Latest news with #Fender
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sam Fender doesn't want to be your working-class hero
I've annoyed Sam Fender. I've quoted his own lyrics at him, from TV Dinner, a standout on his new album People Watching – 'Hypothesise a hero's rise and teach them all to then despise/It is our way to make a king, romanticise how they begin/Fetishise their struggling, while all the while they're suffering' – and asked him if he feels his working-class story has been uncomfortably commodified by the industry machine. Suddenly, he's fearing some sort of tabloid ambush. 'I mean… I don't know,' he says. A long silence ensues, then eventually: 'I don't really want to make a f---ing headline about me being like 'oh, I've felt exploited' because I'm happy doing what I'm doing. But I also think… Hang on, give us a second... What's this for anyway? Who do you write for?' In the UK, Fender has been Britpop's chosen son since 2021, when Seventeen Going Under marked his viral breakthrough. A stirring anthem of proletarian disillusionment, the song recalled Fender's youth growing up below the poverty line in the council estates of North Shields, a shipyard town near Newcastle; it also seethed at the struggle his mum, a nurse forced out of work due to fibromyalgia, endured at the hands of bureaucratic indifference ('I see my mother/The DWP see a number' he sang). It led Fender to a prestigious Ivor Novello win for best song, and album of the year nods in the Mercury Prize and Brit Awards. This February, he released the long-awaited follow-up People Watching, which added a War On Drugs-esque chug to Fender's signature Bruce Springsteen-via-The Killers sound, thanks to production from Adam Granduciel (a Fender hero), and the skyward trajectory continued. At home, where he's now the sort of pop star who breaks chart records set by Harry Styles, has Elton John on speed-dial, and can secure celebrities like Andrew Scott and Adolescence star Owen Cooper for his music videos, Fender's also become a de facto spokesman for the working class. In interviews, he gets questions that set him railing against wealth disparity, the left's abandonment of the underclass, and the structures that make a music career inaccessible to anyone not from private-school privilege. He's the sort of pop star who earns glowing write-ups in the NME and the World Socialist Website. Media have christened him 'Geordie Springsteen', a descriptor both illustrative and pejorative depending on who wields it. If uninvited, it's hard to avoid when your songs feature lines like: 'My old man worked on the rail yard/Betting his trade on the electrical bars/It got privatised, the work degraded/In this crumbling empire' (from People Watching 's Crumbling Empire). Three albums in, though, it's become a nuisance to his art. It's perhaps understandable then, that when a writer starts whiffing around his politics in an interview, Fender's haunches go up. Does he get criticism for talking openly about politics? 'I mean, yeah, do you?' Fender replies. Well no, nobody cares about a thing I say, and I have the analytics to prove it. Has he had bad experiences with the press over it? 'O'course I have, all you've gotta do is Google my name and find all the things that look salacious. I could tick them all off for you,' he says. Does he feel pressure to be a voice for the working class? Fender laughs heartily and I've set him off. 'No, I don't… Ah f---, I don't know. Sorry, I guess I'm battling with that myself at the moment,' he says. 'People bandy around these f---ing sayings – 'voice of the working class', 'voice of a generation' – I hear this f---ing shit all the time and it's ridiculous. I'm not f---ing Bob Dylan. I'm not Bruce Springsteen. I'm Sam Fender. All I'm doing is me f---ing songs, writing about my lived experience, the people I know and what's going on in me hometown. It's just a couple of good tunes, that's all and nothing more.' You can sense the frustration of a young artist trapped in a persona foisted upon them. Or, at the very least, the pressure of expectation from a culture craving their next rock 'n' roll saviour. Right now, Fender doesn't want the job. 'Half the songs I've released I can't f---ing stand because I wrote them when I was a kid!' he says. 'They're not 'songs of a generation' and I'm not 'the next Bruce Springsteen'. I'm just a kid – well, a f---ing 31-year-old man – who's writing songs! I just don't feel comfortable when anybody brings in 'working-class hero'. It doesn't have to have that weight. I'm sorry, I'm probably not in the best state to be doing this interview. Probably gonna brutalise us in the print, hey?' Fender's drinking beers in the back of a pub in North London when we Zoom, enjoying some rare downtime between tours and, significantly, off the back of a jaunt to break America that included a slot at Coachella and high-profile press in publications like the Los Angeles Times ('At home he's a hero. Is America next for Sam Fender?' went that headline). 'I want to break America, who doesn't? That's your f---ing life sorted if it works. But I told my manager we need to make sure we're looking after the territories that have supported us so far,' says Fender, whose arena tour hits Australia in November. 