![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEI_260541398-da13-e1753805405604.jpg\")
\n\t\tSam Ryder says his optimism had never been test until Eurovision (Picture: Jack Robinson)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tSam Ryder says his optimism had never been test until Eurovision (Picture: Jack Robinson)<\/p>\n
In 2022, Sam Ryder <\/a>did the unthinkable. He made the UK believe that they actually had the chance to win Eurovision<\/a>.<\/p>\n Like an angel with perfect hair, the Space Man<\/a> singer shot to dizzying heights and secured an incredible second place behind Ukraine.<\/p>\n Following his success, Sam performed at the Queen\u2019s Platinum Jubilee, then sang at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, all before releasing his debut album.<\/a><\/p>\n The album, titled There\u2019s Nothing But Space, Man, <\/a>came with the expected fanfare and then he all but disappeared.<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s so easy to be optimistic and positive when the wind is in your sails,\u2019 Sam, 36, told Metro as he prepared to return to music <\/a>after two years away.<\/p>\n \u2018My optimism had never really been tested [until] that point. And I\u2019m really not gonna say I kept it the whole time because I didn\u2019t. There were times when I felt like a total fraud because, I guess, positivity has always been this thing that I\u2019ve wanted to champion. But there were times I was not positive, not optimistic.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t He likened his rise to being \u2018in the Shire\u2019 at the start of Lord of the Rings, a peaceful and supported start with a \u2018storm cloud\u2019 on the horizon, which life inevitably brings.<\/p>\n \u2018Life started getting really real,\u2019 Sam shared of leaving his label and going independent as he recorded his newly announced album, Heartland. <\/p>\n \u2018That sadness or pessimism or lack of confidence had only reared its head a few times in my life. I thought that I wouldn\u2019t have those feelings again, unless they were just passing through normally, but then they just stuck around for a year, incessantly.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019d never been there for my life. Every day was a struggle to even fathom being confident or optimistic about the future.\u2019<\/p>\n While the Parlophone label was \u2018decimated\u2019, Sam was left having to start from scratch as he wrestled with being \u2018under attack from that incessant sort of voice within that\u2019s trying to pull you down.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t New single, The Feeling Never Went Away, documents Sam\u2019s struggle to free himself from this darkness, but he acknowledges that artists\u2019 intentions don\u2019t always line up with fans\u2019 interpretations.<\/p>\n \u2018As a songwriter, you\u2019re not completely in control,\u2019 he shared. \u2018You\u2019re just there with a guitar and a phrase will come out, and then you chase it. It\u2019s like rabbit down the hole, and then all other words come out, and sort of attach themselves to this train, until the train is a whole song.\u2019<\/p>\n During the process of writing the new album, Sam moved out to Nashville, Tennessee, which is the spiritual homeland of many musicians.<\/p>\n He and his partner<\/a> settled in an old log cabin, finally realising a dream the More hitmaker had had for the last 13 years.<\/p>\n The move reminded him he was making space (man) to build new things while his mind was \u2018being unfair\u2019 and telling him he was \u2018losing things\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018The Space Man era, all those jumpsuit shows, all that stuff without that, none of this is possible. So now, when I sing Space Man live at shows, I\u2019m just so thankful and full of gratitude.\u2019<\/p>\n Sam\u2019s beloved song was a staple when he took to the stage (multiple times) at Glastonbury, for various secret sets as well as an Avalon Stage slot.<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019d never been there before, never played there, had no idea what to expect,\u2019 he confessed of his first trip to Worthy Farm.<\/p>\n \u2018I did five secret sets in total, so much to the point that they weren\u2019t really secret anymore.\u201dThere\u2019s him again\u201d,\u2019 Sam joked. \u2018They were really cool, when you do them, they are quite secret and you\u2019re like, how is anyone gonna know about this?<\/p>\n \u2018But every time people found out and came, and I was just buzzing.\u2019<\/p>\n Later this year, Sam will once again head out on tour with his biggest show ever at Wembley Arena taking place on November 6, just weeks after Heartland is released.<\/p>\n \t\t In a full circle moment, the London venue was also where he saw his first gig at around 13 years old and decided to become a musician.<\/p>\n \u2018I remember leaving that [gig] and knowing what I wanted to do in my life,\u2019 Sam recalled of the fateful evening, thanking Sum 41 for the inspiration.<\/p>\n He even still has the ticket, kindly framed with a poster by his mum, and is planning to put \u2018something\u2019 on the seat he once sat in for one lucky fan.<\/p>\n This is set to be Sam\u2019s only UK headlining gig this year, although he could pop up in your local as he supports a new campaign with Greene King pubs for live music.<\/p>\n On August 8, the \u2018biggest pub gig ever\u2019 will see nearly 800 acts performing in pubs across the UK, including the Tiny Riot hitmaker.<\/p>\n \u2018[I wanted to] do something that felt like I was actually being purposeful that wasn\u2019t just benefiting me,\u2019 Sam explained of the collaboration.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2018It took me till I was 31 years old to get shot at this, and I\u2019d been dreaming about it and never stopping working for that entire time. I didn\u2019t take a break or put down the guitar ever. <\/p>\n \u2018I would do anything to make this work and I know there\u2019s so many other people out there that are in the same position and are doing whatever they can just to stay in the music game that [might feel] their time is running out.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018We all have a responsibility to support grassroots music from people that don\u2019t have [an] advantage.\u2019<\/p>\n Before we say goodbye, Metro had to ask Sam his current thoughts on the possibility of UFOs, since he once saw one in Hawaii.<\/p>\n Laughing, he shared: \u2018I think that believing in aliens and UFOs \u2014 and bear with me here \u2014 is wholly optimistic.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018It\u2019s at base level, a good practice for optimism in your life to believe in UFO. Because for any society to get to a point where they can make the breakthrough of faster than light travel, means that they have, as a society, decided to not use that technology to blow each other up.<\/p>\n \u2018We\u2019re in the throes of it now, it feels like any moment we could be like, \u201cOh, by the way, nuclear war is beginning,\u201d you know. So for a society to transcend the technology, go past that stage and use its collective mind to break through faster than light travel means that that society has found a way to live in harmony and peace.<\/p>\n \u2018So because of that, I think it\u2019s completely a state of optimism to believe in aliens.\u2019<\/p>\n Sam Ryder\u2019s new album Heartland will be released on October 17 and is available to pre-order\u00a0here<\/a>. New single \u2018The Feeling Never Went Away\u2019 is out now.\u00a0<\/p>\n Got a story?<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk<\/a> entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff<\/a> page \u2013 we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n![\"LONDON,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEI_150305562-bca7.jpg\")
\n\t\tSam shot to fame as the UK\u2019s Eurovision entry in 2022 with his hit song Space Man (Picture: Gus Stewart)<\/p>\n![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEI_260541339-4d04.jpg\")
\n\t\t\u2018It\u2019s so easy to be optimistic and positive when the wind is in your sails,\u2019 Sam told Metro (Picture: Jack Robinson)<\/p>\n![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEI_260541411-6bf2.jpg\")
\n\t\tSam headed to a log cabin inNashville to record new music (Picture: Jack Robinson)<\/p>\n![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEI_260541341-e5d1.jpg\")
\n\t\tSam is \u2018thankful\u2019 for the success of Space Man (Picture: Jack Robinson)<\/p>\n![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEI_260541418-63b5.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe singer is preparing for his biggest show ever at London\u2019s Wembley Arena (Picture: Jack Robinson)<\/p>\n![\"BIRMINGHAM,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEI_133367542-5b2b.jpg\")
\n\t\tSam\u2019s top tip for being more optimistic is to believe in UFOs! (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n