Sammy Rae & The Friends

Sammy Rae & The Friends
Sammy Rae & The Friends playing at the 2025 NC Folk Fest
Background information
OriginBrooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Genres
Years active2016–present
LabelsNettwerk
Members
  • Sammy Rae – lead vocals
  • C-Bass Chiriboga – drums
  • James Quinlan – bass
  • Will Leet – guitar
  • Debbie Tjong – keyboards
  • Max Zooi – tenor sax, synths
  • Kellon Reese – alto sax
Websitewww.sammyrae.com

Sammy Rae & The Friends is an American jazz-pop band from Brooklyn, New York City, led by singer-songwriter Samantha "Sammy Rae" Bowers. Formed in 2016, the group is known for high-energy live shows; in February 2024 they played two sold-out nights at Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club.[1] Their debut studio album, Something for Everybody, was released on September 20, 2024, via Nettwerk, following the EPs The Good Life (2018) and Let's Throw a Party (2021).[2]

The band has released two albums, one live album, and two EPs. Bowers' musical style is influenced by funk, jazz, rock, folk, and pop.[3]

History

Singer Samantha Bowers assembled the Friends in New York after moving to the city in her late teens; early shows and singles in 2018 led to a rapid live following and a sold-out hometown EP release show for The Good Life.[1] A 2020 Boston Globe profile described the ensemble as a “musical community” with horns, rhythm section and backing vocalists, noting sellouts and expanded touring around the Northeast.[4]

In 2024 the band’s U.S. touring included two sold-out dates at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.,[1] and European festival appearances such as North Sea Jazz in Rotterdam.[5] The group also appeared in a national public radio mini-concert segment in 2025.[6]

On July 23, 2025, the band released a surprise covers album, Songs We Wish We Wrote.[7][8]

Musical style and influences

Coverage often describes the group’s sound as a blend of jazz, soul, rock and pop with an emphasis on ensemble interplay and audience participation.[1][9]

In interviews, bandleader Samantha “Sammy Rae” Bowers has cited classic “big-band” rock acts as touchstones—particularly Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band—and named artists such as Queen (Freddie Mercury), Fleetwood Mac and the Beatles among formative influences.[10][11][12]

Members

  • Sammy Rae – lead vocals
  • C-Bass Chiriboga – drums
  • James Quinlan – bass guitar
  • Will Leet – guitar
  • Debbie Tjong – keyboards
  • Max Zooi – tenor saxophone; synthesizers
  • Kellon Reese – alto saxophone

[5][13]

Sammy Rae

Sammy Rae
Sammy Rae & The Friends playing at the 2025 NC Folk Fest
Background information
Born
Samantha Rae Bowers

(1994-01-04) January 4, 1994
Derby, Connecticut, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • ukulele
  • banjo
  • guitar
Years active2016–present
Labels
Websitesammyrae.com

Samantha Rae Bowers[14] (born January 4, 1994), known professionally as Sammy Rae, is an American musician and the leader Sammy Rae & The Friends.[15][16][17]

Early life

Rae was born in Derby, Connecticut on January 4, 1994. Rae enjoyed singing from a very young age, starting with nursery rhymes as a toddler.[18] When she was young, her parents fostered her interest in the arts, taking her to participate in a children’s theatre company in Shelton, after-school choirs, and piano lessons.[19] She realized that she wanted to be a songwriter at the age of 12 after watching a segment on VH1 about Bruce Springsteen.[20] When she was 15, she played her first show.[19] She attended Sacred Heart Academy, a private, all-girls Catholic high school with uniform requirements and little chance for self-expression, where she was a member of the art scene.[19][21] She then attended the University of New Haven for one year studying sound engineering and audio technology.[22] In 2013, at the age of 19, Rae moved to New York City to pursue songwriting and study music and teaching at Manhattan College.[23] She dropped out in 2014 and worked waiting tables while pursuing music in her free time.

Career

Rae took up a six-month residency at the Cotton Club jazz lounge in Harlem, while regularly singing at open mic shows and writing and recording her own songs.[21] It was during this period that she met the six other musicians who became her bandmates in 2016.[23] At this time, she was also a member of folk-rock band "Newcomers Club".[24] In November 2016, she released her first album, Sugar, with 10-tracks recorded at Flux Studios on the Lower East Side.[18] She later deleted the album, claiming it was "off-brand".

