What's On in Brisbane

Sam Buckingham | Beautiful Machine Tour Saturday 21 March | Lefty's Music Hall, Brisbane Since releasing her career defining album DEAR JOHN in 2022, Sam Buckingham has built a cult like following on the Australian live circuit. She’s lapped the country six times on sold out headline tours and jumped on tour with some of the countries biggest names like Paul Kelly, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Whitlam’s and Ben Lee. She’s also played at Woodford, Wild Village and Queenscliff Music Festivals and toured with the Festival of Small Halls. 2026 sees the release of Sam’s new album “Beautiful Machine”, a cross-Pacific collaboration with Australian-born Nashville-based producer Clare “LOLLIES” Reynolds. “I’ve been falling deeper in love with my body and the Earth” says Sam. “In a time when we’re seemingly obsessed with building ‘bigger and better’ technology, all I can think about is how the natural world is so brilliantly designed — it’s the most beautiful machine we’ll ever have.” Sam says the songs for Beautiful Machine were written on hikes, beach walks, lying on the couch in her underwear and on long drives to see her family (while someone else was driving, of course). They mark a new chapter in her songwriting career, and in her life. “The last six years have been a process of unlearning almost everything I thought I knew about myself and the world around me. I’ve seen and felt more pain in the last six years than the 37 prior — not necessarily because things have gotten worse, but because my eyes are finally open. So many people I talk to are going through similar processes and that makes me really hopeful… When we feel that pain then work together to create change, magic happens. So, this album is a love letter to myself, my body, the earth and all of humanity. As we keep progressing, my only wish is that we remember we ARE the natural world — and we must care for ourselves and each other accordingly.” Influenced by the lyrical honesty of Jensen McRae, Brandi Carlisle & Ani DiFranco, the anthemic energy of Maggie Rogers, and the rhythmic flow of artists like LaRussell and Connor Price, Sam’s unique sensibility for marrying poetry with pop shines as she effortlessly weaves her personal truth into the fabric of the global zeitgeist. The 2026 Beautiful Machine tour will see Sam reach every corner of the country, treating audiences to intimate acoustic versions of crowd favourites from her previous releases - DEAR JOHN, Cyclone and Quiet Revolution - and using Ableton Push to live loop, sample, and bring these stunning new songs to life. “Masterful songwriting” - Kate Miller Heidke “Iconic” - Kia Handley (ABC) “Powerful” - Bernard Zuel "Byron Bay's next big thing" - Courier Mail