Entertainment Swindon

I met Sammi Evans for the first time on her wedding day, I’ve known her now husband Alex for a few years and he asked if I could photograph their wedding.

After the ceremony, we headed off to one of the most fun wedding parties I’ve been to in a long time, there was no DJ, there wasn’t any cheesy wedding band, instead, being a musician, Sammi invited all her musician friends to have one big acoustic jamming session!

I found out Sammi is a lead singer for covers band, Strange Horizons which she joined in May 2025, as well as working on a solo career writing her own music. This week I was sent her newly recorded single ‘The Shadow‘ and I was blown away! Its songs like this that makes you wonder why so many grassroots solo artists and bands never get in the charts with all the crap that gets pumped out by the major record labels. Back in the early 2000s, I was living in London and fell into putting on gigs at a live music venue in Hammersmith/Fulham, and regularly given demo CDs which I still have today and are still some of the best music I own, over 20yrs on.

Speaking to Sammi, about her switch to solo career and writing her own music, I asked if she was still performing with the cover band, Sammi said: “Im still with the band, but my main focus is is on my solo stuff though”.

When asked about the inspiration of Sammi’s new single, released last week on Spotify, Apple Music & YouTube, titled ‘The Shadow‘, she said: “It is a story of strength, battling through tough times and coming out the other side a stronger person. Battling your own shadows and monsters, to over come them in our own time”.

It’s been a long and tough journey for Sammi, who taught herself to sing at a young age playing guitar and the piano. Talking about her childhood, Sammi said: “My childhood wasn’t the best due to the abusive nature of my parents, that then lead on to me not making the best choices in relationships. Although singing has always been my dream and really the only thing I’ve ever really been good at all of my confidence was lost over the years, so releasing my new single means a lot to me”.

Sammi went on to say: “Its been a journey, its not been easy, if my childhood wasn’t enough, I was hit by the news of a tumour in my neck, and was told I was on the verge of paralysis with zero function. I had my neck taken apart like a jigsaw and then had to have my spine fused.

I was told there was a very high chance I would lose the ability to speak let alone sing. So I worked really hard on getting my voice back”.

Sammi’s story, determination to pursue her dream of performing, singing, is nothing short of mesmerising, a true story of winning through against all odds. In July 2023, Sammi started performing at open mic nights, performing with backing tracks, speaking about those early open mic nights, Sammi said: “You could hear the absolute terror in my voice whilst on stage. I then started going to the jam at the Southgate in Devizes every Wednesday, then in January 2024 I decided I was going to learn to play the guitar because no one ever knew the songs I really wanted to sing. And that then gave me the encouragement to actually write my own songs.

As soon as I picked up the guitar, I started taking it to open mic nights and using it, so along with my ADHD it pushed me to get better. People used to tell me how brave it was that I was doing it… My answer was always or stupid, only time will tell… But it definitely worked out!

“The Shadow‘ has got such a multifaceted meaning to it, I knew I had to record and release it… It is, I think it’s something that so many people will understand and relate to in their own way, which I absolutely love!

Keep up to date with Sammi’s music career, upcoming gigs, and other news, check out her Facebook page: Click HERE.

Check out Sammi Evans Link Tree for all of her socials:

Click HERE.