Sam Shackleton, also known by his Gaelic moniker, Sorley the Bard, is a Scottish singer-songwriter and folk artist. His music is greatly inspired by the rich inter-connected musical oral traditions of Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. Strongly influenced by the 1960's folk revival, his unique sound is a mix of country, old time, traditional, folk, and blues with a Scottish spirit. He was born in Stirling and raised all over Scotland, from the Borders to the Highlands and his music is deeply inspired by the oral tradition, musical culture, and landscapes of Scotland.

After building up a large local following busking, then performing sold out shows in his hometown of Edinburgh, Sam burst onto the US folk scene in 2020 after gaining hundreds of thousands of views on the popular Nashville-based country and folk music channel, GemsOnVHS. He has since released his debut album, “Causeway Recordings” – awarded Top of the World by Songlines Magazine - and his subsequent EP, “Scottish Folk Ballads of Freedom,” to much critical acclaim. In recent months, Sam’s videos busking around Scotland have gone viral on TikTok and Instagram and he has gathered a large and loyal fanbase of followers and listeners on Spotify and YouTube.