Hawke’s Bay: Samuel R Saffery on a Hard Yards tour on foot to Wellington

Samuel R Saffery is preparing to grab his guitar, slip on his boots and take the first steps of his 300km Hard Yards tour walking from Hawke’s Bay to Wellington.

Indie musician Samuel R. Saffery is putting in the hard yards, walking solo with his guitar from Hawke’s Bay to Wellington.

In late February, Saffery will grab his guitar, slip on his boots and take the first steps of his 300km Hard Yards tour. Setting off from Puketapu, the wandering minstrel’s journey will take him through small venues and bars in Hawke’s Bay, Tararua, Manawatū, and the Wairarapa, to arrive in Wellington in late March.

“I’m bringing my music to the lower North Island the old-fashioned way, travelling solo and on foot. I love connecting with people and taking live music to places that might not often get new music coming through, and I also just love a good challenge!”

Four venues have been booked so far – The Cabana in Napier on February 29, The Common Room in Hastings on March 1, Poukawa Hall on March 3, and Aunt Ginger’s Kitchen in Carterton on March 22. He is hoping to kick off with a show in the Puketapu Pub, and has approached some other bars along his route.

The tour is his first since returning to Aotearoa and follows the release of his new single, Day One. The indie-rock song dropped on January 1, and was written during the first day of Covid lockdowns in New York. Saffery has two other songs due to release over the coming months. All three are produced by friend and fellow musician Lake South.

Saffery took inspiration for this tour from some Welsh folk musicians who did a walking tour in their home country, playing 40 shows over 60 days on foot.

The tour has a deliberate DIY-vibe, Saffery says.

“I’m definitely an ideas man and I like getting hands-on and making things happen.”

Saffery was born in Wellington and moved to Hawke’s Bay as a youngster. He returned to Wellington to study and was admitted to the bar as a lawyer. After a few years working in the corporate world he made some big life changes and pursued his passion for music in New York.

His return to New Zealand coincided with international Covid lockdowns, which put a temporary pause on his music career.

Saffery has had plenty of experience touring, particularly as a member of New York band Bird Courage – but he’s never toured quite like this.

“Hard Yards is a bit different from previous tours, where I’ve travelled with the band around the USA and Europe in rental cars, playing some big venues in big cities. Once we played the big stage at End of the Road Festival in the UK, opening for the Flaming Lips and St Vincent.

“This time it’s just me and my guitar, walking for nearly a month through some landscapes and small towns from my childhood.”