Music was always ever present when I was growing up, and it's continued to be the most important and intrinsic part of me. It kept me from going off the rails as a kid, and it gave me rare purpose and self-confidence that I couldn't find from anything else.

Sam Fender

Categorized in : Me Self-Confidence Purpose Music

I'm not an expert on politics, but there's a bunch of bad people at the top who care about lining their own pockets before creating a society that looks after the vulnerable.

Sam Fender

bad-people society politics people

Back in the day, you could have a crap gig, and nobody would film you. Now, everybody's got an iPhone - you have a bad day, and it's going on the Internet.

Sam Fender

day you bad-day internet

My favourite writers are always great storytellers, like Bruce Springsteen; I adore Bruce Springsteen. I feel like he doesn't beat around the bush, and he doesn't overcomplicate things. He puts things into layman's terms and tells stories that anyone can understand.

Sam Fender

feel great understand always

Men just need to be open and not emasculate one another.

Sam Fender

open need just men

I don't live in London. I live in the place that I sing about.

Sam Fender

sing live place london

A lot of my songs are just posing questions, because I'm on a journey to find the answers myself.

Sam Fender

questions myself posing journey

I'm the worst. I get on my Instagram, put up a picture of my face looking all cheekbones and blue steel, and get massive dopamine hits when I see the likes come in.

Sam Fender

picture face looking blue

I was told not to cry as a kid.

Sam Fender

kid cry

I like to write about stories and life experiences of me, the people around us, and just the things I see on the telly without overcomplicating things.

Sam Fender

see me life people

I'm not like a university-educated scholar. I just sing what I see.

Sam Fender

i-see just see like

I don't trust songs that can be played at a kid's party and a club at the same time. I just don't think it's right. There's something reptilian about that.

Sam Fender

think trust party time

I'm hopelessly addicted to Instagram.

Sam Fender

hopelessly addicted instagram

I think honesty is an important thing when writing a song. If you can't sing it with conviction, then no-one else is going to believe it.

Sam Fender

you honesty song believe

I love my hometown, but 'Leave Fast' is the way I felt when I was 17, 18 - it's that fear that I'd never be able to do something else.

Sam Fender

hometown fear love way

It's so surreal for us to be playing at Tynemouth Castle. It couldn't be much closer to home. I've got so many mad stories of us all running around here as kids, and it's mental that we're going to be playing at an actual castle!

Sam Fender

castle us mad home

There are a lot of challenges we are facing, like how you are supposed to react to emotional stress.

Sam Fender

you stress emotional challenges

Me and my mates are very, very close. We all talk about our problems - especially as we've got older. But I don't think a lot of people have that.

Sam Fender

problems think me people

I remember specifically, for me, as a kid growing up or as a young teenager, if I ever cried or got upset in front of anybody, I would be so humiliated.

Sam Fender

me upset growing-up remember

The music industry as a whole needs to genuinely make a conscious effort to look after people's physical and mental health.

Sam Fender

look music health people

I love my job - I'm going to keep doing it until I die - but there's nothing more soul-destroying than having to cancel a show.

Sam Fender

die nothing job love