In 2018, her band, Sammy Rae & The Friends, released their EP The Good Life, followed in 2021 by their EP Let's Throw a Party.[25] In 2021, the band was selected for the American Music Abroad program.[26] Through 2021 and 2022, the band gained popularity on Spotify, partly due to being featured on the platform's "Discover Weekly" playlist.[23]

The band released their debut studio album, Something For Everybody, on September 20, 2024.[27]

Influences

Rae stated she was influenced by church music (particularly gospel music) and classic rock, as well as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon for vocals, and the E Street Band for their group dynamics.[28] The band's style is influenced by the diverse musical backgrounds of all its members, with genres such as jazz, rock, funk, folk, theater, and world music.[23]

Personal life

Rae is queer. As such, her music often includes themes of queer and female empowerment. This is most apparent in their song "Jackie Onassis," which Rae has stated is "a love song to my first crushes, and it’s also a love song to all young women."[29]

Discography

EPs

Release date Name
July 20, 2018 The Good Life[30]
January 22, 2021 Let's Throw A Party[31]

Albums

Release date Name
May 27, 2013 Celebrate my Heart
November 4, 2016 Sugar
August 11, 2023 The If It All Goes South Tour (Live)[32]
September 20, 2024 Something For Everybody[2]
July 23, 2025 Songs We Wish We Wrote[33][34]

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
AAA
"Thieves"
(with The Friends) 		2024 34 Something for Everybody

Tours

Headlining

  • Follow Me Like The Moon Tour (2021)[35]
  • If It All Goes South (2022)[36]
  • CAMP: The Tour! (2023)[37]
  • Something For Everybody (2024-2025)

