It appears that Sam Fender may be teasing a potential UK arena tour.
READ MORE: Sam Fender live in Newcastle: a star-studded Toon celebration
Earlier this week, the North Shields singer-songwriter launched a countdown clock on his official website which is counting down to something happening at midnight this Friday (October 18). The page directs fans to sign up to receive more information. Upon doing so, users are told to “get ready” for updates via email and text message.
Now, billboards have started to appear outside of major UK arenas. The billboards feature a closeup of his eyes with the URL to his website along it. One popped up at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, as well as the Direct Arena in Leeds. Posters of the musician have also appeared outside of the O2 in London.
— Co-op Live (@TheCoopLive) October 16, 2024
Has anyone else seen them? Leave us your photo in the comments!! pic.twitter.com/u57jayGxSs
— Sam Fender Daily (@dailyfender) October 15, 2024
Recently, Fender has been hinting at the release date of his new single ‘People Watching’ and has told fans to “get ready” for further news incoming.
The singer-songwriter confirmed that his third studio record was finished and “mastered” earlier this month, after sharing snippets of new material online. Fender then released a live version of ‘People Watching’ – a song he’d debuted at an intimate gig this summer.
“Alreeet. Thanks for joining. News very soon. Make sure you’re following below,” an email from Fender reads, above links to his social media pages. It also features a new press photo of the musician, and the track title ‘People Watching’ – appearing to confirm its release on Friday (October 18).
Additionally, Fender’s website contains another countdown – this time pointing to an announcement on Wednesday November 13.
Fender’s upcoming new album will serve as the follow-up to NME‘s album of the year 2021, ‘Seventeen Going Under’ – which reached Number One in the UK.
Earlier this year, ‘The Borders’ star gave an update on his forthcoming third full-length effort. “We have been recording and recording and making loads of stuff but it got to the point where I thought, ‘We don’t need to get this out yet. We need to get it right’,” Fender explained.
“For the second one [‘Seventeen Going Under’], we rushed to get that out and the third one we started rushing and I thought, ‘No, we have got to take the time’.”
Speaking to NME in 2022, Fender described his new music as “very pretty” with a strong “singer-songwriter” vibe.
“If I try and force myself to write stadium songs, we could end up fucking it I think,” he admitted at the time. “Instead, I want to write about the stories that I have and the place that I’m mentally at in my life at this point. And I’ve had a lot to write about.”
Ahead of his Plymouth and Boardmasters shows this summer – his only gigs of 2024 so far – Fender teased that more tour dates were “coming soon”. He is currently among the rumoured acts to headline Glastonbury Festival 2025.
Since dropping the Mercury Prize-nominated ‘Seventeen Going Under’ – which was also named Best Album In The World at the NME Awards 2022 – Fender has shared 2024 song ‘Iris’, taken from the Jackdaw soundtrack, and his Noah Kahan collaboration ‘Homesick’.
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