Sam Fender announces break from touring due to mental health reasons: “My friends and colleagues have been worried about me for a while”
The indie guitarist announced the break in a post on social media where he revealed he would be taking some time out to work on himself.
Image: Tim Mosenfelder / Getty
Sam Fender has announced that he will be taking a break from touring due to mental health reasons, meaning his upcoming US shows will be cancelled, as well as gigs with Florence and the Machine and the Life is Beautiful Festival.
Fender’s rescheduled appearances at UK record stores are also affected, but he does however appear eager for his Australian tour in November and his huge St James Park Stadium shows on his home soil of Newcastle which are due to happen in June 2023.
Tickets for the stadium shows sold out in minutes due to the phenomenal growth in the guitarist’s fanbase as his indie-rock, Springsteen-esque style has been invading the top 40 charts and even landing him live performances on primetime UK television.
The Seventeen Going Under singer announced his break from shows in a statement posted to social media where he wrote, “It seems completely hypocritical of me to advocate discussion on mental health and write songs about it, if I don’t take the time to look after my own mental health. I’ve neglected myself for over a year now and haven’t dealt with things that have deeply affected me. It’s impossible to do this work on myself while on the road, and it’s exhausting feigning happiness and wellness for the sake of business.”
He continued, “My friends and colleagues have been worried about me for a while and it’s not going to get better unless I take the time to do so. I am eternally overwhelmed by the love and support of our fans and I hate to let you down, but the state of my wellbeing is starting to affect everything I do, including my performances… I refuse to go out there and not give it my all EVERY time, as you deserve nothing less.”
You can read the full statement below:
— Sam Fender (@samfendermusic) September 12, 2022