SAM PALLADIO

Cream fine knit jumper by Dior. Earrings throughout, Sam’s own.

Since landing a role in the acclaimed series Nashville, British actor and musician Sam Palladio’s trajectory has been a steep bright one, taking him to the United States, where he has seamlessly combined his two creative disciplines. With his debut album recently released, Sam took time to speak with 5ELEVEN about how his music is both poigniant but positive, how it infuses his work on screen, and why his recent role in Channel 4’s dark psychological drama The Couple Next Door has taken his work in different direction whilst offering a meaningful return to his homeland.

Words by Leigh Maynard.

Photographed by Conor Clarke. Fashion Editor Tasha Arguile. Grooming by Nohelia Reyes using Beauty Pie and Fenty Hair. Sam appears courtesy of CLD Communications.

Blue and white crochet knit jumper by Tommy Hilfiger. Cornish cross signet ring in solid silver with 9ct gold cross by Una Wild

You are an actor and a musician. Was there one discipline that you were first inspired to follow, or did it just happen simultaneously?

“I think it was music first. I remember that my dad bought me a guitar when I was about four or five years old. And I was in a guitar club. My dad played instruments and was in a band back in the day in Birmingham in the 1960s and beyond. I think it started there, and throughout school, it evolved into theatre, plays, and all that sort of fun stuff. The music started early on, and that led into my teenage years of playing in bands and writing music. I wanted to be a little emo rockstar, but then I progressed into drama school, and that's when I thought I'd like to explore that further.

Was there anyone who particularly inspired you on that journey?

Yes, my music teacher, Simeon Royal. He was influential. I remember in year 11 at secondary school, we performed Blues Brothers, and that was all put together through the music department. That's when I started doing a lot of theatre and plays at school. I really enjoyed that. And then he put together this touring Blues Brothers band, and we went around Cornwall. He was always a real champion, and we'd put on these little rock nights at the school. He was very encouraging.

 Can you tell us about your acting experience and how it evolved from your work with the theatre?

I attended college, but I remained interested in becoming a marine biologist because the other side of my family had all pursued that career. I grew up in Cornwall on the beach, swimming and snorkelling, and my grandfather was a diver, and I loved that. And so, I thought, I'm going to go to Plymouth and study marine biology. But I got to 16 and realised that maybe my science and maths weren't quite up to scratch. So, I ditched the science and then took theatre and music in college. I was in the Cornwall Youth Dance Company in my early teens, and I think that was important, in terms of finding my way on the stage. It was music and contemporary dance that led me to think I would attend drama school and study theatre. I didn't really have to choose because I loved both.

Ombre knit polo and orange faux fur trousers, both by FENDI. Cornish cross signet ring in solid silver with 9ct gold cross by Una Wild

Did you prefer to work in theatre or film, or do you enjoy both equally?

In 2012, I went to Nashville, where I landed a TV show and really honed my on-camera acting abilities, allowing the craft to solidify. I knew I'd always wanted to do that, and at the back of my mind, I thought, I want to go to Hollywood. So, I'd done a few years of West End musicals, a rock and roll show and a Barry Manilow musical, which led to some small British TV roles.

How did it feel to win the role in Nashville and do both the things you love at the same time?

It was a gift that kept giving, as I'd never been to the States, but I'd grown up wanting to move there eventually, and I never thought it would be Nashville to start with. But then this part came along that was absolutely for me in a nutshell. He was this aspiring songwriter character that was just doing his thing, trying to make good music, and getting sucked into the music business world. I found myself doing that at the same time as filming that show.

 So, what felt like that real turning point in your career where you really made it and were recognised for what you do in your acting?

It was the one-in-a-million audition for Nashville. I'd never been to the States. I got this American manager at the beginning of 2012 who sent me the pilot for the show, and I booked it off a tape. I did it in my bedroom in London. I sang a James Taylor song; it was very budget-friendly, but yeah, Callie Khouri, who created the show, was very insistent on finding actors who could sing, real musicians who weren't going to fake it. After that aired in October 2012, I think that was when I first started getting recognised. I lived in Nashville, so the show was about the city, and of course, we'd go anywhere - it was just like everywhere. People said, ‘Oh, the guy from Nashville.’ It was 2012 or 2013 when it really kicked off, and it was quite exciting.

