- 2 days ago
Sam Fender stops by the KROQ studios in Los Angeles to talk with Megan Holiday.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00It is the world-famous K-Rock and Megan Holiday, and I'm here with my old friend Sam Fender.
00:04Hi, buddy. It's so good to see you.
00:06It's lovely to see you, too.
00:08Do you remember the last time that you were here?
00:11When you came here in 2019?
00:14Oh, in here.
00:15In here, yes.
00:16And that was the first time that you and I met and I interviewed you.
00:20I had a cap on.
00:21You had a cap on, you did.
00:22And then I did a load of...
00:25We did a session, didn't we?
00:27You did three songs, you did a couple songs, and you did a Bruce cover.
00:32Yes, you did.
00:33And I knew in that moment, I was like, this guy is magical, and this guy is going to be
00:38a superstar.
00:39And you know I've been Sam Fender obsessed ever since then.
00:43And so to just watch what has been going on has been absolutely incredible.
00:47But before we get into that, because you don't usually get to spend a lot of time here in Los
00:53Angeles.
00:54So you were kind of telling me about how you just recently got to go and see Paul McCartney at
01:00the Fonda.
01:00And you really had this full L.A. experience.
01:02It was a religious experience.
01:04It was amazing.
01:05And actually, I cried for most of the show.
01:08Oh, my God, I bet.
01:09Especially from once...
01:11He played Blackbird on his own.
01:12I was gone.
01:13Oh, God.
01:14And then he did a tribute to George, and he pulled out George's ukulele and did a whole story about...
01:23He was talking about George, like loving George Formby and being a fan of George Formby.
01:27And I think I was the only person in the room who knew who George Formby was.
01:31And he's like an old British, like comedy sort of singer.
01:35Oh, okay.
01:36And then he played something, and that broke us.
01:40And then he did a whole medley of...
01:43He did Golden Slumber's Carry That Way at the end, like the end of Abbey Road.
01:47And I was just...
01:47I was snotty tears streaming down my face.
01:51It was great.
01:52It was amazing.
01:54It's been the weirdest, weirdest couple of days.
01:55And then I went to Disneyland.
01:58Yes!
01:58To go see...
01:59Yes!
01:59To go to Star Wars...
02:01What do they call it?
02:02I don't know.
02:03Star Wars Rise...
02:04Galaxy's...
02:04The Galaxy's Edge or Rise of the...
02:05Galaxy's Edge, Rise of the Resistance.
02:07Isn't that ride crazy?
02:09It was class.
02:09Right?
02:10My favorite one was flying the Millennium Falcon, though.
02:12The other one.
02:13I loved that.
02:14Me and my manager were both flying it and screaming.
02:17Hell yeah.
02:17It was great.
02:18It was class.
02:19Did you try any different kinds of foods at Disneyland?
02:22Did you at least get a churro?
02:24Nah, I didn't.
02:24I didn't really.
02:25I didn't try anything.
02:26I went into the Star Wars bar in the cantina and had some weird...
02:30Oh, nice.
02:30...weird-looking cocktails.
02:31Uh-huh.
02:32That was good fun.
02:33And there was a...
02:34And I think we had like a pretzel bun in there.
02:37That was about it.
02:38But that kind of...
02:38You didn't get a giant turkey leg?
02:40What?
02:41To do them there?
02:42I've always wanted to get one of them.
02:44Like a giant turkey leg.
02:45All right.
02:46Next time you're here, can we go do a full-day Disney experience?
02:52We could film it.
02:52We could do a whole review and everything.
02:54Let's do it.
02:54I'll do that for K-Rod.
02:56I'll be class.
02:57Let's go.
02:58I've always wanted one of them.
02:59The one that's wrapped in bacon sometimes as well.
03:02Yes, sir.
03:02Wow.
03:03It's huge.
03:03It's as big as your face.
03:04God bless America.
03:05We're going to...
03:06I know.
03:07And then...
03:08So then you went and you had dinner with Elton John?
03:11Yes.
03:11Okay.
03:12I had dinner with Elton John for his birthday.
03:14Just hanging out.
03:15He's lovely.
03:16I love that man so much.
03:19He's been so kind to me over the years.
03:21So we sat there and went and Andrew Watt, the producer lad, he's lovely.
03:28This first time we've properly hung out and I've got on really well with him.
