Sam Ness has released his first single of the year, “Slotty Road”, the opening track from his upcoming album ‘Of Heart and Home’. The song captures the feeling of returning to his hometown after years on the road, seeing familiar places and faces through new eyes. With looping guitar rhythms, warm acoustic textures, and heartfelt lyrics, Ness reflects on how much has changed while recognizing that it still feels like home. He explains, “The record traces the last decade I’ve spent on the road, often living out of whatever vehicle I happened to call home at the time. It wanders through the highs and lows of loving people from a distance—friendships, romances, and all the in-betweens.”
From Friday night football games to secret fishing spots and fires burning along Slotty Road, the song fills itself with small, vivid moments that anchor him. Even though he’s no longer the wide-eyed kid with a guitar, Ness’s repeated refrain “I am home” shows that belonging isn’t about the past but about the connection that grows deeper with time. The 2025 Wisconsin Area Music Industry Folk Performer of the Year has performed over 1,300 shows, won 15 MAMA Awards, 2 WAMI Awards, and shared the stage with legends like Styx, America, Night Ranger, and Chris Barron of Spin Doctors. “Slotty Road” is a warm, honest indie-folk track that reminds listeners why Sam Ness is one of Wisconsin’s brightest and most authentic voices.