The pandemic taught Essex-raised singer-songwriter Sam Ryder a valuable lesson. “I’m the sort of person who annoyingly overthinks every single thing they do,” he tells Apple Music. “I’d spend ages making music before talking myself into hating it and then never sharing anything. The first lockdown forced me to strip things back to their basic form—I love singing more than anything, so I just picked up my phone, stood in a corner and sang into it. It feels so good to finally get out of my own way.” That back-to-basics approach can be heard in the more restrained—but no less powerful—version of 2021 single “More” that you can listen to on this exclusive Apple Music Home Session. “I wanted to do a version with a bit of a different vibe,” he says. “‘Tiny Riot’ was my first proper single, so I couldn’t resist singing my head off on that one when I was asked to do this.” Also benefiting from a stripped-back approach are a new version of Ryder’s own “Somebody” single and a piano-led take on Sia’s “Elastic Heart”. “Sia was the first person to really support me during the pandemic,” he says. “It was so encouraging because I’m—obviously—a mega fan, so I sincerely hope I didn’t mess this up.”