North Shields music star Sam Fender has spoken about his blossoming "bromance" with Line of Duty actor Stephen Graham.
In an interview on BBC Five Live, the rockstar spoke about their "wonderful friendship", which has developed since they worked together on Sam's 'Spit of You' music video and the film 'Boiling Point'.
Both were directed by Philip Barantini, who Sam also referred to as an "incredible person" and "friend".
Speaking to presenter Nihal Arthanayake, Sam said: "Steve has been very supportive, especially when it comes to how best to deal with fame. His whole family are incredible and have put their arms round me".
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The 27-year-old continued: "It helps when you've got working class people who are famous around you. Not to play the tiny violin, but fame is a big change to your life, and you do feel imposter syndrome.
"It's good to have people who understand that, because there is no handbook on how to accept success and everything that is going on."
48-year-old Stephen Graham, famous for his role in 'Snatch' and 'This is England', played Sam Fender's dad in the tear-jearking 'Spit of You' music video last autumn.
And one of Sam's tunes featured on the soundtrack for Graham's newest one-shot drama 'Boiling Point', where he plays a chef at a high end London restaurant.
The Brit nominee also spoke about his experience with therapy, the cathartic nature of lyric writing and the trials and tribulations of lockdown during the BBC interview.
He said: "My life has changed quite drastically in the last five years, and even in the last six months, it's gone to another level.
"With everything that happened with the first album, I didn't really get the chance to take it all in until lockdown.
"I'm so paranoid about trying to do a good job, that a lot of time you forget to be present in the moment.
"I'd be doing these massive shows, like Leeds or Boardmasters, where 50,000 people know the words to your songs. There's a massive adrenaline rush, but you don't properly take it in."
Reflecting on the highs and lows of the Coronavirus pandemic, he said that while people on Instagram were posting about the benefits lockdown had on their health and wellbeing, he was sat "on the playstation, surrounded by cans of larger and spicy chicken.
"I got a letter telling me to shield - so I was crawling the walls three months into it.
"But then again during lockdown I started doing therapy and stuff like that, and that gave me inspiration for most of the songs on the second album.
"They all became about growing up and home, and without lockdown that wouldn't have happened, because we were meant to go to New York and make a record out there.
"Everytime I went out for a walk of a night, every street had a carcass, a ghost or a memory of my childhood. Some were positive and some were not."
Although Sam is evidently hugely grateful for his success and the opportunities he's been given, he said he does lament the times he could go into a pub in his hometown of North Shields without being asked for selfies.
He added: "The attention is lovely, but if you are going out for a pint with your mates, you end up not chatting. You have to navigate that in a way that makes you feel sane and like a human being."
And despite selling thousands of tickets at Wembley, Newcastle Arena and Finsbury Park, Sam said he is still pretty frugal when it comes to money.
He said: "I had a meeting with my accountant recently, and they said 'you don't spend!'
"I've never been good with buying clothes and stuff, the only thing I bought growing up was musical equipment, beer, kebabs and that.
"When I signed a record deal - I went into PC world and I said what is the biggest TV I can have for the cheapest price? It was probably the most Geordie thing I've done."
Asked about a third album, Sam said he already has "4 or 5" songs in his arsenal, but that he won't be recording anything until the autumn-time.
He said he can't wait to get back into the studio, as it's his "favourite part of the job - or at least the part that feels the least like hardwork."
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