03:32He's such a sweet guy.
03:33And he just goes like, he gets up and he's like, he's like, yo, he's like, Al Pacino's
03:37over there.
03:38I'm going to bring him over.
03:38Oh my God, what?
03:40I was like, what?
03:41So Al Pacino comes over at the table and I'm like, oh my God, what's he like?
03:46Are you kidding me?
03:47I couldn't.
03:47I didn't know what to do.
03:49And I was trying so hard.
03:51Sorry, this is like the most name droppy story.
03:53No, I love this.
03:53I love everything about this.
03:55It's so name droppy, but it's ridiculous.
03:57I feel very strange when I'm saying these things.
04:00But yeah, he comes over and Elton introduced me to him and I was just like, what is going
04:07on with my life right now?
04:08This is insane.
04:10And I was trying desperately, desperately not to say that I share my birthday with Al Pacino.
04:16I was just like, don't do it, Sam.
04:18It's going to be so weird if you say that.
04:19He's going to think you're a freak.
04:21And I thankfully didn't do it, but it was just on the tip of my tongue.
04:25I was like, don't have a joint birthday party.
04:28Let's have a joint birthday, Al.
04:29It's always the thing that you tell yourself.
04:31I'm not going to bring this up.
04:32I'm not going to bring this up.
04:33And then you do.
04:34So you did.
04:34You played it cool.
04:36Yeah, I tried.
04:37That's pretty surreal.
04:38There's a lot of masking.
04:39I feel like you can do a pretty good Al Pacino impersonation as well.
04:43And I'm glad you didn't do that.
04:44No, yeah.
04:45The temptation was very, very real.
04:48Oh my God.
04:49Well, welcome to Los Angeles.
04:51It's been a while since you've been here.
04:54Last time I saw you was at Coachella.
04:56I was at Coachella last year.
04:58Yeah.
04:58And I was telling you, I'm like, we need this to be the Sam Fender America takeover.
05:07It'll take as long as it takes.
05:08I know, but we're well on our way though.
05:12So we have to talk about, so your album People Watching came out early last year, did really,
05:19really well.
05:21And then you play Coachella and then things just start blowing up even more with your song
05:26Rain Me In.
05:27It's growing by the minute.
05:29I've never had anything like it.
05:30It's crazy.
05:31It's back to number one in the UK.
05:32It's now climbing the Billboard Global 200 charts.
05:37Global.
05:38That's mad.
05:38So when you wrote this song, did you have any idea that it was something special or was
05:43this very surprising to you?
05:44I didn't even think it was a single.
05:46Uh-huh.
05:46I was like, oh, this is a great album track.
05:48Yeah.
05:48I was like track six.
05:50Uh-huh.
05:50And it actually ended up being track six.
05:52I was like, great album track in the middle.
05:55I was like, I love that one.
05:56But, you know, it's not a single.
05:57I didn't think it was a single at all.
05:59Um, and obviously, I mean, I've struck gold with, um, asking Olivia Dean because Olivia
06:04Dean's career just went, like, straight up.
06:07She just won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist and she did an incredible performance.
06:12And, um, well, so how did you meet her and how did you sort of get her involved in doing
06:17this song?
06:18I was a fan and we were looking for somebody to do, to do like a duet sort of collaboration
06:24thing on one of the songs that I'd already, so at Rain Me In was, it was already a
06:28song on the album.
06:30Um, but I wanted to do like, um, cause I did it with like Noah Kahn.
06:33I jumped on one of Noah Kahn's songs and it was a song he'd already had.
06:37Yeah.
06:37But then he like deleted the second verse and let me write a verse of my own.
06:41And I wanted to do the same thing.
06:43And, um, I was such a fan of Olivia at the time, you know, and I still am.
06:47Obviously that sounded like I'm not a fan anymore.
06:49I'm over her now.
06:49Yeah.
06:50I'm done.
06:51No, I'm still such a big fan.
06:52Um, it's, you know, and so the label were like, oh, we've sent her the songs.
06:58And I was like, I bet they haven't.
07:00Cause they were pushing for a different song to be a single.
07:02And I was like, I bet they haven't sent all of the albums.
07:05So I rang Olivia and I was like, did they send you everything?
07:08And she was like, no, they just sent me this one song.
07:10I was like, I knew it.
07:11So I was like, you take the whole album.
07:14And I was like, and you can pick.
