Interviewed for Topman

Sam Fender on Suits, Shower Singing and Star Signs

Sam Fender is the talk of the town. Having just won The Critic's Choice Award at the BRITs 2019, Sam’s now stepping off the red carpet and onto set as the star of Topman’s new suits campaign. 

"This is daft," he shares on his Instagram story. And not a bad daft, either - more of a, 'How is this real?' kind of daft. Sam is a newcomer, and his excitement is infectious. We pull him away from the lights and cameras to chat all things star signs, celebrity DMs and, of course, his favourite suit fit.

Hey, Sam! Let's start by getting to know you better. What star sign are you and do you think it's an accurate reflection?

I’m a Taurus, but I think horoscopes are a load of bolloc*s. But sometimes it's flattering, isn’t it? I think that’s why people enjoy horoscopes - because they’re the only thing in the paper that’s about you!

Who's the last person you sent a DM to?

*Checks his phone*. Sliding into the DMs of….Fearne Cotton!

What’s your favourite song to sing in the shower?

Anastasia, Left Outside Alone. It’s a big karaoke tune that I can also do as a duo with my mate. There's this Karaoke bar where I'm from, but I stay away from it now… the last time I went, I lost my voice.

What’s your most significant suit moment?

When I wore a suit to pay off my metro fines in the magistrate court. Just joking.

Well, there was school prom when I was 16, my 6th form prom and then the BRITs. So, yeah - I’d say the BRITs. It's the only time I’ve ever won anything in my life, other than the pencil case I won in year 2.

And what was the most surreal moment of the BRITs?

The whole thing was one surreal moment! I was mixing with The 1972, Shawn Mendes, James Bay, Little Mix and George Ezra; Nile Rogers was walking over there; Dua Lipa was having a laugh over there…

I also remember Lewis Capaldi hanging off my neck and screaming into my ears on a double-decker party bus that we hired. It was a relatively early night, though. I heard that Tom Walker was up for two more days…

Do you think clothing can affect how you feel about yourself?

It probably shouldn’t, but it does. I like wearing a suit on a special occasion - I feel like a bobby dazzler. It’s wonderful to feel like that; you don’t often get to dress up and look pretty where I’m from, in Shields. We're always in tracksuits and sneakers.

Is what you wear important to you as an artist?

Honestly? It’s really not that important. I've got some good clobber, and I do like clothes, but if I think about it too much, I'll cave my head in. I’ve had points in my life where I wake up and think, ‘Oh god, what am I going to wear?’, but I think I’ve wasted a lot of my thinking space worrying about it so much.