British musician Sam Fender has hit out at the music industry, saying it is “rigged” as most of its members are privately educated and come from privileged backgrounds.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Fender, who grew up working class in North Shields, admits to feeling “guilty” that his life has changed so much since fame while his friends back home are struggling “on the bones of their *a*se”
Fender said that “the music industry is 80 per cent, 90 per cent kids who are privately educated. A kid from where I’m from can’t afford to tour, so there are probably thousands writing songs that are ten times better than mine, poignant lyrics about the country, but they will not be seen because it’s rigged.”
Fender goes on to speak about his song ‘TV Dinner’, a scathing tune about the current state of the music industry in the UK.
Explaining the lyrics “You sell me/You kill me” Fender says they served as a reminder that “I don’t have to be under the thumb. At the end of the day, if I want to stop I’ll stop.”
In the song, the singer also mentions the worrying trend of musicians, such as Amy Winehouse, coming under constant negativity and bullying from the press and public, only for there to be an outpour of love and support when the artist passes.
“It’s the British culture of building them up to knock ’em down,” Fender says. “It was wild. I wrote that, then Liam Payne died. You think of the amount of times he was getting dragged through the press and he didn’t help himself, did he? Bless him. I remember watching some videos he was in and being, like, ‘God, what a t*t.’ But the reality was that he was just a young lad, famous far too young, who had addiction trouble and everyone hit him with the pitchforks.”
Further speaking about substance abuse, Fender mentions that those outside of the music industry are not fortunate enough to have access to rehabilitation, saying “my mates with issues up there just die.”
“We are very good at talking about privileges. White, male or straight privilege. We rarely talk about class, though. And that’s a lot of the reason that all the young lads are seduced by demagogues like Andrew Tate.”
“They’re being shamed all the time and made to feel like they’re a problem. It’s this narrative being told to white boys from nowhere towns. People preach to some kid in a pit town in Durham who’s got f*ck all and tell him he’s privileged? Then Tate tells him he’s worth something? It’s seductive.”
Speaking about his upbringing, Fender spoke about how his stepfather, was ”left on the streets” despite fighting for his country in the British Army.
His mother, Shirley, was a nurse but had to stop working after becoming ill with fibromyalgia. “But the DWP hounded her, so she lost her pension.” Fender explained. “All these people who did so much for their families, their country - but have nowt [nothing] to show for it.”
