There are not many in the shire who wouldn’t know Sam Snape, and for good reason.
Born in Gunnedah, raised in Mullaley, and now settled in Boggabri, Sam is a big part of the community.
Over the last two years, Sam has been able to grow his music career in ways he wasn’t even expecting.
From appearing on Australian Idol, to releasing a few singles turned whole album, raising money for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, to performing for major crowds at Australia’s biggest country music festival and then going on to win one of the most sought-after awards, Sam is in no way looking to slow down anytime soon.
Music has always been a big part of Sam’s life, with early memories from his childhood taking place at his grandparents’ old piano.
“I started playing piano when I was probably three or four,” Sam said.
“I remember going around to Grandma and Grandpa’s place and as soon as you walked in the door of the flat where they lived, there was a big piano, I used to love just going and trying to make some sort of sound out of it.
“Grandpa used to hum nursery rhymes and stuff to me and I slowly started to work out that his hum and the piano could sound the same and I worked out how to play these nursery rhymes, so he used to keep just humming these tunes.
“It worked out I could sort of half play by ear and my love of music started there.”
His love for the piano and making music led him to go on to try the guitar, where he spent some years taking lessons, but while he enjoyed singing and playing music, his shyness often got in the way of letting him perform in front of people.
The dream was to be a musician, up on stage and doing what all the greats before him had done.
But after some time, the dream was pushed back and Sam pursued other things, going on to set up life as a farmer in Boggabri.
It wasn’t after getting married and having his first child, that Snape began to write and make music again.
“Growing up I always used to say, ‘that’ll be me one day up there making the music,’ but at the same time I was shy, and I didn’t like expressing myself in front of people like that.” Sam said.
“Music was always in the back of my mind, but I never ever thought I’d sort of get to be doing more and more like I am now.
“[music has] sort of always just been there.
“It was until seven or eight years ago and once [my wife and I] started having kids, that I got the courage to start singing in front of people.
“I picked up a gig at the Drover’s Campfire, and it was the first time I had ever played in front of anyone and sang, so I was just nervous as hell, there might have been 100 or 150 people, but it was a good crowd and I ended up having a great time.”
Since then, Snape has gone on to release eight singles and one album, a process which he said he fell in love with.
The album, Good Things, was released in October 2025.
Recently, he also released a song co-written by Anthony Snape who was this year’s Australia Day ambassador for Gunnedah.
“Big Love in a Small Town is written about our community,” Sam said.
“When you grow up in a small town, where everyone sort of knows everyone, it really is just like a big family, so the idea of the song is just to try and express that a bit more and get it out to people like in the city that maybe don’t understand that.
“We’re a fair distance apart, which is a bit of a bugger, but we throw ideas at each other, he’ll send a bit of a clip through and then I’ll send something back to him, so a lot of it is just via phone.
“As for actually recording it and getting it produced, I went to Sydney to see Michael Carpenter who produces all of my music, so after I recorded my section, Anthony recorded his and sent it to Michael who put it all together for us.
“But we hadn’t performed the song together until we caught up at Tamworth Country Music Festival.
“It was a completely different experience singing it live with Anthony, but it was so good.”
Sam’s music reflects his life, from being on the farm, to the little things that make him happy like his trusty old hat, to his love for his family.
Inspiration strikes at different times, and no two songs are made the same.
The music for one of his most popular songs, Good Things, had been made 15 years prior with the lyrics only coming to him after his kids were born.
“All my music so far is as true and honest as it can get, it’s all my life,” Sam said.
“I’m just trying to share my journey on the farm.
“People often ask me, if I come up with the lyrics or the actual music first, and there’s not really one answer, I’m sort of all over the shop, it all just depends.
“But for my song Good Things, I remember playing that particular riff, telling myself I’m going to write a song to this one day, and that could have been 15 years ago.
“And it wasn’t until Kayla and I were married and we had the kids, that I actually found the words for this song and actually finished it.”
This year, Sam had a packed schedule at Tamworth’s Country Music Festival. Playing most nights of the week to large crowds, it was an experience Sam said he won’t forget.
His hard work paid off too, as he went on to win the TMFM 95.5 Discovered Winner 2026.
Judges Andrew Farris (member of INXS), Jayne Denham, and Taylor Moss, hand picked Sam for the award, valued at more than $3000.
For Sam, music is more than just creating and singing to a crowd, it offers a chance to be able to give back.
In October 2025, Sam decided to launch an album release party in Boggabri.
But unlike most release parties, Sam wanted to use this chance to do something special and raise money for a cause that he truly believes in.
The night was a huge success, with 400 tickets being sold and over $10,000 being raised to support Westpac Helicopter Rescue Service.
While he isn’t looking to release a new album, Sam has some things in the works and is hoping to create another fundraising event for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
“I want to put on another big show, it might not necessarily be an album launch, but I want to try and keep that going and try to make it bigger every year, get more people and see whether I can turn it into a mini festival,” Sam said.
“If we can get enough people together again to raise money I’d love that, I love the idea of getting people together and raising a few bucks for charity because that’s what it’s all about I reckon.”
- MOLLY SHANNON
