View basket “Free Fall” has been added to your basket. Virtual Summer Sam Millar SKU: 27.00 27.00 £27.00 £27.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Earache Released Date: 27th September 2024 Buying Format: 1LP 1LP Coloured Vinyl Buying Options Choose an option1LP1LP Coloured VinylClear Virtual Summer quantity Add to basket ReservePre Order Add to your Wishlist Description Product Info Picture a time when you could have a good time all the time. It was an era when fast cars rolled under neon lights, yachts were a sensible housing decision and fighting for your right to party was a full time occupation. This mythical age had an equally flamboyant soundtrack to match, and it blared from boomboxes and dashboards in every time zone. It was the 1980s, and bands like Van Halen, Toto and Def Leppard personified a summertime sound built on big beats, bigger melodies and choruses so epic that singing along was the law, and places like Vegas, Hollywood, and Miami Beach became hedonistic epicenters of a global, sonic heatwave. Cruelly overlooked among these hard-partying capitals is the little town of Wigan, just outside of Manchester – average annual rainfall: lots. It was there that multi-talented musician Sam Millar was born, and where that 80s vibe has found new life in the form of his debut solo record. It’s called Virtual Summer, and it’s 14 slabs of the slickest sounds this side of a hot pink Mustang with the top down and the stereo way, way up. “Wigan’s just a little town, it’s not the nicest place – I know you don’t expect this sort of thing to come out of here, but that’s why it did,” says Millar. “Half the time it’s raining and miserable, so Virtual Summer is like tapping into summer whenever you need to, just put it on and it’s always there for you.” Raised on a parental diet of Slade, Springsteen and Sabbath, it wasn’t long before Millar soon discovered his own hard rocking obsessions, and if there’s a familiar ring to any of Virtual Summer’s dopamine cannon blasts then it’s because it’s the culmination of the guitar-slinging maverick’s lifelong adoration for the finely honed melodic perfection of the giants of AOR, and Toto in particular. “I guess you could call it cheesy, but there’s something about being able to sing a song after you’ve heard one chorus, the feeling it gives you – it’s just so positive,” he says. Of course this didn’t all happen overnight. Millar has played and toured as a guitarist for years in other bands, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that his love of the sunny-side-up sparked the idea to try his own hand at that perfect balance of catchy choruses and timeless melody. He wrote, recorded and released a debut taster EP entirely off his own back, and the response to the EP and ensuing live shows was nothing less than ecstatic. It soon caught the attention of Earache Records. The rest was history. “I’ve written, produced and played everything myself,” he says, “There isn’t really a scene for this, and that’s a good thing – it’s feelgood radio pop, and there’s a place for that now. Just listen to Taylor Swift or The 1975 – those big gated snare drums – it sounds so different from so much other pop music and that’s a great thing.” And from the Van Halen-loving fireworks of album-opener The Killing Floor to the synth-laden slickness of Deja Vu, it’s an album that wears its heart on its sleeve, and it makes no apology for where it comes from. “Fooling Yourself is quite heavy, but in my head I wanted it to be a rocked up version of ABBA. People probably think I’m mad, but I love ABBA! Dancing On My Own is quite heavily Huey Lewis and the News and Hall and Oates territory, and there’s a track called When The Summer Ends that channels all my Toto into one song. My music may be tongue-in-cheek, but it’s no joke. I can’t call it a guilty pleasure, because why would you feel guilty about that?” Artist Sam Millar Genre Rock And Pop Label Earache Buying Options 1LP , 1LP Coloured Vinyl Format 1LP Condition New Country UK Track Listings The Killing Floor Fooling Yourself Something I'll Regret When the Summer Ends Chardonnay Showbiz Forget You Dancing On My Own Deja Vu Neanderthal Man Meet Me Halfway Share this On Facebook On Twitter Via Email More from Rock And Pop View Product Quick View Crosby Stills Nash & Young Live Broadcasts 1969 – 1970 Rock And Pop | 1960's Records | 1LP Released 29th April 2022 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Crosby Stills Nash & Young Live Broadcasts 1969 – 1970 £20.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: 1960's Records SKU: RANDB92LP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 29th April 2022 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Benjamin Booker Witness (Indies Only) Rock And Pop | Rough Trade | 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released 2nd June 2017 £19.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Benjamin Booker Witness (Indies Only) £19.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Rough Trade SKU: RTRADLPX840 Formats: 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released Date: 2nd June 2017 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View James Blunt All The Lost Souls (Deluxe) Rock And Pop | Bong Load Custom | Box Set Released 7th December 2018 £84.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders James Blunt All The Lost Souls (Deluxe) £84.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Bong Load Custom SKU: BL65 Formats: Box Set Released Date: 7th December 2018 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View CeeLo Green CeeLo Green Is Thomas Callaway Rock And Pop | BMG Rights Management | 1LP Released 7th August 2020 £16.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders CeeLo Green CeeLo Green Is Thomas Callaway £16.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: BMG Rights Management SKU: 4050538615234 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 7th August 2020 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Thee Oh Sees A Weird Exits Rock And Pop | Castle Face | 2LP, 45rpm Released 12th August 2016 £27.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Thee Oh Sees A Weird Exits £27.