'We'll go to America and we'll lose a lot of money, but Australia is blowing up for us right now so of course we're coming to Australia. That's where the fans are, and it's a big amount of people. It's happening there, so let's go.' The States should be simple enough, I tell him. Jump on a tour with, say, Zach Bryan, a simpatico heartland rocker, and hit those endless small towns where fans can't help but empathise with Fender's hard-won story. The people will eat it up. Look at me, I add, talking like I know what I'm on about. 'Sure, maybe you should f---ing manage us,' Fender jibes. In the meantime, he's focused on writing. He's already begun work on album number four, which is, I remind him, traditionally the 'artist's album'. At this point, you take no notes. 'It's funny you say that because I literally said, I am going to make this album and no c---'s gonna f---ing hear it 'til it's done. Once it's done, they can have it and if it sells, it sells. If it doesn't, I don't care.' Loading He's torn between two intriguing angles. 'There's some stuff I've been making that's a little more thrashy, a bit more Replacements. And then some stuff that's really stripped back, just pure folk songs. We'll see what happens. But it's going to be a vinyl with 10 f----ing songs on it and if people like it, then that's wonderful and if they don't, then fine. But it will be what I want.' In the midst of such chaos, this working-class hero has surely earned the right.
The Age
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Sam Fender doesn't want to be your working-class hero
I've annoyed Sam Fender. I've quoted his own lyrics at him, from TV Dinner, a standout on his new album People Watching – 'Hypothesise a hero's rise and teach them all to then despise/It is our way to make a king, romanticise how they begin/Fetishise their struggling, while all the while they're suffering' – and asked him if he feels his working-class story has been uncomfortably commodified by the industry machine. Suddenly, he's fearing some sort of tabloid ambush. 'I mean… I don't know,' he says. A long silence ensues, then eventually: 'I don't really want to make a f---ing headline about me being like 'oh, I've felt exploited' because I'm happy doing what I'm doing. But I also think… Hang on, give us a second... What's this for anyway? Who do you write for?' In the UK, Fender has been Britpop's chosen son since 2021, when Seventeen Going Under marked his viral breakthrough. A stirring anthem of proletarian disillusionment, the song recalled Fender's youth growing up below the poverty line in the council estates of North Shields, a shipyard town near Newcastle; it also seethed at the struggle his mum, a nurse forced out of work due to fibromyalgia, endured at the hands of bureaucratic indifference ('I see my mother/The DWP see a number' he sang). It led Fender to a prestigious Ivor Novello win for best song, and album of the year nods in the Mercury Prize and Brit Awards. This February, he released the long-awaited follow-up People Watching, which added a War On Drugs-esque chug to Fender's signature Bruce Springsteen-via-The Killers sound, thanks to production from Adam Granduciel (a Fender hero), and the skyward trajectory continued. At home, where he's now the sort of pop star who breaks chart records set by Harry Styles, has Elton John on speed-dial, and can secure celebrities like Andrew Scott and Adolescence star Owen Cooper for his music videos, Fender's also become a de facto spokesman for the working class. In interviews, he gets questions that set him railing against wealth disparity, the left's abandonment of the underclass, and the structures that make a music career inaccessible to anyone not from private-school privilege. He's the sort of pop star who earns glowing write-ups in the NME and the World Socialist Website. Media have christened him 'Geordie Springsteen', a descriptor both illustrative and pejorative depending on who wields it. If uninvited, it's hard to avoid when your songs feature lines like: 'My old man worked on the rail yard/Betting his trade on the electrical bars/It got privatised, the work degraded/In this crumbling empire' (from People Watching 's Crumbling Empire). Three albums in, though, it's become a nuisance to his art. It's perhaps understandable then, that when a writer starts whiffing around his politics in an interview, Fender's haunches go up. Does he get criticism for talking openly about politics? 'I mean, yeah, do you?' Fender replies. Well no, nobody cares about a thing I say, and I have the analytics to prove it. Has he had bad experiences with the press over it? 'O'course I have, all you've gotta do is Google my name and find all the things that look salacious. I could tick them all off for you,' he says. Does he feel pressure to be a voice for the working class? Fender laughs heartily and I've set him off. 'No, I don't… Ah f---, I don't know. Sorry, I guess I'm battling with that myself at the moment,' he says. 