Sam Fender

“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.”

“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.'”

“When I was about 18, I started playing restaurants for £150 a night. I felt like a millionaire.”

“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'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.”

“I don't trust songs that can be played at a kid's party and a club at the same time. I just don't think it's right. There's something reptilian about that.”

“I'm asking questions that most people are asking, but just putting a melody or a song to it.”

“Even when a Geordie is trying to be nasty, it doesn't sound that threatening.”

“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 not like a university-educated scholar. I just sing what I see.”

“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 write from the perspective of an early 20s kid who is trying to grasp an idea of what the hell is going on.”

“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.”

“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 was told not to cry as a kid.”

“I think honesty is an important thing when writing a song. If you can't sing it with conviction, then no-one else is going to believe it.”

“I would cry if I met Bruce Springsteen, man. I don't think I'd be able to handle 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.”

“My favourite writers are always great storytellers, like Bruce Springsteen; I adore Bruce Springsteen. I feel like he doesn't beat around the bush, and he doesn't overcomplicate things. He puts things into layman's terms and tells stories that anyone can understand.”

“There are a lot of challenges we are facing, like how you are supposed to react to emotional stress.”