Music

Sam Fender Says Bruce Springsteen is 1 of His Biggest Influences

Sam Fender named Bruce Springsteen as one of his biggest influences and fans likely aren't surprised since he's covered many of the artist's hits.

by Produced by Digital Editors

Published on July 31, 2022

3 min read

Sam Fender says Bruce Springsteen is one of his biggest influences

Springsteen is one of the inventors of the heartland rock style of music. The singer’s career spans decades and involves several awards, including 20 Grammys, a Special Tony Award, an Oscar, and two Golden Globes. He also has a spot on Rolling Stone’s Greatest Artists of All Time list.

It’s, therefore, no surprise that he would be an inspiration to several artists, including Fender. Fender recently spoke to Radio X, and when asked, “Which artist influences Sam Fender the most?” the singer named Springsteen.

He said, “You know these influence questions always make us laugh, right? Because you know, obviously I love Bruce Springsteen.” He named the iconic singer again, saying, “Influences the most? I don’t think there is, really. I mean, obviously, Springsteen’s the one that comes to mind.”

Fender covered Springsteen’s iconic single “I’m on Fire” in January 2022 for an exclusive session for Apple Music. Fender has drawn several comparisons to Springsteen, with many calling him the British Bruce Springsteen.

Fender said during the Apple Music session, “I don’t do myself any favors with the Bruce comparisons, and I’m gonna make it worse by doing his songs, but he’s my favorite artist of all time and a massive inspiration.” According to Set List FM, Fender has covered 55 Springsteen songs.

Other musicians who influenced Sam Fender

Fender said he was influenced by several people and bands when he was coming up. Aside from Springsteen, Fender named several other singers as his influences, including Joni Michelle and Bob Dylan. He spoke about his early influences, saying:

“When I figured out how to do a power chord … I was just like playing Nirvana and Green Day every day when I was a kid. That’s probably the thing that really, like, got us moving and got us going as a kid.”

Fender also named Noel Gallagher’s band Oasis as one of his earliest influences. “You learn ‘Wonderwall,’ and you think you’re God, don’t you?” he said. Fender has covered 15 Oasis songs.

A look at Sam Fender’s career

Fender learned how to sing when he was 14. At 15, the singer started playing at his brother’s open mics and formed his first band. Owain Davies, Ben Howard’s manager, discovered Fender while performing at a local pub.

Fender began his career by supporting several huge name artists, including Willy Mason. In 2017, he released his first single, “Play God,” and put out “Start Again” and “Friday Fighting,” thus sparking his breakthrough.

However, it wasn’t until 2018, when he wrote and released “Dead Boys” under Polydor Records, that earned him mainstream attention. His debut single, “Play God,” was featured in FIFA 19’s game soundtrack.

In 2019 the singer won the 2019 Brit Awards and Critics’ Choice Awards and did a cover of Ariana Grande’s “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored.” Later that year, he released Hypersonic Missiles, his debut studio album, which sold 41,000 copies in its first week.

Fender performed with Elton John at the annual AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Party upon John’s request. In 2021, the singer released “Seventeen Going Under,” which debuted at number 44 on the UK Singles Chart.