taylor’s come out of nowhere – literally, emerging in 2025 from a remote forest in Suffolk like some musical beast with perfectly formed, emotionally resonant indie-folk songs that capture both feeling like you’re playing your favourite old album, but also struggling to identify who his dreamworld voice reminds you of, because the answer is… well, nobody. At just 23, Samuel is already creating his own little world of contemporary indie-folk – cinematic, transportive and effortlessly gorgeous.
His unique sound was formed out of an isolated childhood in the countryside, swimming in rivers, cycling in forests, and learning banjo by ear to his dad’s old bluegrass records, before picking up a guitar and finding his voice. A swerve into a contemporary music degree and Americana session work, led to the discovery of his music heroes Bears Den and Johnny
Flynn, and his own unique path into indie folk, writing heart-rending songs about love, and longing, that somehow leave you feeling that however bad things get, it will all be alright.
Produced and mixed by Jesse Quin at Old Jet and mastered by Kevin Tuffy at Tuff Mastering, Taylor’s new single ‘Little World’ captures the essence of his sound, carrying the elegant emotive whimsy of Sufjan Stevens whilst evoking the soulful depth of Neil Young and early Ben Howard. From the delicately picked acoustic guitar and intimate vocals of the opening, the track expands through subtle layers of strings, keys, banjo, and percussive drums, building into a stunning soundscape that underscores the emotive yet resilient character of Taylor’s performance. The recording features Samuel Taylor on vocals, guitar, and banjo; Jesse Quin on drums, bass and keys, as well as Ross Holmes contributing violin and Paul Frith.
Of his first single Samuel says: “With Little World I wanted to try and show the feelings of loving someone who has a fragility that we didn’t cause, that becomes part of our life, too. It asks how we navigate a relationship that contains a damage that’s nobody’s fault, but sometimes feels like it can’t be solved. I wrote the chorus, “I’m tired of trying for you” about the times when that broken thing resurfaces and tries to pull you apart – but also what it feels like when you get round it, and keep going. It’s about finding the courage to reveal the parts of ourselves we think others won’t accept, and the reward of seeing the person you love start to feel safe.”
Early this year, Samuel played his first songs to Suffolk-based musician and producer Jesse Quin (Keane, Mt. Desolation) who signed him on the spot to his No Roads Records label. Little World was recorded at Quin’s Old Jet Studio which lies out on an abandoned Cold War airbase in the countryside – fitting for a debut artist who comes from the middle of nowhere, but – if this first release is anything to go by – is going to be everywhere.
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Credits:
Vocals, guitar, banjo – Samuel Taylor
Drum, bass, keyboards, pedal steel – Jesse Quin
Violin – Ross Holmes
Brass – Paul Frith
Produced and mixed by Jesse Quin at Old Jet
Mastered by Kevin Tuffy at Tuff Mastering
Samuel Taylor – Little World
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