07:15So Olivia picked Rain Me In.
07:17It was, it was her choice.
07:18So you sent her the whole album.
07:20She listened to it.
07:21And then she chose that song.
07:22And she was like, Rain Me In, that's the one.
07:23And I was like, right.
07:24Okay.
07:24And, um, so I was like, I'll delete the second verse.
07:27Um, and you can just go and write your own, whatever you want, you know?
07:31And, um, she really cleverly made it, um, like a dual narrative.
07:36Yep.
07:36Cause it was, originally it was just me being self-flagellating.
07:41About, uh, screwing up a relationship.
07:44Yeah.
07:44And it was like, uh, it was the character was supposed to be like, you know, being honest,
07:50being honest.
07:51And, um, and Olivia put in the female perspective of that relationship, um, which was, you know,
07:58I thought, I thought it was brave to do that.
08:01And it, it just, it really elevated it.
08:03And I think it made it, made it more, um, universal.
08:06And I think it kind of just related to a lot more people than it would have done had I
08:10have not had Olivia on it, you know?
08:12So I'm eternally grateful that she did that.
08:15And, and then it's just gone daft.
08:16I've, I've never had a number one single before.
08:18Oh my God.
08:19Never had one.
08:20Really?
08:20I've had number one albums.
08:21Oh, okay.
08:22The albums all went number one, but I've never, like guitar music rarely gets like, I've had
08:28three, I think is the closest I've got before.
08:30Okay.
08:30I got, see, I thought for sure, like hypertonic missiles or 17, like any, 17 got, was it three
08:36or four, three, 17 got a three.
08:40I think people watching got a four or three and, um, but yeah, no, no higher than that
08:45before.
08:45And then now we've just, we've had five weeks at number one.
08:48Oh my goodness.
08:49It's insane.
08:50That's so wild.
08:54Yeah.
08:55Oh, this is a lot bigger than just here in the UK.
08:58Like, yes, we're crushing it here in the UK, but starting to, you know, gain all of this
09:03international success.
09:04At what point was, were you seeing stuff on TikTok or were you just, your, your people
09:09are just like, Hey, look at these numbers, these streaming numbers.
09:11I didn't see anything.
09:13Okay.
09:14It's the strangest thing.
09:15I was saying this to my manager the other day.
09:16I was like, Oh, and I was like, this is like the most success we've ever had.
09:21And all I've done is sat on my arse and play PlayStation for three months.
09:24Cause I was supposed to be taking a break.
09:26You know, I was like, Oh, let's take a break this year and make an album.
09:29Yeah.
09:29And I've just been sat playing PlayStation, eating Nando's, you know, and like, I'm like,
09:35and he's bringing this up to number one again.
09:37I'm like, Oh, great.
09:38Back to me PlayStation.
09:40Like, I want to do that.
09:41Just been playing Resident Evil.
09:43It's been great.
09:44Oh my God.
09:44That's amazing.
09:46Having the best time.
09:47Wow.
09:47So it's just, so people are just streaming it.
09:50It's just getting more and more and more and more out there.
09:53It's absolutely mad.
09:54Wow.
09:54Is there anywhere that the song is affecting maybe like a country that you really do?
10:01I mean, obviously you want to blow up here in America.
10:04Yeah, I would love to.
10:05Is there anywhere else?
10:06Like, I don't know, Japan or is there anywhere else where you?
10:08I would love it.
10:10Anywhere.
10:10Yeah.
10:11Anywhere that wants to listen to it.
10:13If anybody likes it, I'm going to be grateful and happy to go there.
10:15You know, I mean, I guess there's an excuse to go and see somewhere interesting that you've
10:21never been before.
10:22I haven't, I've never done South America yet.
10:24I would love to.
10:24Oh, okay.
10:25Okay.
10:25I would love it.
10:26I'd love to go down there and see what's going on down there.
10:31Japan is great.
10:32I've been to Japan once, but years ago, we did like a little run of shows in 2019.
10:37And it was probably like one of my favorite little tours.
10:40Yeah.
10:41It was so fun.
10:42Japan is so cool.
10:42And it was like the first time I've ever been to a place where I'm like, wow, this is nothing
10:45like home.
10:46Mm-hmm.
10:46And I really like, you know, it was really cool.
10:49It's so clean and everything is so thoughtful and the people are so lovely.
