My bet is that if you’ve ever listened to triple j, you’ve heard Samsaruh’s Golden To Thrive. The song was huge for the then-19-year-old Melbourne singer-songwriter and won her a slot at Falls Festival through triple j Unearthed. 

I saw her this past September killing it at BIGSOUND – she struck me as a mash-up of Lorde and Florence + The Machine and her stage presence was so captivating. Her guitarist also plays the guitar with a bow, so there’s that. 

On this column, she remembers some of the funny stuff that used to happen when she’d busk on the streets of Byron Bay and also one of those adorable naïve children stories. 

Truth

Sam: So I used to busk in Byron a lot when I was younger. On the streets, me and my guitar, and it was actually my first time ever busking in the streets when this thing happened. So I was just busking, all my originals so no one really knew what I was singing, and I had finished up and was packing up all my things and out of nowhere, some guy who had been watching me came up to me and started saying how much he loved it, and loved the songs, and all that. I was like, ‘Thanks man!’ and he walked across the road and I was just still packing up. He comes back and he’s like, ‘Oh hey, I got this for you!’ And I grabbed this tiny little sugar packet from his hand he was offering me, and he walked away straight away. 

Uppy: Yeaaaaah…

S: And it was not even anything, it was just that. And written in blue pen on the sugar packet was ‘you’re as sweet as this sugar, let’s catch up’ and a phone number.

U: Ahhhh!!

S: It was SO weird, but it was so funny. I never called him but. But I’ve actually got tons of funny stories from when I used to busk in Byron. Like, I’d get offered random flowers that people picked from the side of the road. 

U: That’s cute! That’s kinda sweet.

S: Yeah! It was pretty sweet. They’re really nice down there, everyone’s pretty cool. 

U: Yeahh.

S: Some guy once gave me this really special crystal as well, which was really beautiful, and I still have it in my guitar case today as a sign of good luck.

U: That’s lovely. So you’ve kind of had the whole fan-gift thing happening from an early age!

S: Yeah! [laughs] It’s really funny. Someone also once wrote this really beautiful note on this beautiful paper, pressed with petals and everything, it was SO cool. I can’t even remember all the stuff that used to happen but yeah, it was actually fun busking down there.

U: That’s incredible! So are you from the Byron area or?

S: No, I just used to go up there all the time. I mean, I still kind of do, but yeah I used go up there to busk. 

U: Right, so you’re from Melbourne though?

S: Yeah, yeah, I’m from Melbourne.

U: So that’s pretty far to go to busk! I mean, it seems worth it because you had some sweet memories.

S: Yeah, it’s my favourite place.

U: So for some reason, when you said that first story about the guy that gave you the sugar packet, when you were saying it that he came up to you and was watching you, for SOME reason I imagined a really old guy! Did you say he was an old guy...? 

S: [laughs] No, he wasn’t old, he was quite young! Maybe in his early 30s?

U: Oh my god, why did I imagine this wizened old man or something?

S: [laughs] No but I’m sure there’s been people like that! Like weird old dudes.

U: How funny. No, that’s lovely though. Do you try and keep all these things?

S: Yeah! I’m not sure where the sugar packet is now, but I’m sure once I made like a diary and wrote all these weird stories in it and I feel like it’s somewhere in one of those books or something. Deeeep down dark somewhere.

U: How good. I mean, we wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t keep the sugar packet. 

S: Nah, it’s pretty iconic! 

U: What a pick-up line. 

Truth

S: So me and my cousin – who’s pretty much like my little sister – were pretty much Ocean Alley’s first ever fan encounter.

U: Okayyy…

S: Which is funny because I’m good mates with the dudes NOW, but once again this is a story that started in Byron Bay. Me and my cousin and my family were all up there for a family holiday and it was New Year’s Eve a few years ago, and we were just chilling on the apartment balcony. I was pretty annoyed because we were big Ocean Alley fans and they just happened to be playing in Byron that night at the Northern but we couldn’t go because we were underage. 

U: Right.

S: Earlier that day, I was busking next to the Northern and some of the dudes from Ocean Alley had walked out and watched me busk which was cool, and I was completely unaware that they were watching until after I’d finished and someone had told me. So again I was bummed out because I didn’t even get to properly MEET them, and they were playing at the Northern and I wouldn’t get to SEE them, and I was such a big FAN and ugh. It was just SO annoying.

U: Ugh yeah. 

S: But anyway, back to us celebrating the countdown on our balcony. One of us just happened to look over the balcony to release that Ocean Alley were just walking across the street, casually. So we started yelling out their names like total fangirls…

U: Of course.

