New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Just Me (Sam's Song) is the upcoming single from Liverpool's roots musician Steve O'Connor, which has received huge interest from producers working on films and documentaries about Autism worldwide.
Samantha, or Sam as she likes to be called, a young lady with Autism from Edinburgh in Scotland and herself a singer and visual artist, inspired Steve to write the song Just Me (Sam's Song). Sam's mother played the demo to the producer of a 6 part series on autism, which is currently being filmed after she exceeded all expectations given to her parents by doctors when she was young. The producers of the documentary requested the full studio production of the song, which was recorded in May 2017.
As a prolific songwriter who has had his music performed worldwide by a variety of artists, Steve O'Connor was asked to feature at a 9/11 Memorial Concert in New York for his track Fallen City, which was originally composed for the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989 and adapted into Fallen City NYC. Steve wrote Just Me (Sam's Song) to raise awareness about what Autism means from the inside looking outwards, for those whose voice is sometimes not heard. This is their song in their own voice.
Over his musical career, Steve O'Connor has received acclaim for his fresh and timeless song-writing and recordings, such as a feature in a Journal of
Roots music called No Depression in 2014. On Steve's album Roll the Dice (2008), journalist Tom Semioli writes: "O'Connor could put this album out every year and it will still sound as fresh, passionate and contemporary as those rendered by tunesmiths half his age".
Steve is working on a new album and the first release from this album in 2018 will be Just Me (Sam's Song), which is currently doing the rounds amongst film and documentary makers currently working on portrayals of people with autism from New Zealand, France, Canada and Los Angeles. Steve has played everywhere from the Blue Bird Café in Nashville to Scotland, where he first picked up a guitar and later created the tribute track Hail Caledonia, which has led to him headlining concerts celebrating music from Scotland organised by societies in New York.
Showing that no inspiration is out of reach, Steve's record company chairman asked him to write about greed and the present imbalances of the world today, which led to the song The Needs of the Many, which exemplifies the musical integrity of this prolific, inspired songwriter and roots musician's sustained recording career.
Just Me (Sam's Song) was released on Aardvark Records on 24 February 2018 and is available on digital record sales sites as well as a listen link on major charities supporting those with Autism such as Scottish Autism and Axia ASD.
