War On Drugs' Adam Granduciel "fell in love" with Sam Fender when working on his People Watching album

16 December 2024, 16:40 | Updated: 16 December 2024, 16:56

War On Drugs Sam Adam Granduciel with Sam Fender inset — War On Drugs Sam Adam Granduciel has praised Sam Fender. Picture: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for The Recording Academy, Matthew Baker/Getty Images

By Jenny Mensah

The Holding On singer has praised the Geordie-singer songwriter after working with him, calling him a "savant".

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Adam Granduciel has talked about collaborating with Sam Fender, comparing him to a musical genius.

The War On Drugs frontman has opened up about working with the Geordie singer-songwriter on his forthcoming album People Watching, which is set for release on 21st February 2025.

Speaking to Guitar.com he recalled: "Sam and the boys came out in March for about five weeks. We worked on some stuff they’d already started, then we worked on some more stuff from the ground up. It was awesome. I’d never met Sam, but we’d communicated once or twice."

The Holding On singer added: "I fell in love with him. He’s a savant. Which I wasn’t really prepared for. I didn’t realise how much of a musical savant he was."

Speaking about Fender's band, the 45-year-old musician added: "They inspire each other. It’s like my band: everyone can just sit there for fifteen hours and just hang. You don’t have a wildcard, everyone’s easy and loose, and musical, and good-hearted. It was a blast working together.”

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Meanwhile, Sam Fender is almost at the end of his sold out 2024 People Watching Tour dates, which included two dates at Co-op Live, Manchester and two dates at The O2, London - where he treated fans to a rendition of The Clash's London Calling.

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Sam Fender has just three more UK dates left this year, playing Glasgow OVO Hydro on 16th and 17th December before heading back to Newcastle for a homecoming show at Utilita Arena on 20th December with support from Wunderhorse.

Sam Fender's remaining 2024 UK & Ireland People Watching Tour dates:

16th December – OVO Hydro, Glasgow (SOLD OUT)
17th December - OVO Hydro Glasgow - (SOLD OUT)
20th December – Utilita Arena, Newcastle - (SOLD OUT)

Next year will see the North Shields singer-songwriter take his third studio album to Europe and North America, before returning to home turf to play huge stadium dates in London and Newcastle.

All three dates for Sam Fender at St. James Park have "sold oot", with remaining tickets for his show at London Stadium available to buy here.

Visit www.samfender.com for more.

See Sam Fender's 2025 UK stadium dates:

6th June – London Stadium, Stratford (w/ The War on Drugs + CMAT)
12th June – St. James’ Park, Newcastle (w/ CMAT)
14th June – St. James’ Park, Newcastle (w/ The War on Drugs + CMAT)
15th June – St. James’ Park, Newcastle (w/ The War on Drugs + CMAT)

Speaking about the making of his LP, Fender previously said: "Me and the band have picked away at these songs for the last couple of years, we recorded so much material in that time and deliberated long and hard over what came next. We settled on this collection for our next outing. Special thanks to Dean and Joe who have been with me every step of the way, they are incredible producers in their own right and I’m eternally proud and grateful for them both. The band has really evolved in this time, I’m a lucky fucker to be surrounded by such a talented bunch."