Northern singer-songwriter Sam Macdonald dropped his first solo single ‘Distant Light’ on September 23, 2025, taking a big leap into independent territory. Coming from Carlisle, Macdonald has been creating music for over a decade, and has shared stages with heavy hitters such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Telescopes, and Dead Skeletons, while building a name for himself in the indie scene. His sound pulls from childhood staples—Buddy Holly vibes and his dad’s old 50s and 60s tapes—mixed with Scouse and Northern icons like The La’s, The Coral, Shack, Echo & the Bunnymen, Oasis, and The Stone Roses. Add in classics from Neil Young, R.E.M., Teenage Fanclub, The Rolling Stones, plus Motown’s groove and hip-hop’s rhythmic punch, and you’ve got a foundation that’s shaped his knack for blending melody with beat.

The track itself is a quirky fusion of rock, pop, and soul elements, delivered with a melodic twist that’s anything but straightforward. Macdonald channels those varied inspirations into something intimate, sharpening the edges for a personal touch. Lyrically, it weaves themes of chasing freedom, transformation, and glimpses of what’s ahead, all wrapped in a sound that’s concise and punchy with an alternative slant that sets it apart from his group efforts.

This shift to solo work highlights Macdonald‘s drive for self-direction, moving away from team dynamics to own every beat and visual. Sam Macdonald shared: “I have learned a lot about what I want to make. This is a movement towards something that is not driven by trying to appease other people’s ideas of what is right and wrong. The basslines, the drums and everything else is all at my direction. The make-up of everything, audio, visual is all driven by myself.” He wrapped up his mindset with: “Rarely is anything set in stone or black and white I think is certainly one thing. And making the most of what is right for you in an artistic sense, staying true to yourself.”

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