I was probably the only kid in school that had long hair.
— Sam Fender
I'm relentless when it comes to writing and recording.
I think I'm the last generation that remembers life before the smartphone. I'm going to be one of them old geezers going, 'You know, when I was a kid, we used to play with sticks.'
As soon as I had the opportunity to wear a suit, I took it, like when I was at sixth form and had to dress smartly, I couldn't wait to get a suit on. I've always loved dressing up.
I messed around with the guitar from the age of about eight, but when I hit 13, it was the only thing I wanted from life.
I write all my own songs, so if it goes wrong, I don't co-write anything. It's all going to fall on me.
I'm so grateful to everyone back home for believing, and to my band and team for all their hard work.
I'm never going to overestimate the clout of my job.
My brother was a drummer, and he was always, like, smashing the kit around when I was a kid, and my dad was, like, one of them old musicians, and he played in, like, loads of different bands in the '70s and '80s. Him and my brother were kind of like my main inspirations.
'Poundshop Kardashians' is Newcastle on a Saturday night. Nobody wears coats - it's all muscles and V-necks and fake tan.
I write from the perspective of an early 20s kid who is trying to grasp an idea of what the hell is going on.
The negative effects of greedy politicians have haunted the north-east for years; it's very apparent.
I've been lucky enough to support some absolute legends and incredible songwriters over the years, including Hozier, Daughter, Willy Mason, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Nick Mulvey, and Benjamin Francis Leftwich.
I'll always just be stupid boy, and I'm happy with that.
It's so vacuous, this job. You're constantly looking at pictures of yourself, talking about yourself. Then I come back home, and all my mates want to talk about is me because I've been hanging out with Elton John and stuff.
The music industry as a whole needs to genuinely make a conscious effort to look after people's physical and mental health.
Men just need to be open and not emasculate one another.
I never want to co-write. People never just write a quarter of a book, do they? I don't think you can get your story across.
I've chronicled a time when I was 17, 18, utterly terrified that you're not gonna get anywhere with whatever you want to do. It's that fear and claustrophobia that I think comes to most people living in small towns. But I am lucky, because I just knew that music was my thing.
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.
When I was about 18, I started playing restaurants for £150 a night. I felt like a millionaire.
Musicians - we're not doctors. We're not saving people's lives. We're not going out and changing the world. We're not coming up with cancer cures. We're not any of that. They're the real heroes of the world.
I would cry if I met Bruce Springsteen, man. I don't think I'd be able to handle it.
A lot of my songs are just posing questions, because I'm on a journey to find the answers myself.
My dad was a club musician. He was always playing guitar and playing loads of soul records and '60s rock n' roll. Whenever he used to cook, he used to play Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, The Kinks, and the Spencer Davis Group - a lot of really earthy things.
I'm a horrendous cook; my mum does my meals. I can only cook beans on toast with cheese.
It's impossible to let fame go to your head when you still live in North Shields in a flat with your mum.
The thing about Springsteen, his music, although he's writing about, you know, New Jersey and Asbury Park, all of them places, it's blue-collar towns that, like - it's similar to Newcastle, where I'm from.
Pretty much every prime minister since I can remember has made me mad.
My mam and dad were blasting Steely Dan when I was born; the music hasn't stopped since then.
I put enough pressure on myself already - I can sit here and work myself into an anxiety-filled breakdown without worrying what everyone else is going to think.
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.
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.
There are a lot of challenges we are facing, like how you are supposed to react to emotional stress.
Even when a Geordie is trying to be nasty, it doesn't sound that threatening.
The reality is, the only thing I can control is whether my songs are good and if I can turn up and sing. All the rest is background noise.
I think the best writing is full of honesty and conviction. A lot of people are afraid to reveal much of themselves.
I think I got stopped on the train once by a kid, and that was the first time I realised I had fans. He was shaking. I just reassured him that I'm an idiot and nothing special, so he didn't have to be nervous. It was very sweet.
I've got a band that I tour with, and they're not session musicians; they're my friends.
I got scouted to be the dude in the video for 'Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored.'
When you have these moments where a song connects with people and creates a conversation, it's quite a humbling experience because it's like, 'Maybe there is a little bit more weight to this job than I thought there ever was before.' Which was wonderful that that happened with 'Dead Boys.'
I recorded 'Play God' in a shed. I don't know how we got it to sound as good as it did.
The Cure wrote 'Boys Don't Cry,' and it's the same today: as a boy, you're not meant to show your emotions, but if you don't have a job or any prospects, you're going to be depressed, and it will be much worse if you can't express that. I hate the term because it's become a buzzword, but it's toxic masculinity.
I'm asking questions that most people are asking, but just putting a melody or a song to it.
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.
I wanted to change my name when I first started because I thought, 'No-one is going to believe that it is my name.'
I try my best not to be preachy.
I don't live in London. I live in the place that I sing about.
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.
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.
