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British songwriter Sam Fender has released his debut EP Dead Boys today, Nov. 20, through Polydor Records. In addition, he’s shared the video for the EP’s lead track, “Dead Boys Prelude.”
Yesterday was International Mens Day. The day has the weighty possibility for controversy in its name—things that are centered around men sometimes devolve into hate and blame, especially in the contentious environs of the internet. But in recent years, the focus of Mens Day has shifted from celebration to warning. A popular graphic that usually makes the rounds on the holiday lists the statistics for male suicide, showing that men are on average 3.5 times more likely than women to kill themselves. The holiday has become a referendum of sorts on the ways that men deal with issues of mental health. Mens Day is no longer about men—it’s about the toxic masculinity that leaves some young boys feeling completely alone.
It’s fitting, then, that Sam Fender’s debut EP, Dead Boys, is out today. The British songwriter has made his mark by focusing on social and generational issues. The lead track from the EP, “Dead Boys Prelude” is a microcosm of the sort of world Fender sees—and the world that is a reality for many young men. “We close our eyes, learn our pain / nobody ever could explain / all the dead boys in our hometown,” he sings over a heartrendingly simple guitar line. It’s a line we’ve all heard before—”he just seemed so happy.” The song is not interested in laying blame or finding easy answers. It only cares to shine a light on the boys who feel they have nowhere to go.
Fender will be touring through the remainder of the year and into the next. Find a full list of his dates further down.
Listen to “Dead Boys Prelude” below. You can stream the full EP here.
Sam Fender Tour Dates:
November
25 – Brussels, Belgium @ Witloof Bar – Botanique
26 – Paris, France @ Le Pop Up du Label
28 – Munich, Germany @ Zehner
29 – Berlin, Germany @ Auster Club
30 – Cologne, Germany @ Artheatre
December
01 – Utrecht, Netherlands @ De Helling
30 – Marion Bay, Australia @ Falls Festival
31 – Lorne, Australia @ Falls Festival
January
02 – Byron Bay, Australia @ Falls Festival
05 – Fremantle, Australia @ Falls Festival
09 – Melbourne, Australia @ The Croxton Bandroom
10 – Sydney, Australia @ The Metro Theatre
February
25 – Manchester, United Kingdom @ Gorilla