Sam Fender has the ideal surname for a guitarist.
The newcomer from near Newcastle can be found among the indie-heavy line-ups of two of London’s imminent one-day festival events – Community in Finsbury Park this weekend and Citadel in Gunnersbury Park in a fortnight – and is the latest to show that there’s always mileage in fast-strummed tales of small town life.
Everyone from Oasis on Rock ‘n’ Roll Star to Jake Bugg on Two Fingers has dreamed of escape from the grit in song, but there’s less romance in Fender’s depiction.
His songs have titles including Greasy Spoon and Friday Fighting. His new release, Leave Fast, looks back in anger at his hometown, not misty-eyed fondness. It’s a solo ballad that’s touching in its bleakness.
Nor is he fond of his generation on his earlier single, Millennial: “I’m a millennial/I’m young and dumb,” he howls over pounding drums.
He’s got a bruised voice that should help him to stand out from the ladrock crowd, which was noticed at the start of this year when he appeared on the BBC’s Sound of 2018 poll for next big things alongside Sigrid and Khalid.
Get to these festivals early to see him and make him glad he’s made it all the way to London.
Community festival, July 1, Finsbury Park, N4 (communityfestival.london); Citadel festival, July 15, Gunnersbury Park, W3 (citadelfestival.com)