Dark brown suede jacket and trousers, both by Gant. Geometric shirt by J.Lindeberg. Cornish cross signet ring in solid silver with 9ct gold cross by Una Wild

Do you feel that your acting background influences the stories you tell through your music, and vice versa?

I think I experienced a lot of the same things on the Nashville show that I then went on to experience in real life. I think it certainly gave me the confidence to perform. For example, I was doing my first arena show. I was playing at Country to Country, a British country music festival in London. I was going to play on the little solo stage in the middle of 20,000 people. And that was a massive thing for me. But the week before, my character had just shot his first time in an arena playing a huge show. So, I thought it’s life imitating art. Going through those sequences in the TV show and faking it, you know. Faking the confidence really helped. I think it's all about storytelling with songwriting, obviously. I suppose trying to be truthful all the time in your acting or storytelling has led to knowing where it feels genuine in songwriting as well, or like a story I want to tell. I guess I'm just a bit more open and emotional. And from playing and being empathetic to other people's stories, I know if it feels right for the music.

What drew you to the part in The Couple Next Door?

I wanted to come back to the U.K. I spent 13 years in Nashville. And that's my main home. I make music there. However, I really wanted to reintroduce myself to the British TV world, as I think there are some amazing projects made here. Obviously, I grew up here, and it's very important to me. I felt like I'd been away for so long, and I wanted to return to my roots. That’s what all the music in the last few years has been about, Cornwall and being a British guy in America, and that story felt like a big pull. Also, through losing my mom and family members, it roots you back to your home. That was a conscious choice to find a project that is UK-based, using my own accent, which was lovely, and not having to put on an accent. Having a character that's a bit older and has lived a lot of life and been through a lot in the last few years was also appealing. I felt like I could bring some reality and emotion to a guy in his early forties and play the truth of that. Also, the role was such a character arc for me. He presents at the beginning with this perfect power couple with his wife, and they have everything they want. However, as the Mia character enters the show and our lives, those cracks begin to form in the seemingly strong relationship. So, it was a really challenging role. I think it was some of the most real and vulnerable work I've had to do. I was able to be quite subtle with a lot of it, which I really liked. We're playing doctors, and I'm an anaesthetist, so there are a lot of sequences with masks on, just telling stories with eyes. I think I was able to feel a bit more grounded in this, in this role; as opposed to being a 25-year-old who thinks I'm in America and haven't really earned my stripes yet.

Vintage 1960s Burberry trench coat, stylist’s own. Cream shirt, blue jeans and white lace up shoes, all AMI Paris

What roles or music projects do you have coming up? Is there anything in particular, a different genre that you'd like to explore?

 I’m a big nerd. I want a sword. I want to play an elf and have a lightsabre. I want to fly a spaceship. I would really love to get into that sort of action fantasy part. I've played lots of real people. So, I'd love to lean into that. And musically, I released the album in September, but I've got a load of new songs that are just about to be mixed and ready for this year. It is not a genre departure; it's leaning into what that first album established: this indie Brit-pop meets Americana. Living in Nashville, I'm surrounded by that kind of music, as well as southern rock. I also love a bit of Harry Styles and Britpop, so why not try to fuse the two? It's all autobiographical, at least the first record was, and was also a lot about losing my mother. It was dedicated to that. So, it was real stories, but with a lot of dancing through the sadness. So, this next project is a little happier. There are new and more positive phases coming. I think that's reflected in the music.

The Couple Next Door is out now on Channel 4 and his album ‘The Perfect

Summer’s Day, Before We Lost the Light’ is available on Spotify and Amazon.

Cream shirt and blue jeans, both by AMI Paris

Vintage 1960s Burberry trench coat, stylist’s own. Cream shirt, blue jeans and white lace up shoes, all AMI Paris