Sam Fender Returns with Anthemic Hit, People Watching
People Watching is an emotionally charged return for Fender as he leads into his third album, also titled People Watching.
After the groundbreaking success of his debut album, Hypersonic Missiles in 2019, which marked him as one of Britain’s most promising new voices, and the critically acclaimed follow-up Seventeen Going Under, which solidified his status as a leading figure in contemporary rock, Sam Fender is poised to begin a bold new chapter in his career.
The new single, People Watching, blends Fender’s signature heartland rock with evocative storytelling and a richly layered instrumental backdrop, co-produced with Adam Granduciel of War on Drugs. Steeped in themes of memory, grief, and personal growth, People Watching is inspired by the loss of Fender’s close friend, Annie Orwin.
Speaking in a post on Instagram, Fender wrote, “People Watching is about somebody that was like a surrogate mother to me and passed away last November. I was by her side at the end, slept on a chair next to her. It’s about what was going through my head, to and from that place and home. It’s kind of ironic because she was the one that gave me the confidence to go on stage, and always used to be like ‘why haven’t you mentioned my name in your acceptance speech’. But now an entire song (and album) connects to her. I hope that wherever she is now she’s looking down saying ‘about time kid’.”
The track brims with a sense of grandeur – driven by its anthemic, multi-layered production that unfolds with a steady and deliberate build-up to culminate in an emotionally charged, cathartic crescendo – one that Fender does so well time and time again. At the heart of it all, however, is Sam’s unmistakable, impassioned vocal delivery. His voice effortlessly commands attention, channeling a raw and heartfelt vulnerability that adds an intimate dimension to the song.
The release primes Fender for another fantastic longer release, with the album by the same name due for release in February 2025.
