Sam Fender seems to resonate with a lot of people. This was evidenced when, for Christmas, my brother asked for the same electric guitar Sam had so he could be more like him. His songs are raw and real, especially for people in the North East. Growing up in North Shields, Fender has a way of capturing the reality and hardships of life in a rugged but beautiful way. He was catapulted into the spotlight but maintains the working-class image, which charms audiences internationally.
Fender’s discography is not very large at all. With two studio albums, it's clear he values quality over quantity. His first album, ‘Hypersonic Missiles,’ introduced him as a force to reckon with in the UK rock genre. My personal favourites are ‘The Borders’ and ‘Will We Talk?’, but it's hard to fault a single song on this album. His unique sound was established. His second album further increased his popularity. My personal favourites are ‘Spit of You’ and ‘Pretending That You’re Dead,’ but a special mention has to go to ‘Seventeen Going Under’ as one of the greatest indie songs of all time.
The long-awaited third album is upon us. Fender performed his new song ‘People Watching’ at a festival over the summer, which appears to be the lead single from an album of the same title. If anyone was unsure of his popularity before now, the buzz surrounding his upcoming music confirms it. His lyrics remain hard-hitting whilst seeming to take more influence from artists such as Bruce Springsteen. We also know Sam is somewhat fond of the saxophone, which we should definitely hear on the new album.
With the album came the People Watching tour. The short turnover between announcement, ticket purchases, and tour dates had fans scrambling for a chance to see him live. I was one of the lucky ones, and even with added dates, tickets were completely sold out within an hour of going on sale.
The anger, pain, and triumph in his music are felt across the UK. Sam Fender gives a voice to life in the Northeast and has so much more to showcase. The same man who used music to support his family in Newcastle is the same man who now uses his Brit Award as a beer pump in his local pub (my brother insisted I must mention this).
Edited by: Eleanor Robinson
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