10:53I just, I was like, oh, I could live here.
10:551000%.
10:55Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:56I didn't even know, we did this gig in like a, it was like an aircraft hangar.
11:02What?
11:02In like an aircraft hangar.
11:03Oh, that's so cool.
11:04Like a festival, but it was like in a big, big, you know, corrugated iron roof or whatever.
11:11And it was like, I was, it was like the cap, the capacity was like 10,000 people.
11:17And I was like, there's nobody here.
11:19Cause I was, we're standing side stage.
11:21I couldn't hear a thing.
11:22I was like, oh my God, there's no one here.
11:23We're going to just be playing to an empty, blue.
11:25And we'll walk out.
11:26There's 10,000 people.
11:27We're just silent.
11:28Oh my God.
11:29And then it was like, and then as soon as we start playing, it was like, everyone was just
11:31going mental.
11:32Going crazy.
11:33And then as soon as the song's done, it was like, and then I was like, wow.
11:39It's a completely different.
11:41Just a culture shock.
11:41Exactly.
11:42It was amazing.
11:43They're a great crowd.
11:44Yes.
11:45Japanese fans, I think are some of the most diehard lifelong.
11:48So I'm, I'm really excited for you to do like a full world tour and especially here in America.
11:56Cause I feel like there kept being these little roadblocks that kept happening.
11:59You know, you put out hypersonic missiles, the pandemic hit, and then there was just like
12:03some health stuff that was going on.
12:04So, um, so, but you, you kind of said earlier that are you already sort of thinking about
12:10new songs and a new album and all that stuff?
12:13As soon as I, I'm doing a bit of promo here for this single, obviously.
12:16Yeah.
12:16I'm going to get back home and, and start the next album because we're just dying to get
12:21the, the people watching took like so much longer than it normally does to make an album.
12:26I've toiled over it for ages and took like three years and like normally it doesn't take
12:32that long, you know?
12:33And, um, I think because of the time spent making it, like I was already kind of, you
12:39know, by that point I would have toured it for two years as well.
12:42Do you know what I mean?
12:42So you have to, you, you, you make the album, then you tour it for two years and then you're
12:46like, right, I need to make some more songs cause I'm sick of singing these.
12:48Yeah.
12:49And then, um, but, uh, so I, I was already kind of at that point while I was touring it.
12:54Okay.
12:55I was like, I can't do it.
12:56Write something new, man.
12:57I mean, so we're desperate to get back in and make another album.
13:00So I'm going to do that when I get back.
13:02Yeah.
13:02We're starting a couple of weeks.
13:03I'm so excited.
13:04I'm excited to see my band cause I haven't seen them in a while.
13:07We all live in different places now and it's like.
13:09I love, I love your band.
13:11Just the coolest, nicest guys.
13:13The best.
13:14I'm so glad that you guys all have each other.
13:15We're like a big, we're a big family.
13:17I always, I just picked friends, you know?
13:19Yeah.
13:19It started off with me, Dean, um, Frenchy and, uh, Drew.
13:23And then Joe joined when Dean broke his leg on a trampoline in Sheffield.
13:27Oh my God.
13:28I didn't know that.
13:29Well, Joe came in as a dep.
13:31Oh, whoa.
13:31Joe was another friend from like school.
13:33I went to school with Joe.
13:34Oh my God.
13:34I was like, I was like, Dean's just, we had three minutes in this trampoline park.
13:39We had a day off in the middle of the tour and it was like, let's go trampolining.
13:42Three minutes.
13:43We had to do a safety briefing and you had to wear safety socks and they were like, put
13:48your safety socks on.
13:49And I remember Dean going like, whatever.
13:51Three minutes.
13:52His leg was hanging off.
13:54No.
13:55Swear down.
13:55That's unbelievable.
13:56And he, and the worst thing about it was he was, he was on a trampoline and obviously
14:03when, when the paramedics turned up, that had to get on the trampoline, which was then
14:07moving his leg more.
14:08And he was like, I was holding him.
14:10He went white.
14:11It was like, it was like a scene of Saving Private, right?
14:14I was holding on to him and he was, and he was going, I feel cold.
14:19And I was like, stay with me.
14:21Oh my God.
14:22Am I going to make it?
14:23And it was horrible.
14:25Oh my gosh.
