Newcastle native Sam Fender melds urgent, melodic indie rock with the heart of a singer/songwriter and socially conscious lyrics. He rose to acclaim Britain in late 2017 when he appeared on the coveted BBC Sound of 2018 list and was subsequently signed to Polydor Records. Fender found widespread success with his first two albums, 2019’s Hypersonic Missiles and 2021’s Seventeen Going Under, topping the U.K. album chart with both and taking home a Brit Award for best alternative act in 2022. While the latter album was inspired by his own childhood, he turned to the lives of everyday people for 2025’s People Watching.
Born and raised in North Shields, just outside of Newcastle, Fender came from a musical family that included an older brother and father who played out locally. After gigging locally himself, he was discovered by Ben Howard’s manager, who helped pave the road for Fender’s debut single, “Play God.”