Notable performances

  • October 7, 2021 — New York City, NY; Brooklyn Steel: sold-out hometown show.[38]
  • February 16–17, 2024 — Washington, D.C.; 9:30 Club: two sold-out shows.[1]
  • July 12, 2024 — Rotterdam, Netherlands; North Sea Jazz Festival.[5]
  • December 31, 2024 — Washington, D.C.; The Anthem: New Year’s Eve performance.[39][40]
  • June 29, 2025 — Hartford, CT; The Capitol Groove festival.[41]
  • July 27, 2025 — Newport, RI; Newport Folk Festival.[42][43]
  • September 13, 2025 — Louisville, KY; Bourbon & Beyond: evening slot; joined the all-star finale with Ringo Starr.[44][45][46]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Solano, Sophia (February 14, 2024). "Sammy Rae & the Friends have a leader, but the magic is in their mix". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Sammy Rae & The Friends Release Highly Anticipated Debut Album Something For Everybody". Nettwerk. September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  3. ^ Reavis, Lily (February 14, 2020). "Sammy Rae talks origins, influences and the Friends, announces upcoming performance at Mount Holyoke". Mount Holyoke College.
  4. ^ Feldberg, Isaac (February 7, 2020). "Conn.-raised jazz-rock singer Sammy Rae brings her Friends to the Sinclair this weekend". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "Sammy Rae & The Friends – North Sea Jazz 2024 Program". North Sea Jazz. July 12, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  6. ^ "Tune in to a mini-concert with Sammy Rae & The Friends". KCRW/NPR Music. February 13, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  7. ^ "Songs We Wish We Wrote". Apple Music. July 23, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  8. ^ Relix/JamBase Staff (August 18, 2025). "Sammy Rae & The Friends Join Lake Street Dive in Portland, Maine". JamBase. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  9. ^ "Tune in to a mini-concert with Sammy Rae & The Friends". KCRW/NPR Music. February 13, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  10. ^ "Sammy Rae talks about authenticity, expression and Springsteen ahead of sold-out Pittsburgh show". TribLive. September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  11. ^ "Sammy Rae on her music and ever-growing network of Friends". WHRB. June 18, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  12. ^ "Musiq Scene: Sammy Rae". Tagg Magazine. September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  13. ^ "Review & Setlist: Sammy Rae & The Friends radiate positivity and light at Roadrunner". Boston.com. November 16, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  14. ^ Nunn, Jerry (November 5, 2021). "Sammy Rae". GoPride.
  15. ^ Feldberg, Isaac (February 7, 2020). "Conn.-raised jazz-rock singer Sammy Rae brings her Friends to the Sinclair this weekend". The Boston Globe.
  16. ^ Bastian, Annie (November 16, 2020). "Artist of the Month: Sammy Rae". Ball State University.
  17. ^ Shaffer, Delaney (October 12, 2021). "Sammy Rae & The Friends set to perform at Westcott Theater with Sarah Gross". The Daily Orange.
  18. ^ a b Sanci, Elissa (November 23, 2016). "Sammy Rae Doesn't Sugar-Coat Anything: The Not-So-Sweet Reality of Independent Artists". Medium.
  19. ^ a b c Schlansky, Evan (September 29, 2023). "Derby-Native Sammy Rae to Play Sound on Sound Music Festival Saturday". CT Examiner.
  20. ^ Amarante, Joe (August 28, 2019). "Derby-raised Sammy Rae brings The Friends to Space Ballroom Sept. 5". Connecticut Post.
  21. ^ a b Pollauf, Colette (April 9, 2022). "More than a band: Sammy Rae & The Friends creates community for queer youth". The Huntington News.
  22. ^ Cope, Oliver (March 7, 2022). "Sammy Rae Sits Down With The Argus and Talks The Friends, Lyrical Inspiration, and Female Empowerment". The Wesleyan Argus.
  23. ^ a b c d Doyle, Céilí (March 17, 2022). "Why Sammy Rae & The Friends is the perfect band for the pandemic era". The Columbus Dispatch.
  24. ^ "Keeping it Colorful and Communal With Sammy Rae". people who do. January 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  25. ^ Walthall, Catherine (April 16, 2022). "Sammy Rae & The Friends: We're Throwing a Party & You're Invited". American Songwriter.
  26. ^ "Sammy Rae and Friends". American Music Abroad.
  27. ^ Sharpe, Josh (May 15, 2024). "Sammy Rae & The Friends to Release Debut Album; Lead Single Available Now". Broadway World.
  28. ^ MILANO, BRETT (October 16, 2022). "Sammy Rae & The Friends ready to change the world". Boston Herald.
  29. ^ Watson, Rob (November 11, 2022). "Sammy Rae & The Friends bring musical effervescence to LA". Los Angeles Blade.
  30. ^ "Sammy Rae & The Friends – The Good Life (EP)". The Boston Globe. February 7, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  31. ^ "Sammy Rae & The Friends Announce New EP Let's Throw A Party". Nettwerk. December 11, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  32. ^ "The If It All Goes South Tour (Live)". Spotify. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  33. ^ "Songs We Wish We Wrote". Apple Music. July 23, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  34. ^ "Songs We Wish We Wrote". Spotify. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  35. ^ GENSLER, ANDY (March 9, 2022). "How Sammy Rae & The Friends Have Fans Following Them To The Moon: Rae Co-Manager Doug Shaw & Paladin Artists' Seth Rappaport Break It Down". Pollstar.
  36. ^ WEATHERBY, TAYLOR (October 19, 2022). "ReImagined At Home: Sammy Rae Scats Through A Bouncy Rendition Of Billy Joel's "The River Of Dreams"". Grammy Awards.
  37. ^ Lichty, Emily (October 8, 2023). "Concert meets camp at Sammy Rae & The Friends' 'Camp: The Tour'". The Daily Northwestern.
  38. ^ "A dazzling return to NYC for Sammy Rae & The Friends". Quip Magazine. October 12, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  39. ^ "D.C. New Year's Eve parties with bands, DJs and dancing". The Washington Post. December 4, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  40. ^ "11 New Year's Eve Parties, Concerts, and Shows in the DC Area". Washingtonian. December 19, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  41. ^ "Lineup 2025 – The Capitol Groove". The Capitol Groove. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  42. ^ "Newport Folk Festival 2025 Lineup (Sunday)". JamBase. July 27, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  43. ^ Lewis, Mick (August 11, 2025). "Newport Folk Festival – Fort Adams State Park (July 25–27, 2025)". The Big Takeover. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  44. ^ "Bourbon & Beyond announces daily set times, lineup for 2025". Courier-Journal. August 21, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  45. ^ "Bourbon & Beyond 2025 announces full lineup and set times". LEO Weekly. August 22, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  46. ^ "Beyond Genre: Bourbon & Beyond 2025 Nails The Recipe (Review)". Live For Live Music. September 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
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