Sam Fender Reveals New Single PLAY GOD, Plus Announces North American Tour Dates

In follow up to his 2018 debut EP Dead Boys, BRITs Critics' Choice Winner Sam Fender has announced details of a new single "Play God" out now through his new US label home, Interscope. To coincide with its launch, a new Spring 2019 headline tour has been announced alongside the song's stunning music video directed by Vincent Haycock, who also directed the video for "Dead Boys". With the UK tour having sold out almost instantly, Fender's first ever North American headline dates include stops in Los Angeles, New York and SXSW. Fender's debut album is available for pre-order now, with release date to be announced in the coming months.

"Play God" encompasses everything that makes him such a fascinating young prospect; angular, sharp and ambitious guitar-led melodies coupled with Sam's observational, questioning and socially engaged lyrics. It was recorded in North Shields, and produced by long-standing friend and collaborator Bramwell Bronte. Watch "Play God" here:

Sam Fender - Play God (Official Video)

"Play God is set in an alternate dystopian reality that shares similarities with our own world," stated Fender. "I wrote it a couple of years ago where there were a lot of big changes happening in both the UK and the States, I had just entered my twenties, I was anxious about the future of the world and its leaders, and it didn't help that I'd just read George Orwell's 1984 at the time. As you can imagine I was pretty paranoid!"

"'Play God' is a satirical interpretation of power," stated director Vincent Haycock of the 16mm black and white video. "The story is set in a dystopian world of exaggerated tropes - masculinity, domination, sexual objectification, racial profiling, and others. Each scene plays with these dangerous fictions - overt ideas of power and fear. In the end, we break the 4th wall, and the character is observed as nothing more than a player of a game. I wanted to blur the line between fiction and reality as a way to express the everyday ways we all play god."

The New York Times recently identified Sam Fender as a rising artist focusing on breakout title-track "Dead Boys" poignant and powerful handling of suicide and toxic masculinity. "Dead Boys" has resonated with the masses, having been streamed nearly 4 million times and the Hancock directed video seen 875,000 times.

Pre-order debut album HERE

Watch the Vincent Haycock directed video for "Dead Boys" here.

Listen to "Play God" HERE

Sam Fender Live

2/25 - Gorilla - Manchester UK SOLD OUT

2/28 - Electric Brixton - London UKSOLD OUT

3/11 - Moroccan Lounge - Los Angeles, CA

3/12-16 - SXSW - Austin, TX

3/18 - Horseshoe - Toronto, ON

3/20 - Rough Trade - New York, NY

5/2 - Ritz, Manchester, UK SOLD OUT

5/3 - QMU, Glasgow, UK SOLD OUT

5/6 - Shepherds Bush Empire, London UK SOLD OUT

3/10 - The Institute, Birmingham, UK SOLD OUT

3/12 - Lemon Grove - Exeter UK

3/13 - SWX, Bristol UK SOLD OUT

Photo by : Jack Whitefield

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