‘I’ve a saxophone and am working class’: Sam Fender plays down Bruce Springsteen comparisons

Sam Fender has admitted he is 'not too keen' on the frequent comparisons made between himself and American icon Bruce Springsteen.

The North Shields star has readily spoken about Springsteen as an inspiration for his music but is reminding those constantly grouping himself with the 'Born in the USA' singer that he is an artist in his own right.

Quoted in The Sun this week, Fender accepted why the lines are drawn but joked that he had "ripped off loads of other people" too.

The ‘Seventeen Going Under’ singer said: “I’m not too keen on that tag. I feel I would rather be me. It’s like, ‘hang on, I don’t just rip him off, I have ripped off loads of other people’.

“You take bits from everything as a musician. I have a saxophone and I am from a working-class town and I speak about working-class life, so it is easy to get stuck in. I can see where the crossover comes.”

Fender landed a dream support slot earlier this year when it was confirmed that he would be opening up for Springsteen on a string of shows next year. The shows will take place in Italy on three separate nights in May and July 2023.

When the news broke, Fender wrote "what the f--k is going on" on Twitter as he recalled the moment he first connected with Springsteen's music as a teen.

In The Sun this week, he added: “Sting occasionally FaceTimes us, weirdly I always end up being in the bath. We were in the studio the other day. I did a charity thing with him and Mark Knopfler.

"I just did some guitar stuff, which was the most f---ing nerve-wracking thing ever. Going in to do a guitar take on a Mark Knopfler song — he’s one of the best guitarists ever. Springsteen’s on it as well.”