Sam Fender releases important new single ‘I’m Always on Stage’

Sam Fender has returned with a new single, I’m Always on Stage, taken from the upcoming deluxe edition of his Mercury-Prize-winning album People Watching. The track drops ahead of the deluxe edition’s release on December 5th, after previously featuring on his 2025 Record Store Day vinyl-exclusive EP Me and The Dog.

The deluxe version of People Watching brings a handful of additions worth paying attention to. There’s the Elton John collaboration Talk To You, released last month, plus the Olivia Dean version of Reign Me In, and previously issued tracks Tyrants and Me and The Dog. New tracks Fortuna’s Wheel, The Treadmill and Empty Spaces will be released for the first time.

People Watching (Deluxe Edition) out 5th December 2025

In I’m Always on Stage, Sam pulls back the curtain on the effect of being in the public eye and the relentless touring cycles that come with the job. The lyrics explore exhaustion, expectation, and the unlikely solidity of the stage as both refuge and pressure cage. It’s a deep song that highlights an important issue in an industry that’s often overlooked. The spotlight can look glamorous from the outside, but it often hides something much less tidy.

Off the record, Sam’s work with the Music Venue Trust has made headlines as he recently donated his Mercury Prize winnings to the charity. The MVT works to protect and improve grassroots music venues around the UK. “I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today if it wasn’t for all the gigs I played around the North East and beyond, when I was starting out,” he said.

In a period where music feels increasingly incremental, Sam Fender stands out as one of the most important artists around at the moment. His willingness to say something real and actually back it up is rare in a mainstream landscape that usually avoids it.

Listen to ‘I’m Always on Stage’