On-set of All Night Long with Sam Cullen

Words by Hannah Powell. Images taken by Hugo Wallace.

Yo Vocal had a yarn with Kiwi musician Sam Cullen. Sitting atop two bar stools on the set of his latest music video in Wellington, we talked about ‘All Night Long’, lockdown revelations, and his hometown of Invercargill.

Coming up with the concept before COVID, All Night Long tells a tale of post-breakup heartache. “The video is basically me sitting at a bar leaner by myself looking sad, which is pretty much what the song’s about,” says Sam. Emulating a natural bar scene with Meow’s pub-like aesthetics, this video is one to warm the cockles of your heart. Passing through a local scene of what Sam describes as ‘obnoxious scrapper boys’ and cheeky hook-ups, it’s got that Friday-night student vibe. Filmed by HUMMUCIDE’s Ben Stewart and directed by Tessa Keenan, and with a committed cast of twenty-five mates, it is, in my own opinion, absolute perfection. As Sam said, “everyone pulled through”.

Born and raised in Invercargill, and with a babysitter who played the guitar, Sam got into music when he was seven years old. Receiving a tiny guitar for Christmas soon after, he’s never looked back. At fourteen, he started writing songs and “building stuff up for release,” he said. “There’s a few songs in the bank I’m just sick of sitting on, so [I] just wanna get them out”.

Good news, as the music video for ‘All Night Long’ is revving up the momentum for more. With his recent single release ‘Love Lies’, and the video for ‘All Night Long’, I ask him what’s next. Sam tells me what’s in the works: his plan is to release one more track before his EP later this year. “[The EP is] a collection of songs I’ve written from 2017 to now, all written by me and produced with David Baker and Hayden Budd,” Sam says. “All written in my office in Invercargill, believe it or not.”

Invercargill is Sam’s inspiration, admittedly his creative space. “[It’s] a physical, special thing”, he muses. “A comfortable place that’s familiar.” Curious about his ‘office’, he describes it as a room with a view. “Mum and Dad’s house is in town, but all I can see out my window is farmland. I’m just so used to getting up, and it’s pissing down with rain down there,” he laughs. He says that the southernmost city vibe has definitely influenced his songs. Doing a jazz degree at Te Kōkī - New Zealand School of Music, he agrees Wellington is the place to be. “Everything’s going on here,” he says. “If you wanna play a gig you can play a gig.”

But he can’t not pay homage to his hometown – South Musos Club was a standout. “It’s where I was brought up, so to speak,” he says. “[There are] So many musicians who have the greatest skills and talents.” Grateful for the upbringing and support he’s had in Invercargill; Sam gives thanks to his mentors in Wellington. Arjuna Oakes, specifically, has a special place in his heart.

Sam met him at Smokefree Rockquest in 2018, back when Arjuna was playing keys for The Shambles. Catching him a year later in 2019 at a mutual friend’s flat in Wellington, Arjuna became his mentor for what was to come. Being good mates with Wellington band Corduroy has its perks too - he’s stoked to have opened for them a good few times. Talking about New Zealand, for a humble bit of land there’s “no better place to make music,” he says. Self-describing his sound as “a little bit more on the rock and folk side of pop”, think elements of Bruce Springsteen, Sam Fender, and England’s Radiohead.

He admits being a solo artist is pretty lonely, but he likes not having to rely on anyone but himself. His end-goal is to become a full-time musician. “I wake up every day thinking, ‘right, what am I gonna do to make this happen?’ His goals for the rest of the year are threefold: videos, EP, tour. Hoping for some summer dates, he’s keen to go up to Auckland, down to Christchurch, Dunedin, then further south to the Invers homeland. 

Keep your eyes peeled for a tour announcement mid-August.