'People bandy around these f---ing sayings – 'voice of the working class', 'voice of a generation' – I hear this f---ing shit all the time and it's ridiculous. I'm not f---ing Bob Dylan. I'm not Bruce Springsteen. I'm Sam Fender. All I'm doing is me f---ing songs, writing about my lived experience, the people I know and what's going on in me hometown. It's just a couple of good tunes, that's all and nothing more.' You can sense the frustration of a young artist trapped in a persona foisted upon them. Or, at the very least, the pressure of expectation from a culture craving their next rock 'n' roll saviour. Right now, Fender doesn't want the job. 'Half the songs I've released I can't f---ing stand because I wrote them when I was a kid!' he says. 'They're not 'songs of a generation' and I'm not 'the next Bruce Springsteen'. I'm just a kid – well, a f---ing 31-year-old man – who's writing songs! I just don't feel comfortable when anybody brings in 'working-class hero'. It doesn't have to have that weight. I'm sorry, I'm probably not in the best state to be doing this interview. Probably gonna brutalise us in the print, hey?' Fender's drinking beers in the back of a pub in North London when we Zoom, enjoying some rare downtime between tours and, significantly, off the back of a jaunt to break America that included a slot at Coachella and high-profile press in publications like the Los Angeles Times ('At home he's a hero. Is America next for Sam Fender?' went that headline). 'I want to break America, who doesn't? That's your f---ing life sorted if it works. But I told my manager we need to make sure we're looking after the territories that have supported us so far,' says Fender, whose arena tour hits Australia in November. 'We'll go to America and we'll lose a lot of money, but Australia is blowing up for us right now so of course we're coming to Australia. That's where the fans are, and it's a big amount of people. It's happening there, so let's go.' The States should be simple enough, I tell him. Jump on a tour with, say, Zach Bryan, a simpatico heartland rocker, and hit those endless small towns where fans can't help but empathise with Fender's hard-won story. The people will eat it up. Look at me, I add, talking like I know what I'm on about. 'Sure, maybe you should f---ing manage us,' Fender jibes. In the meantime, he's focused on writing. He's already begun work on album number four, which is, I remind him, traditionally the 'artist's album'. At this point, you take no notes. 'It's funny you say that because I literally said, I am going to make this album and no c---'s gonna f---ing hear it 'til it's done. Once it's done, they can have it and if it sells, it sells. If it doesn't, I don't care.' Loading He's torn between two intriguing angles. 'There's some stuff I've been making that's a little more thrashy, a bit more Replacements. And then some stuff that's really stripped back, just pure folk songs. We'll see what happens. But it's going to be a vinyl with 10 f----ing songs on it and if people like it, then that's wonderful and if they don't, then fine. But it will be what I want.' In the midst of such chaos, this working-class hero has surely earned the right.
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Bob Dylan joined by Billy Strings for cover of All Along The Watchtower
Bob Dylan performed 'All Along the Watchtower' with Billy Strings. During his latest set at Willie Nelson's 'Outlaw Music Festival Tour' in Spokane, Washington, on May 22, the music legend performed a fresh rendition of his 1967 hit at the piano with the 32-year-old bluegrass rocker on acoustic guitar. At another stop on the tour, Dylan performed 'Mr. Tambourine Man' live for the first time in 15 years. Near the end of his set, on May 13, he dusted of his 1965 classic. The evening ended with another surprise as Dylan covered The Pogues' 'A Rainy Night in Soho' to close off the 13-track setlist. Dylan also performed 'Forgetful Heart' for the first time since 2015 and many more live rarities. Earlier this year, two pages of Bob Dylan's lyrics sold for more than half a million dollars. The 83-year-old singer was the subject of a sale from Julien's Auctions in Nashville, with over 60 items - including photos, music sheets, a guitar, and art work - going under the hammer, generating almost $1.5 million in both in-person and online bidding and sales. And the typewritten two pages of Dylan's drafted lyrics to 'Mr. Tambourine Man' accounted for one third of the total sales, with the winning bidder agreeing to fork out $508,000. The yellow sheets of paper also included the folk legend's handwritten annotations to the three drafts of the 1965 songs. The next highest-selling items were a 1968 oil-on-canvas painting created and signed by the 'Lay Lady Lay' singer in 1968 and a custom 1983 Fender guitar which he had owned and played, which went for $260,000 and $225,000 respectively. All but 10 of the lots were from the personal collection of late music journalist Al Aronowitz, and his son Myles told the New York Times newspaper he'd found Dylan's lyrics while searching through 250 boxes of his father's "remarkable" collection over a period of several years.