14:25And then once they give him all the air and stuff and they pumped him full of drugs and
14:29then he was fine.
14:30And I remember he was full of drugs and they were like, he was like, I don't understand
14:34why my legs broke.
14:35I drink loads of milk.
14:36He's like, and really emotional.
14:40And then he got, and then he picked him up on the stretcher and they took him out.
14:44And he just turned to all the kids, all the little kids playing.
14:47He went, bounce safe kids.
14:49Oh my God.
14:51That's like out of a movie.
14:53How is that real life?
14:55Oh my God.
14:56I love him.
14:57So yeah, that's how Joe joined the band because Dean broke his leg.
15:00And then, and then it was like, it was like, you know, it was like we took in a stray
15:04dog and it was like, can we keep him?
15:07Oh, we really liked him.
15:09So we loved Joe.
15:10So we kept Joe and then Johnny came with the saxophone and then it was Mark and, and Brooke
15:15as well.
15:16We've got Brooke now.
15:16Yeah.
15:17Yeah.
15:17She's amazing.
15:18She's brilliant.
15:18What a beautiful voice she has.
15:20Oh my God.
15:20You guys sing so well together.
15:22I learned how to sing because of Brooke.
15:24I used to sing like an idiot.
15:25No, shut up.
15:26Okay.
15:26No, seriously.
15:28Seriously.
15:28When I was 17, I used to like, you know, really try and put a husky voice on and sound
15:33like a big man.
15:34It used to sound so bad.
15:36It used to be like, yeah.
15:39Oh, you were like singing like Creed.
15:40You were doing Creed songs.
15:43Not that far.
15:43With the arms wide open.
15:45Not that far.
15:46Not, not Creed level, but, uh, you know, like a bit, it was a bit contrived.
15:51Yeah.
15:51And, um, I walked into the buskers night up in Gosforth in Newcastle and, um, and, and
16:00Brooke was playing.
16:01It was first time I ever met her and she was singing Dancing in the Dark and I was, I
16:05was
16:0517 and she was 16 and I walked in and I heard her singing and I was like, oh my
16:10God.
16:10I was like, that's how you sing.
16:12Yeah.
16:12She's just, just clean vocal with a bit of, and she had a really like fast vibrato, which
16:18I thought was so, she was just so talented.
16:20And I remember, I remember from that day forward, I just started trying to sing differently and
16:25trying to sing naturally.
16:26Yeah.
16:26And I found my natural voice.
16:28Um, and then Brooke used to tour with us cause she's an amazing singer songwriter in
16:33her own right.
16:34And then that, um, you know, it basically got to the point where I was like, I was like,
16:39I can't ask her to join the band.
16:40I was like, cause she's like, oh, I thought it was big.
16:42Nifa.
16:42Right.
16:43Do you know what I mean?
16:44You don't need, but I just, I, I, I, I, I bit the bullet and said, look, can you join
16:49the band?
16:49She was like, of course I was waiting.
16:51Oh my God.
16:52That's so sweet.
16:54Yeah.
16:54So all of you really have, you've known each other for such a long time and yeah, the,
16:58the energy, the chemistry that you guys all have, it's, it's so good.
17:02You're so dialed in and I'm just, I can't wait for even more new Sam Fender.
17:07I need lots of shows here so I can come and see you.
17:12Um, and dude, I'm just, just congratulations on all of the success for, for reign me in
17:17and just for everything.
17:19Yeah.
17:19I think, well, well, I think the plans to come back here next year, we might even come
17:23here first before we'll do any UK stuff.
17:25Yes.
17:26Cause, um, it's, it's time.
17:28Yeah.
17:29It's definitely time.
17:30America needs to know.
17:32And it is.
17:32And I did notice on the last tour, it is, it's sizing up every time.
17:36Do you know what I mean?
17:36So last time I was like, I was actually taking it back with the last East coast run we did
17:40and we did a West coast and East coast run.
17:42And, um, you know, specifically it was getting, you know, the crowds were getting quite big on,
17:47on the, on the East coast as well.
17:48And it's starting to follow suit in the West.
17:50So I'm like, okay, is this happening?
17:52I'm just going to keep coming back.
17:53Exactly.
17:54There we go.
17:54Well, Sam Fender, thank you so much for joining me.
17:57You're the best.
17:57Thank you so much.
17:58It was the world famous K-Rock.
17:59Thanks for watching.