Sam Fender: Newcastle Utilita Arena

Coming-of-age after Whirlwind Five Years - Tyneside’s homegrown hero calling out ultramodern disaffections in canny sax sounding fusion - and he’s showing no intent of leaving fast

By Tom Adams October 2021

"I was far too scared to hit him, but I would hit him in a heartbeat now..."

...one of the many powerful lines from his first single of the upcoming album of the same name, ‘Seventeen Going Under’, appropriately amplifies itself incredibly closely to the 27-year-old indie-rock prodigy. It’s no coincidence his characteristically introspective lyrics have deeply manifested themselves intimately to those back at his coastal home of North Shields, upon the north bank of the River Tyne, whilst capturing the deserved embryonic love of his loyal fanbase as he does so. It comes as no surprise at just how far the ardent singer-songwriter has come, from a particularly tempestuous childhood trying to make sense of himself to Critic’s Choice BRIT award winning ecstasy in 2019, Sam’s socially-conscious melodic jangly sound, melded with perceptible Bruce Springsteen undertones, has finally earned him the acclamation he deserves, and undoubtedly future headline status in the making.

Once described as a “drinking town with a fishing problem” by the Newcastle-born singer, North Shields has always been home for Fender, and remains proudly ever-prominent within his heartfelt lyrics that repeatedly reminisces cherishable themes juxtaposed with feelings of neglect to events that have shaped his aptitude for such consistently stimulating musical narratives. Coincidently, the coastal town has only become more significant following the collapse of a planned trip to New York to record his new album pre-pandemic last year, with band members: Drew Michael, Tom Ungerer, saxophonist Johnny ‘Blue Hat’ Davis, plus childhood friends Joe Atkinson and Dean Thompson - as those he likes to keep within his inner circle - yet now fittingly incorporated within the complete embracement and beautifully loud tribute of his small fishing hometown of which represents his most inspiringly personal and emotionally-vulnerable work yet.

With Sam now on the verge of releasing his second studio album, the desire of potentially earning himself another number one in the UK charts following the huge success of his debut record ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ in 2019 have skyrocketed, and it’s no surprise as to why. It seems like a long time coming for the headstrong Geordie singer-guitarist, from writing songs at the age of fourteen in desperation of easing financial strain upon his mother by beginning to perform at paid gigs once eighteen (including winning a Teenage Cancer Trust competition in 2010). It has only been within the last fives years where he began releasing his distinctive sound and since then, he has confidently and mellifluously blossomed into a deeply captivating artist.

Back in March 2017, Fender kick started his musical journey with the release of the dystopian-motivated single ‘Play God’ which satirically explores the tyrannical exploitation of power that pallidly shapes the foundations of contemporary society in true Orwell style. The song earned itself a place on the FIFA 19 soundtrack (a game ironically representing a considerably less power-adept governing body) and in-turn the first glimpse of recognition ensued with the opportunity to support Declan McKenna and Micheal Kiwanuka, before announcing his first headline tour the following year. Sam then released the beautifully-tragic Ivor Novello nominated ‘Dead Boys’ which sentimentally expresses the devastatingly raw reality of the silent male suicide epidemic that has hit the North-East worse than most. Still the single biggest killer of men under the age of forty-five, of course suicide is an extremely heart-breaking and complex subject that he does his all to breakdown the stigma and try to process his own feelings of shock and grief that holds immense emotional-depth following the loss of a friend to suicide not long before, with such thoughtfully delicate lyrics - “nobody ever could explain all the dead boys in our hometown.”

Fender’s refreshingly topical outlook towards the indie music scene took on a melodiously bold onslaught of celebrity culture that has obsessively indoctrinated a generation into the craving for fame in his next snappy hit single, with typical tongue-in-cheek manner, with ‘Poundshop Kardashians’. Then, just four months later, and six months prior to the release of the first album, Sam released his colossal BRIT certified gold single ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ in March 2019. The unorthodox love song paints a compellingly honest image of our world that has become fractured by war and climate change, and truly sets the tone for an album that would soon become his own superweapon. In September, album one arrives and is loaded with beloved tracks such as ‘The Boarders’ (which describes the story of two friends growing up suffering from domestic emotional neglect before going their separate ways) and ‘White Privilege’ (that incorporates the vacuously self-centred advantage Caucasian people possess, admitting the entitlement he holds as a “white male, full of shame”) but reflectively abundant in compassion.

Following a merited year out of releasing music, during November last year Fender joined forces with the homelessness charity People Of The Streets to cover the 1970s ‘Winter Song’ by local Newcastle-based band Lindisfarne to raise money for the charity: The Big Issue.

And now, finally, in just one week’s time, Sam will release his second album in the much-anticipated form of ‘Seventeen Going Under’, that movingly depicts the vastly intricate and often problematic realisation of growing up at the age of seventeen, on the apparent periphery of adulthood, yet still so overwhelmingly unprepared. The record is an internal autobiographical declaration of Sam’s youth - battling internal struggles, processing each thought and experience, and just trying to keep afloat with the nature of growing up in a suffocating, dynamic modern world. Confidently labelled as his best work yet by Sam himself, the album stands as an introspective collection of personal novellas, but more as a “celebration of life after hardship”, no doubt another remarkable masterpiece filled with catchy choruses, upbeat sax solos and a whole load of American influence this time too… oh and Springsteen, of course.

Sam Fender's 'Seventeen Going Under' will be released on Friday, 8th October 2021.