Sleepwalking // Sam Fender

32

Sam's POV

Something that I will always hate about London is traffic. And also how public transport seems to be useless when you need it the most. I was late for my interview (actually in Radio X) because the Circle Line decided not to properly function. Anyways, I still made it and I was more than ready to go through my whole life and album.

"So, tell me about the album, Sam" The interviewer said.

"Well, uh, it has taken years to actually become a thing so there are bits here and there written at different times" I started.

"Yeah, and that really can be seen throughout the album" The interviewer interrupted me. "Oh, before starting, I actually forgot to congratulate you on your recent engagement"

I smiled wide. "Thanks, mate" The interviewer nodded to tell me to speak more about it. "It was nothing too fancy really. I had been waiting to sort of ask my missus for a while now but it's never the right time, you know? And like, we were doing a bit of cleaning when the baby was sleeping and an Ed Sheeran song started playing"

"Which song was it?" The interviewer asked.

"Uh, How would you feel. It sort of meant something because Alice, my fiancé, always goes on about how much she would love that song to play at her wedding. So, anyways, we were dancing and it just crossed my mind that it would be a good time to pop that question up. And literally a few seconds after that thought, I was on my knee and wit the box in my hand"

"There was no thinking time, right?" The interviewer said.

"It just felt natural, like it was meant to happen at that time. No big things to put pressure on any of us and in our living room, with our kid upstairs, feverish and taking a nap" I replied.

"Because a lot of thing have changed since you started writing Hypersonic Missiles, am I right?"

I laughed. "I mean, what hasn't changed since I started writing that album. I met my future wife, had a kid, released the album and got engaged. Big year for me, aye?"

"Right, so let's start with the album"

It all went smoothly as we talked through the album, actually taking more time in those songs that were more meaningful for me.

"You're not the only one was actually written during one of those nights were I would come home after hanging out with my mates when I had recently met Alice, my girlfriend, and I could see through her. Like, one can tell" I stopped a few seconds to think about my next words. "She's very sensitive, aye? And she has a four-year-old daughter, and I believe she is like more grown up than she should at times because of that. And one of those nights, I went back home after walking her to her house and I couldn't stop thinking about a chat we had and I felt the need to remind myself of that intimate moment we shared and I just did it in the form of a song"

"So it's entirely a tune about her, isn't it?" I nodded. "Then, tell me, how did you guys meet?"

I smiled sweetly while reminiscing about the first time I first saw her. "I have this two mates who were regular at the bar I used to work in. Not regulars but they came around almost every Friday and there was this one day when they came in with another girl who looked clueless about pints and that. Turns out she was American" This comment caused a few giggles in the studio. "So I tried to invite them to those drinks, but they didn't let me. So we went out the day after that to a club and my mates decided to bring her as well. She had an issue with a lad that had had way too many drinks and I had to step in and that so I walked her home. And from there we sort of started a routine where I would walk her home quite often and my mam would take care of her kid until we started taking our fling more seriously and then Elliott happened so we had to settle down" I stayed in silence for a few seconds. "It's not like I didn't want to settle down with her, which I did, but everything went sort of in a rush and neither of us had money back then so it felt as jumping of a high building without knowing if you're gonna crash against the floor or not"

"Saturday was actually written in that feeling of wanting Saturday to come because I didn't have to work on Saturday's nights and I would go out with my mates. And then, Alice became part of my Saturday routine so, you know, I was eager for Saturday to come and spend time with my mates and the girl I liked" I later said about Saturday.

"Will we talk is based on the relationship of one of my friends who has been having this crush on a girl for God knows how much time but he just doesn't seem to find the moment to ask her out. Then again, the first line is about me and Alice and how every time we would meet at the club, Blue Monday started playing so it became like our clubbing song"

"Alice seems to be a huge part of your life and your writing process" The interviewer finally said.

"She is, actually. I find it easier to write when you are in love, right? And your relationship with the other person starts getting more complex so you have to different worlds which sort of collide. It's like I have my own head to write about, which it's more than enough, but I also get to explore Alice's mind, feelings and sensitivity and it opens a new world of possibilities. Then again, I look at her and at my kid and I just feel like writing a million times about how much I care for them. I am actually in the middle of writing my next album and there are bits which are obviously very much inspired by them"

After finishing the interview, I got on the very first train from London to Newcastle, ready to head back home and go pick Elliott up. I had just closed my eyes as I was planning on taking a quick nap on the train when my phone vibrated.

"You're my inspiration as well, Sammy" Alice.