“It’s just a collection of songs about the human experience.”
Known for his distinctive Geordie accent, soaring vocals, and raw, captivating lyrics, UK’s own Sam Fender has carved a name for himself in the industry as a voice of the people. Over a decade into a career that has changed his life in almost every way, Fender’s third album People Watching reflects a world seen through his eyes. He writes for the heartbroken, the downtrodden, working class, everyday individuals – letting them know that they aren’t alone.
A Prelude
“I’ll always end up writing about Newcastle.”
Born and raised in North Shields, a coastal town just outside Newcastle, Fender’s early years were shaped by music. Influenced by artists like Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Buckley, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, and Steely Dan, Fender had no shortage of inspiration. Both his father and elder brother were local musicians, and he received his first guitar at age eight. His skills and love of music grew over the years, knowing at 13 that all he wanted to be when he grew up was a professional musician.
Although his early childhood passed by with ease, his adolescent years were fraught with turbulence: the breakdown of his family, being kicked out of the house at 17 and witnessing the all-encompassing drug abuse, poverty and suicide that seemed to envelop his hometown. At 18, on the edge of homelessness, Fender helped support himself and his mother through multiple jobs – working in call centres, restaurants, bars and teaching guitar. Music had become his escape, and he began playing various open mics and gigs to help with the bills. Whilst playing one such gig at a local pub where he worked – Low Lights Tavern – he was discovered by Ben Howard’s manager Owain Davies. It was this fortuitous event that changed the course of his life.
“It does make you think, if I hadn’t had the luck I had and been discovered what would I be doing? Me and me mam were really skint at that time. It was scary. It only takes a few daft missteps, and you can be out on the streets.”
Seemingly his big break, Fender spent 2013 performing all across the UK, opening for well-known artists like Howard and Willy Mason. The multi-instrumentalist (guitar, bass, piano, harmonica, etc) rock artist was on the edge of something transformative. Yet, in what seemed a cruel twist of fate, the following year he experienced a life-threatening illness, leaving him with a compromised immune system. Choosing to put his health first, he took 2 years off to recover, putting his budding music career on hold.
Faced with bleakness, Fender could have given up and walked away from his dreams. However, it was through this time of trial that he found clarity. His songwriting became more honest and unabashed, choosing not to shy away from describing the authentic and often dark side of a life he knew so well.
In 2017, the artist released his debut single ‘Play God’ – a gritty track described in Ones To Watch as “equal parts Orwellian and a reaction to the landmark political decisions in both the UK and the US, is classic Brit-rock at its finest.” The following year, after signing with Polydor Records, he dropped his debut EP Dead Boys, which included his hit single of the same name. This song launched Fender onto the music scene.
Only Getting Started
“He’s got it all, hasn’t he? The songwriting, it really is from the heart. I felt it in that pub six years ago – his voice, his live show, his banter there. He’s just a relatable, normal lad.” – Owain Davies
With a jolt, his debut album Hypersonic Missiles dropped September 2019. Co-produced by Bramwell Bronte, Rich Costey and Fender himself, the project dealt with topics like toxic masculinity, suicide, unemployment and white privilege. Fender once again drew inspiration from his hometown of North Shields.
Resonating with listeners, the collection debuted at No.1 on the UK and Scottish Album Charts. He was nominated for and won several awards, including Critic’s Choice at the Brit Award and the UK Music Video Award for ‘Dead Boys’. Rolling Stone wrote that he was “notably one of the few true singer-songwriters who’s climbing the modern-day pop charts”. That same year, the artist opened for Bob Dylan and Neil Young at Hyde Park and performed on his first US television show – Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
For his sophomore album Seventeen Going Under (2021), Fender chose to look inward, writing about his life, memories and coming-of-age story. Produced by Bronte at Grouse Lodge in Ireland, the project was praised as a modern masterpiece – topping the UK and Scottish charts again and, in its first week, outselling the rest of the top 10 albums combined. 2022 became a momentous year for the artist, winning his second Brit for Best Alternative/Rock Act and receiving Best Album by a UK Artist & Best Album in the World at the NME Awards. He played a sold-out show at Finsbury Park (London), two massive hometown shows in Newcastle and even supported The Rolling Stones on their 60th Anniversary tour.
The young lad from North Shields had overcome setbacks, refusing to let his past define him, and was using his voice to articulate what once was bleak into something beautiful.
People Watching
“It was mad. It was too much, too fast. When I was working in a call centre eating Pot Noodle, this is what I would be dreaming of all day long, but sometimes you don’t know what you’re saying yes to. I was exhausted and didn’t know how to deal with everything. I knew I needed to take a break.”
Following the immense success of his second album, Fender decided to take six weeks off, allowing him time to rest and adjust. “I thought I needed time off because I was burnt out, but in reality, I just needed some time off touring.” That time off made one thing very clear to him: “I realised that what I need is to be creative.”
He relaunched himself into his art and began to forge a new body of work. He whittled his way down from 70 demos to the existing 11 tracks, and where Seventeen Going Under delved into the nitty gritty of his own life, this new project had him turn his gaze outward. Co-produced by Fender, Adam Granduciel (The War On Drugs), Marcus Dravs (Coldplay, Kings Of Leon) and bandmates Dean Thompson and Joe Atkinson, People Watching was released on the 21st of February this year.
The album shifts perspectives to talk on several poignant topics – celebrity and wellness culture, poverty, class, inequality, religion and social injustice. Fender also allowed space for the personal, with tracks like ‘Arm’s Length’ – delving into his shortcomings as a partner and the breakdown of a past relationship, and ‘Nostalgia’s Lie’ – where he comes to terms with the fact that he longs for a time that never was.
His favourite song off the album, ‘Something Heavy’, is “about accepting that everyone’s f*cked up and we’re all dealing with something. It’s a plea to look after each other – a pisshead’s anthem for togetherness.” The album’s title track explores grief as he narrates travelling to visit his friend and mentor, Annie Orwin, at a palliative care home. In a nod to his roots, Fender tells the story of his late grandparents through his final song ‘Remember My Name’, inviting the Easington Colliery Brass Band to join him on the track.
“My mam’s side of the family were all down the pits, so I wanted to have a miners’ brass band on there”.
There is a realness and honesty to Fender rarely seen in the music industry today. He has experienced pain and suffering and does not shy away from writing about it. Resonating with his listeners, People Watching became his third number-one album in the UK and sold over 100,000 units there in its first week, making Fender the first UK solo artist to do so since Harry Styles in 2022. People Watching was also the fastest selling vinyl record for a British solo act this century.
Expanding beyond the realm of music, the artist also uses his platform to make real change in his community and the wider world. He has lent his voice to numerous charities and causes, with a strong focus on issues close to his heart. Instead of letting challenges hold him back, he has channeled them into his passion and has dedicated himself to his art. He also chooses to approach life with a little playfulness.
Most recently, he won his third Brit Award for Best Alternative/Rock Act (2025), accepting it saying: “I wanna say a huge thanks to my band for without I’m just a mad person shouting at walls”. The artist plans to repeat his tradition of turning his Brit Awards into beer pumps at the Low Lights Tavern – the pub in North Shields where it all began.
Despite all the awards and recognition, Fender never forgets his humble beginnings, remembering the people and the place he came from.