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Castle Face SKU: CF080 Formats: 2LP, 45rpm Released Date: 12th August 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Lost Horizons In Quiet Moments Rock And Pop | Bella Union | 2LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released 26th February 2021 £22.00 - £25.00 Select options Lost Horizons In Quiet Moments £22.00 - £25.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Bella Union Formats: 2LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released Date: 26th February 2021 Read More Select options View Product Quick View Black Crowes, The Live At The Greek Theatre, LA 1991 Rock And Pop | Rock Classics | 180g, 2LP, Coloured Vinyl Released 17th July 2015 £17.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Black Crowes, The Live At The Greek Theatre, LA 1991 £17.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Rock Classics SKU: RCV152LP Formats: 180g, 2LP, Coloured Vinyl Released Date: 17th July 2015 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Kate Bush Director’s Cut Rock And Pop | Fish People | 180g, 2LP Released 26th November 2018 £36.00 Add to basket Reserve View Reservations Kate Bush Director’s Cut £36.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Fish People SKU: 0190295593803 Formats: 180g, 2LP Released Date: 26th November 2018 Reserve View Reservations Read More Add to basket View Product Quick View Nathan Sykes Unfinished Business Rock And Pop | Global | 1LP Released 11th November 2016 £18.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Nathan Sykes Unfinished Business £18.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Global SKU: 5712682 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 11th November 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Paper Beat Scissors Go On Rock And Pop | Forward Music Group | 1LP Released 12th February 2016 £19.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Paper Beat Scissors Go On £19.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Forward Music Group SKU: FMG054LP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 12th February 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders See more in Rock And Pop Start again
View Product Quick View Crosby Stills Nash & Young Live Broadcasts 1969 – 1970 Rock And Pop | 1960's Records | 1LP Released 29th April 2022 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Crosby Stills Nash & Young Live Broadcasts 1969 – 1970 £20.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: 1960's Records SKU: RANDB92LP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 29th April 2022 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Benjamin Booker Witness (Indies Only) Rock And Pop | Rough Trade | 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released 2nd June 2017 £19.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Benjamin Booker Witness (Indies Only) £19.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Rough Trade SKU: RTRADLPX840 Formats: 1LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released Date: 2nd June 2017 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View James Blunt All The Lost Souls (Deluxe) Rock And Pop | Bong Load Custom | Box Set Released 7th December 2018 £84.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders James Blunt All The Lost Souls (Deluxe) £84.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Bong Load Custom SKU: BL65 Formats: Box Set Released Date: 7th December 2018 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View CeeLo Green CeeLo Green Is Thomas Callaway Rock And Pop | BMG Rights Management | 1LP Released 7th August 2020 £16.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders CeeLo Green CeeLo Green Is Thomas Callaway £16.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: BMG Rights Management SKU: 4050538615234 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 7th August 2020 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Thee Oh Sees A Weird Exits Rock And Pop | Castle Face | 2LP, 45rpm Released 12th August 2016 £27.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Thee Oh Sees A Weird Exits £27.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Castle Face SKU: CF080 Formats: 2LP, 45rpm Released Date: 12th August 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Lost Horizons In Quiet Moments Rock And Pop | Bella Union | 2LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released 26th February 2021 £22.00 - £25.00 Select options Lost Horizons In Quiet Moments £22.00 - £25.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Bella Union Formats: 2LP, Coloured Vinyl, Includes Download Code Released Date: 26th February 2021 Read More Select options
View Product Quick View Black Crowes, The Live At The Greek Theatre, LA 1991 Rock And Pop | Rock Classics | 180g, 2LP, Coloured Vinyl Released 17th July 2015 £17.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Black Crowes, The Live At The Greek Theatre, LA 1991 £17.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Rock Classics SKU: RCV152LP Formats: 180g, 2LP, Coloured Vinyl Released Date: 17th July 2015 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Kate Bush Director’s Cut Rock And Pop | Fish People | 180g, 2LP Released 26th November 2018 £36.00 Add to basket Reserve View Reservations Kate Bush Director’s Cut £36.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Fish People SKU: 0190295593803 Formats: 180g, 2LP Released Date: 26th November 2018 Reserve View Reservations Read More Add to basket
View Product Quick View Nathan Sykes Unfinished Business Rock And Pop | Global | 1LP Released 11th November 2016 £18.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Nathan Sykes Unfinished Business £18.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Global SKU: 5712682 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 11th November 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Paper Beat Scissors Go On Rock And Pop | Forward Music Group | 1LP Released 12th February 2016 £19.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Paper Beat Scissors Go On £19.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Forward Music Group SKU: FMG054LP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 12th February 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders