From Pub Gigs to Global Stardom: Sam Fender is back with new music and album tour, ‘People Watching’.
Poppi Andelin takes a deepdive into Sam Fender’s career, from playing North Shields pubs and open mics to selling out in-demand stadium tours.
From pulling pints in North Shields to headlining sold-out stadiums world wide, the evolution of Sam Fender serves as a testament to the power of his raw musical talents. After taking a break to focus on his mental health, Sam Fender has bounced back into the scene with brand new music and the recent announcement of his upcoming album People Watching (2025), set to be released early next year.
It all began for Fender at the age of 8, when he learnt how to play guitar, and it wasn’t long after that he was performing small gigs with his best mate Dean Thompson; playing riffs at family events and covering songs from their inspirations of Jeff Buckley and Bruce Springsteen. The music landscape consumed Fender from a very early age, raised by his dad who was a singer/ songwriter, and grew up listening to the likes of the Beatles and Donny Hathaway. There’s absolutely no shock there that many of his songs are now inspired by 80s hits, and sculpted by an incredible indie sound that makes so many of his tracks unapologetically his own.
By the age of 18, Sam Fender was performing intimate gigs in local pubs. This included the ‘Surf Cafe’ in Tynemouth and the Low Lights Tavern in North Shields where he worked pulling pints – little did he know at the time, this would be a venue that held deep significance as the starting point to his professional musical career. Imagine working a usual shift one night at your local, and leaving with the recognition from what was Ben Howard’s record manager at the time. Well, that’s exactly what happened to Sam Fender. Working his usual, pulling pints, and getting told to quickly whip out his guitar and play a few of his songs as Owain Davies sat in the pub to celebrate winning a Brit Award. After being recognised and praised for his talents, it wasn’t long until he was taken on as a client in 2013.
What I admire most about Fender, both as an artist and as an individual, is his unwavering connection to his roots- a quality that undeniably keeps him grounded. Even after winning a Brit award in 2019 for best ‘Rising Star,’ he chose to place the trophy on the bar at the ‘Low Lights Tavern, where it now serves as a pump for one of the beer taps. It’s a perfect reflection of his extraordinary humility and his commitment to never forgetting where the journey for him began. It also means that if you’re ever in North Shields, you can see it for yourself… And nothing screams Geordie more than getting your pint pulled from Fender’s very own Brit award.
Sam Fender’s musical breakthrough came in the year of 2017, with the release of tracks like ‘Play God,’ ‘Millennial,’ and ‘Start Again’, marking his socially conscious songwriting. From the outset, his lyrics tackled pressing issues, critiquing capitalism in ‘Play God’ and addressing social media addiction in ‘Millennial’. These songs, as well as later releases, explored themes of working-class hardship, mental health struggles and tough realities, reflecting on himself growing up in the North East. Thus, through his music, Fender gave a voice to a generation facing similar challenges in modern life. This was later grounded in 2019, after his first hit, ’Play God,’ was added to the FIFA19 soundtrack, exposing Fender and his music to many consumers who were perhaps around his age and possibly going through similar life experiences that were reflected in his songs.
The year of 2018 then saw Fender release his first EP, Dead Boys (2018). More of his greatest hits appeared here, some including ‘Poundshop Kardashians,’ ‘That Sound,’ and ‘Leave Fast.’ The track ‘Dead Boys’ was inspired by the deeply personal loss of his friends to suicide, prompting Sam Fender to confront the topic of male suicide in his songwriting. It has since become a recurring theme in his music, reflecting the pressing issues faced by many of his listeners in modern society. After the success of his debut EP, Fender released his first album in 2019. Hypersonic Missiles (2019) was constructed of hits from his EP and other very successful new and older singles that were released prior; some including ‘Play God,’ ‘That Sound,’ ‘Hypersonic Missiles,’ ‘Saturday’ and ‘Will We Talk?’.
2019 was a year that immensely took off for him as an artist, and also promoted my own experiences of him as an ultimate Fender fan. After meeting Sam Fender at Newcastle train station whilst he was on his way to the Brit Awards (my most ultimate flex in life), it led me to becoming greatly enticed by his live performances in the following years. One of my favourites, and arguably the best gig I have ever personally experienced, was his headlining act at the ‘Mouth of Tyne’ Festival, whereby he played some of his greatest ever tunes in the ruins of Tynemouth Priory and Castle. A location like no other, the performance was a sell-out; and even more fans gathered on the beach side of the venue, as North Shields echoed with his incredible vocals. What makes his performances undeniably his own, isn’t just Fender and his bandmates gallivanting around the stage in Newcastle United shirts, but it’s also the life and energy that they bring to every show. With band members like Deano, Joe Atkinson, Tom Ungerer and Drew Michael, they create a vibrant rhythmic dynamic, while their saxophonist, Johnny ‘Blue Hat’ Davis, consistently delivers the infectious beats that makes their performances unforgettable time and time again.
Since the beginning of his musical stardom, Fender has since gone on to play some incredible gigs. This includes playing Glastonbury in 2022 and headlining Reading and Leeds in 2023. He’s also played two sell-out performances last year in the almighty St James’ Park, an undeniably, possibly bucket-list achievement for the Newcastle born and bred artist, and ultimate through and through Toon supporter.
The new album People Watching (2025) is said to commemorate a close family friend of the artist, after she passed away in November last year. Fender has explained in interviews that she gave him the confidence to get on stage to show off his talents, and thus the whole album is somewhat connected to her legacy in his life. Some of the tracks include, ‘Chin Up,’ ‘Little Bit Closer’ and ‘Something Heavy.’ After a break from the music scene, Sam Fender is back with new music on the horizon and a sell-out UK and Ireland tour for his upcoming album. The tour will kick off in Dublin at the start of December, where he will later visit Leeds’ First Direct Arena and end on home turf in Newcastle. I anticipate seeing his iconic black and white striped guitar dusted off, as many lucky fans will get to experience the musical bliss of Sam Fender once again.
Words by Poppi Andelin
