Tyrants

Album: Me And The Dog (2024)
Charted: 78
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Tyrants" is a buoyant rock tune where Sam Fender rails against, well, tyranny. Not just those who wield power over others, but the internal sort too: the little despots in your head who second-guess everything you do, sulk at your progress, and insist you're not good enough.
  • Fender first made "Tyrants" available when it featured on the 7-inch edition of his 2024 single "People Watching." He later included it on his vinyl-only Me And The Dog EP: an ultra-limited Record Store Day release on April 12, 2025.
  • Sam Fender released "Tyrants" to streaming services on April 25, 2025, coinciding with his 31st birthday. The upbeat, rock-influenced song shows a lighter side to Fender's sound, boasting backing vocals by Brooke Bentham and a scorching electric guitar solo by Fender himself.

    For those keeping track of Sam Fender lore, he and Bentham go way back to their teenage days in Gosforth, when she was singing in a bar and he was just a lad with a guitar and a vague idea of vocal technique. She taught him how to sing properly, and he's since used her harmony vocals on several of his tracks, including the single "Arm's Length."
  • "Tyrants" bridges Fender's earlier, guitar-heavy sound with the more expansive, string- and brass-infused style of his 2025 People Watching album. This transition reflects Fender's own journey: moving from nostalgia and memories (as heard in "Seventeen Going Under") to a more cautious, forward-looking approach on People Watching, such as the title track.
  • Sam Fender wrote the song and co-produced it with American rock band The War On Drugs' Adam Granduciel, who also sang backing vocals. Granduciel also produced the People Watching album.

    "We're all fans of War on Drugs so it was a big full circle moment for us to be in the Studio with Adam – he's the don of sonics," Fender told Uncut magazine. "We hit it off from the get-go. I spoke to him on the phone first, and we talked for an hour about music that we loved. Tom Petty in particular. The whole time was a crease. We never stopped laughing, and we learned a lot from recording with him."
  • Sam Fender debuted the song live on March 4, 2025, during the opening night of his European tour in Paris. He performed it with Adam Granduciel at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on April 19, 2025.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews

Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.

Carl Sturken

Carl SturkenSongwriter Interviews

Hitmaker Carl Sturken on writing and producing for Rihanna, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Donny Osmond, Shakira and Karyn White.

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Carol Kaye

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Kiss

KissFact or Fiction

Kiss is the subject of many outlandish rumors - some of which happen to be true. See if you can spot the fakes.