Sammy Rae & The Friends

Centered on singer-songwriter Samantha “Sammy Rae” Bowers, Sammy Rae & The Friends took shape in Brooklyn in 2016 as a collective built around a core of horn players, a rhythm section and keyboards. The band’s repertoire blends jazz-pop, soul, funk, rock and touches of folk, with a strong taste for ensemble arrangements, choral refrains and songwriting that retains a clear pop dimension. After initial shows in New York and a gradual rise on stages across the U.S. Northeast, the group released the EP The Good Life in 2018 and Let’s Throw a Party in 2021. That period helped define Sammy Rae & The Friends’ identity—between group energy, a rhythm-and-blues heritage and the storytelling sensibility of American songwriting. The collective then expanded its touring circuit, appeared at festivals in Europe and issued the live album The If It All Goes South Tour (Live) in 2023. In 2024 they released Something For Everybody, the band’s first studio album, followed in 2025 by Songs We Wish We Wrote, a covers album that extends their open, highly collective aesthetic.