Hans India
7 days ago
- Hans India
Go Glamping: The best of comfort and adventure in the golden State
California offers a unique blend of the thrill of camping and the comforts of luxury at some of the best glamping spots across the state. Whether it's the stunning coastlines, majestic mountains, or serene deserts, California's glamping retreats allow you to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying modern conveniences. Wilderness Retreats Perfect for hiking, biking, boating, fishing, and water sports, these glamping locations are nestled in California's top mountain, lake, and forest settings. • Cave Springs Resort Stay in vintage Airstream trailers near the charming town of Dunsmuir. Explore Mount Shasta, relax by the Sacramento River, or hike to Hedge Creek Falls during the day. Unwind at night in a restored Airstream blending modern comfort with nostalgic charm. • SunHawk Farms Located in Mendocino, this eco-friendly resort offers glamping tents, a kid-friendly water slide, and a recreational lake on seven acres — perfect for families to connect with nature or join pickleball camps. • Camp Nauvoo Near Lake Tahoe in Placerville, Camp Nauvoo offers glamping tents and teepees on 88 acres alongside Weber Creek. Enjoy hiking, swimming, fishing, and sports without ever leaving the campgrounds. • Dawn Ranch A romantic getaway in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dawn Ranch features vintage canvas tents in a fruit orchard. Couples can roast s'mores, learn Fender guitar, and indulge in nature-inspired spa treatments and gourmet dining at The Lodge. • Under Canvas Yosemite An 80-acre luxurious glamping site just 10 minutes from Yosemite's entrance. Guests enjoy plush king-size beds, ensuite bathrooms, and West Elm furnishings for the ultimate upscale outdoor experience. Coastal Glamping Getaways For stunning ocean views, sunsets, and beachside adventures, these coastal retreats deliver unforgettable experiences. • Waypoint Ventura Stay in one of 20 uniquely restored Airstream trailers just blocks from Ventura Beach. Each trailer has its own fun personality, such as The Flamingo or Green Eggs & Ham. • Camp Catalina White's Landing On Catalina Island, enjoy beachfront cabins and tents with comfy beds. From March to November, families can join guided fishing, yoga sessions, and Trapper Adventure programs for kids. • Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort Rent an RV or stay in a beachfront cottage in Newport Beach. Enjoy a waterpark, boat rentals, a Pirate's playground, and beach bonfires. Conveniently close to Fashion Island and Balboa Island. • Campland on the Bay & Mission Bay RV Resort Located in San Diego, Campland offers a lively atmosphere with RV rentals, beachfront fire pits, and water sports—ideal for families. Mission Bay provides a more tranquil setting with hiking, biking, and watersports. Desert & Unique Experiences For open vistas, starry skies, and adventurous escapes, these desert and unique glamping spots stand out. • Noma Resort High Sierra luxury in geometric domes with skylights for stargazing. Enjoy fishing ponds, apple orchards, canoeing, and hiking trails. • Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp Resort A family-friendly spot in Lodi with a water park, laser tag, mini-golf, cabins, RV sites, and tent camping. Close to wine country, San Francisco, and Sacramento. • Palm Canyon Hotel & RV Resort Near Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, this Wild West-themed resort features pools, a saloon, and some of the best stargazing in an International Dark Sky Community. Enjoy desert hiking and cowboy adventures by day. • Old Town Ranch Stay in a converted Conestoga wagon in Temecula. Spend days horseback riding, exploring the ranch, and visiting nearby wineries.
