In just under two weeks on the 13th of September Sam Fender’s debut album Hypersonic Missiles will be released through Polydor Records, and the world is ready. However, before it is available Fender has made sure he has whetted our appetites with not only a video release for his latest single Will We Talk, but also a live stripped back version of the same track.
His latest video release to accompany Will We Talk, the last track before the album is shared in the public domain was shot and directed by Vincent Haycock in Marseille. After having worked with Fender’s previous singles Dead Boys and Hypersonic Missiles, the acclaimed visual director was always going to do Fender’s poetic lyrics and angelic voice justice. Alternating shots between groups partying, culminating in couples being formed, contrasting with a single spotlight on Fender performing gives a clever contrast.
Matching the lyrics almost perfectly to the scenes occurring in the video, makes it flow seamlessly. Along with opening with the nighttime scene and ending at dawn, we’re shown the neverending cycle that we’ve been sucked into. It’s made even more real, by the camera focusing in on the actor’s eyes. Eyes are said to be the windows of the soul, and despite the happy sandy beach and holiday atmosphere they seem lost and even dead inside.
Being given a chance to record in Capitol studios, one of the longest-running studios in LA, California is achievement enough, however, Fender made sure he made his mark on the iconic studio. A sure credit to the 25-year-old. In a previous interview Fender has said that “There’s no mad meaning. It’s just genuinely a song about one night stands.” It’s along a different thread than his usual political centred tunes. However, it keeps the observational view that makes him relatable.
Sam Fender – Will We Talk? (live at Capitol Studios, solo)
Despite claiming he had “never ever ever done [a one night stand]” and viewed it happening at the nightclub “The Cut,” you can feel the heartbreak as if it was your own. The stripped-back version makes it that much more clear. The soft strumming guitar and emotive vocals draw you in to hang on to his every word. The way he sings “Will we talk in the morning?” extending it to repeat a question many have wondered. It is a track littered with questions, and as in the real world we know we’ll receive no answers.
Fender could be considered as being driven by a perhaps old-fashioned belief that music and guitar, can change people’s lives and influence them. Whether this is true or not is beside the question, he is hell-bent on making his opinion heard and it is refreshing to have an artist talking about these issues with such rawness and clarity. Be sure to pre-order the album for your copy and pre-save it to make sure you receive it.
The majority of Fender’s upcming tour is sold out, but be sure to try and snag some tickets here. Also, head over to Sam’s online store for exclusive merch and limited-edition album bundles you need to snap up before they’re sold out too!
