Listen to Sam Fender’s soulful new song ‘Iris’

Sam Fender has shared his soulful new song ‘Iris’, taken from the soundtrack to the new film Jackdaw.

The track was debuted on Edith Bowman’s BBC Radio 2 Culture Club show yesterday (Tuesday January 9), and can be heard here from around the 38 minute mark, or below. The first new material from Fender following on his 2021 second album ‘Seventeen Going Under‘ – named as NME‘s Album Of The Year –  was described by Bowman as “absolute perfection” in how it accompanies a touching scene in Jackdaw, which is set in Fender’s native North East of the UK.

“He’s been away doing what he does and writing new things, and what’s absolutely wonderful is that he’s been incredibly supportive of fellow creatives – in the form of Jamie Childs the filmmaker, who’s about to release his first feature film,” said Bowman introducing the film.”

She continued: “Jamie has worked across some brilliant programmes, directing things like Dr Who, The Sandman, His Dark Materials, and now he’s about to release his first feature film Jackdaw – which is set in the North East of England, which is where Sam is from.

“They got in touch with Sam and said, ‘Do you fancy seeing if you’ve got anything around?’ and, lo and behold, Sam gifts them this track exclusively for the film – and it could not be more fitting.”

The song leans on Fender’s soulful side, set to a stripped-back guitar backing as the North Shields artist tenderly sings of a woman navigating her way through hard times in the North East.

Jackdaw is released in cinemas January 26 following a Stockton-On-Tees premiere on January 24. The action-thriller film was shot on location in Hartlepool and Teesside, and stars Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jenna Coleman and Rory McCann as it follows the story of former motocross champion and army veteran Jack Dawson, who returns home to care for his brother after their mother dies.

Fender’s summer of 2023 included huge headline sets at Reading & Leeds and TRNSMT, as well as a huge stadium homecoming show in Newcastle.

Fans have been awaiting news of Fender’s third album after he celebrated his Newcastle shows by offering pre-orders of a special edition of the record to fans.

Sam Fender performs on stage at St James’ Park in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Picture date: Friday June 9, 2023. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

Speaking to NME about what to expect from his third album back in 2022, Fender described the new music as sounding “very pretty” with a strong “singer-songwriter” vibe. Despite graduating to stadiums and festival headline slots, Fender said that he wasn’t planning on writing music purely to fill huge venues.

“If I try and force myself to write stadium songs, we could end up fucking it I think,” he admitted. “Instead, I want to write about the stories that I have and the place that I’m mentally at in my life at this point. And I’ve had a lot to write about.”