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Sam Fender's life off stage – health struggles, 'stoner', and social issues
Singer-songwriter Sam Fender has always been open about his mental health and the struggles he has faced over the years, as well as his journey to fame Sam Fender has never shied away when it comes to sharing an insight into his life and his mental health. The musician, 31, will today headline BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Liverpool, performing alongside the likes of Myles Smith, Sugababes, Blossoms and Inhaler. However, off-stage, Fender has been widely praised for being a positive influence on young men, as well as initiating conversations about mental health and toxic masculinity. After the coronavirus pandemic, Sam released his second solo album, Seventeen Going Under, following his chart-topping 2019 debut, Hypersonic Missiles. In the album, he chronicled his struggles during the pandemic, revealing that he received a letter from the NHS instructing him to shield for 12 weeks. Earlier this year, he went on to score his third Number One album with People Watching, spawning hits including a track of the same name, Arm's Length and Tyrants. Speaking about the record, Fender said: "Our third album, People Watching. Feels pretty surreal saying that, it was a baptism of fire making it over the last 3 years. I want to send a huge thank you to Markus Dravs and Adam Granduciel for helping us steer the ship, it was a hell of a journey! I want to thank the fans for their unwavering support and patience. I'm eternally gobsmacked by the response to these songs, and humbled to see so many familiar and new faces at the shows." Before achieving worldwide recognition, the singer-songwriter confessed to being "a little stoner" and failing his A-Level studies in his hometown of North Shields. Sam and his mum, Shirley, lived in a flat plagued with black mould. Reflecting on his lockdown experience, Sam admitted he coped "horrendously", neglecting self-care by overeating and drinking, which left him feeling "miserable". His father, Alan, struggled to express emotions, leaving Sam concerned that he had been taught toxic masculinity due to his father's emotional reticence. Despite appearing confident now, Sam admits he was filled with self-loathing after finding fame, leading to intense self-hatred. "I was dealing with abandonment issues, my folks split up when I was young and I lived with my dad, but then he and I stopped getting on," he shared with The Guardian. He also revealed that he was bullied at school for having long hair and being "sensitive". Although he didn't retaliate against his bullies, Fender remembers "snapping" in his 20s, resorting to hitting walls to release his pent-up anger and frustration. His debut album featured the poignant track Dead Boys, which has been a lifeline for fans grappling with dark thoughts. Sam opened up about the personal significance of the song, revealing in 2021: "I lost a good friend to suicide last year, and I'm not going to lie to you – over lockdown, and even before, I was in that sort of place myself. I had moments where I was so low that I thought about it," before he clarified that he never attempted it. In a candid chat with NME back in 2018, he shared: "I lost some friends very close to me because of that. This song came from that place, and I have been playing it to other people ever since. It's raised a conversation and I realised how much of a present issue it is. Everybody that I spoke to from all different parts of the country have all got a connection to someone they've lost." He also touched on the damaging effects of "toxic masculinity" on mental health discussions, particularly among men who are often pressured by outdated notions of stoicism. "I was told not to cry as a kid," he disclosed, before condemning the harmful mindset: "It's that sort of backwards attitude, so when we feel bad we feel ashamed or we feel like embarrassed." Sam previously spoke openly about taking time off to prioritise his wellbeing. In 2022, he cancelled several performances, citing "burnout" from touring. At the time, he explained that it would be "hypocritical" to continue working while neglecting his own mental health. In a statement released in September 2022, Fender said: "It seems completely hypocritical of me to advocate discussion on mental health and write songs about it if I don't take time to look after my own mental health. I've neglected myself for over a year now and haven't dealt with things that have deeply affected me. "It's impossible to do this work on myself while on the road, and it's exhausting feigning happiness and wellness for the sake of business. My friends and colleagues have been worried about me for a while and it's not going to get better unless I take the time to do so." He later explained he was beyond grateful to his fans for understanding before adding: "Me and the boys are burnt out and we need this time." Over the course of his career, Sam has also tackled the injustice within the socioeconomic scene and used his platform for the better. His working-class background has remained strong throughout his music, with millions relating to Seventeen Going Under He's spoken openly about the tough times when his mum couldn't work due to fibromyalgia and mental health issues. Reflecting on his previous album, Sam shared: "To be honest, with this record, it wasn't actually a real aim to tackle social issues, it was just I'd done therapy for two years once I started getting famous. That, basically, opened up a whole can of worms with my upbringing. I just ended up writing about home a lot more, writing about my life, and writing about my mother. Them stories just have a social conscience in them, because it's talking about very, very normal things that happen to very normal people." In an interview with The Big Issue, Sam remembered how his mum Shirley felt "embarrassed" by their hardships, but now that his circumstances have transformed, he remains tightly knit with his North East community. Proudly off benefits, Sam expressed: "It's amazing, I love that."