S: But like no way we were NOT gonna take this opportunity to meet Ocean Alley and get a polaroid of this moment. Like, WHAT of course. So they heard us and were waiting for us to come down the stairs so we could get a photo with them, we got a polaroid with them and everything, and it was just a happy moment for everyone. It was the New Year, me and my little cousin were just like, ‘SCORE! This year is gonna be pretty awesome! We’ve just started it with meeting Ocean Alley!’ And now, years and years later, I’m good mates with the band and we actually bumped into each other not long ago when we were playing the same festival, and they were saying how me and my cousin were actually their first fan encounter! So I feel like it’s a cool story because we look back at that time where both of us were and now look where we are now.

U: It’s like heartwarming on both ends! 

S: Yeah, it’s so weird! 

U: So when you saw them from the balcony, did you already know they’d watched you busk earlier in the day?

S: Yeah, yeah. 

U: So they must’ve recognised you!

S: I think they said something, actually, come to think of it. I can’t remember. They did notice who I was, but I just didn’t give a shit who I was. I was too busy thinking about who THEY were.

U: I miss those days where you’d line up outside the venue, all day for these bands from America. It’s just such a thrill to meet them.

S: You feel like you’ve just scored in life! 

U: 100% and it keeps you flying high for like, the next freaking two weeks or something.

S: Literally! Literally. We seriously thought my year was gonna be so good because I started it off meeting Ocean Alley. 

U: Too cute.

S: So lame.

U: Well I guess the natural question is do you have any plans to collaborate with them or tour with them?

S: Hopefully one day!

U: You’re their oldest fan!

S: It’d be pretty cool to collaborate AND to tour with them, so maybe!

Lie

S: So I’m not really sure what this story is, if it’s counted as a lie or a truth, because it’s kind of both. When I was in primary school, the teachers always told us not to “go down the banks” because it was the out of bounds area. 

U: What do you mean by “the banks”?

S: Well, the banks were like… all along the edge of the primary school it kind of had this tiny, tiny little hill.

U: Yup, got it. 

S: But for YEARS AND YEARS, literally up until I got into high school, I seriously thought there was a Commonwealth Bank at my school.

U: Haaa!

S: And we just weren’t allowed to go there?! SO for years, I thought there was a bank hiding somewhere and I was SO confused. I was like, ‘well we’re always going around there and there’s NO people working here that look like accountants or anything…’ There’s nothing here! So I guess it’s kind of a lie because I made it up in my head, which was not true, but… I don’t know why I thought that. 

U: Was your school in a suburban area or?

S: Ummmm kind of. It was in Park Orchards, which is like 30 minutes away from the city but people still call it the country because there’s lots of trees and it’s a bushy area. 

U: Obviously there’s houses around though, it’s not like the sticks?

S: Totally, yeah. 

U: How funny. So when did you finally have the realisation — like when you learnt the word ‘bank’ or?

S: No no, I knew was a bank was! I knew it was a little hill. And I knew what a normal bank was – I knew what the words were but just didn’t put two and two together! I think I was like talking to my mum or something, someone said something about the banks in the school and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I never understand! Like where is the actual bank?!’ And she was like, ‘Oh my god, how stupid is my daughter?! There’s not a bank! Why would there be a bank!’ And then it all just clicked in my head and I thought I was so, so silly. I still remember it to this day, that’s why I’m telling you. 

U: It haunts you now.

S: Yeah it does. 

U: Did your friends think the same thing?

S: No I’m pretty sure my friends knew exactly what it was, but we never spoke about it. I was just alone in this, by myself! [laughs] 

U: Imagine if you needed money for lunch at the canteen or whatever and said, ‘I’m just gonna run down to the bank’ and everyone was like, ‘what the hell, where are you going?’ 

S: The teachers were always like, ‘Don’t go down to the bank, it’s out of bounds’ and I was like, ‘Well you know what? I don’t really care about going to the bank anyway, because it’s boring!’ 

U: That’s cute.

S: Let alone… I never realised there was never a bank at my school. 

U: Makes sense, ya know? Makes sense. Kids don’t have a lot of money. 

S: Yeah! [laughs] 

Samsaruh is due to play Melbourne’s Workers Club this Saturday, 27 October, as well as This That Festival and The Pleasure Garden. Check out theGuide for all the details.

If you’re a musician and have some stories to share and some secrets to tell – be it hilarious or heartbreaking, humiliating or honourable – send us an email at twotruthscolumn[at]gmail.com.

We might be telling the whole world about the time you accidentally killed your brother’s pet snake and replaced it without anyone knowing in no time.