It was the day the North East had been waiting for since 2021. Today, Sam Fender unveiled his critically acclaimed third album, People Watching.
And if the lead single and title track is anything to go by, Sam's latest offering is destined for chart-topping success, just like its predecessor Seventeen Going Under.
Fender's new album follows recent Brit Award nominations in the 'Artist of the Year' and 'Best Alternative/Rock Act' categories at this year's ceremony. Of course, the demand for the artist's current UK tour, which includes three sold-out nights at St James' Park, has been unprecedented.
Sam recently added huge summer outdoor shows in Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast to his extensive tour, which will see the North East based artist perform across Europe and the United States.
On Friday, Tyneside fans descended upon HMV in Newcastle to get their hands on a physical copy of the record. But one thing that they didn't bargain for was an up close and personal encounter with Sam's band in-store.
Seven of the group, excluding Sam, arrived at the Eldon Square-based record store at midday to surprise fans buying the album. Those lucky enough to be in the store at the time were treated to a few bars of music by Sam’s talismanic saxophonist Johnny “Blue Hat” Davis, who accompanied a track from the album played over the store's PA on his saxophone. Stunned members of the public queued up to pick up a copy of the album. I guess you could say, in that respect, the people were watching for certain.
As one would expect, the band's surprise arrival caused quite a stir. Many fans managed to get their copy of Fender’s new record autographed by the local heroes themselves, whilst others opted for a treasured selfie with the guys.
But how are the band feeling about the album on release day? “It just feels surreal, to be honest. We spent a lot of time making this record. And it's actually the first time we've all held the physical record,” said guitarist Dean Thompson. “It's really cool to see people enjoying it.”
Having the album out is somewhat of a relief for the band. “I think making the third one as well is always quite difficult. And we're fortunate enough that the first two records have gone really well for us and Sam, and then it almost puts more pressure on the third one because you've got to get it right. So, we spent a long time really working hard and pouring our souls into it. And hopefully, everybody enjoys it,” said Dean.
HMV Newcastle is located in the centre of Eldon Square, just over the road from St James Park, where Sam Fender and the band will perform three sold-out nights in June. How much are they looking forward to returning to the hallowed grounds of the city's beloved football club? "I mean, it just doesn't feel real. It's almost like we didn't believe that we did it last time. The only reason we knew it existed is because we watched the videos back. Oh, yeah, we did do that. So, to do it again is just unfathomable,” declared Dean.
Sam Fender famously sold out two nights at St James Park in 2023. Performing in front of such a huge hometown crowd was a bucket list moment for the band. “It's absolutely crazy. And just to do it in Newcastle as well at St James’. I think we're all really proud to come from Newcastle and to do that and see that many people and people travel from far away as well. But to do that in your hometown and to feel the energy there was just really humbling and just an awesome experience.”
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People Watching Review: Sam Fender is back with a bang
With a new album in tow, how much are the band looking forward to playing the new material live? “Really excited, quite nervous. It's good. It presents a little challenge because when you do a set for a long time, you get used to it, which is a scary place to be,” explains Dean. “You don't want to get used to anything. So, we know that album inside out, but it's nice to then play the new songs and have that little bit of nervousness about playing and the anticipation of watching how people are going to react to the new songs live as well. It's going to be cool.”
With touring planned across the UK, Europe and the United States, there is going to be a lot of travelling this year for Sam Fender and the band. But how much are they looking forward to hitting the road this time around? “Yeah, super excited. I mean, as I said, we've been making this record for a long time, so we've spent a lot of time in the studios doing it, but really excited to get out on the road with all the gang and yeah, just perform it live. It's going to be awesome,” concludes Dean.
People Watching, the critically acclaimed third album from Sam Fender, is out today.
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