Singer Sam Fender has dismissed comparisons between him and Bruce Springsteen as “stupid”.
The singer was asked how he felt to be mentioned in the same breath as the Boss as he arrived at the premiere of Springsteen’s new movie at the BFI London Film Festival.
Western Stars is a film of Springsteen’s album of the same name, but also features his reflections on his life, home videos and footage with his wife and E Street bandmate Patti Scialfa.
Discussing the comparisons, Fender said: “That is stupid, I’ve had one album out and I’m like a shit version of Springsteen.
“The comparisons are just stupid, he is one of the greatest songwriters ever, he’s had 19 albums out and I’ve had one album out.
“I’m like a shit, north-eastern, Geordie version. I’m actually waiting for the court case for when he comes to get us for all of the songs I’ve ripped off.”
He added that Springsteen has been the most influential musician on his life, saying: “He’s my biggest hero, he’s my man, every single song, every album.
“My brother got me into him when I was 15 years old. I’m from a seaside town, a very blue collar place with loads of funny comparisons – Jersey Shore and Geordie Shore, that is the obvious one.
“I am not in a position to tell you how I feel about the Boss unless you want us to break down and cry right now and tell you everything.
“I’m not doing that right now, all I’m going to say is that he’s the Boss, he’s the greatest singer/songwriter of all time and I’m just buzzing to be here, smashed as I am.”
He continued: “He made rock n roll intelligent for me, it was the first time I had ever listened to lyrics. I mean I loved AC/DC and all that, just like guitar music about getting pissed and lasses and that but he was the first time that I felt like he was writing rock n roll music that was about my hometown.
“Even though he was writing about Jersey, it felt like he was writing about Shields and I felt like he was writing about my dad and my mother and my brother and all of my friends and all the people that went under in the 80s in my hometown, never mind Jersey.
“I felt like he was writing about the Geordies and that is what I feel whenever I hear any of his songs.”
Thom Zimny, who directed the film alongside Springsteen, said he sees the film as a love letter to Scialfa.
He said: “I think this film ended up being this hybrid of genres that none of us were going into the project discussing, it became this film in the cutting room.
“The only way we were able to come to that place was collaborating together and I edited the film in Bruce’s studio next to him so he was working on the editing with me, the shooting, but also he was scoring and scripting this movie so it evolved to this hybrid.
“It’s not purely documentary, it’s not a concert film, and for me he described it best which is it was this tone poem that he wrote for Patti.”
Western Stars is released in UK cinemas on October 25.
