When we think of Sam Fender as a musician, we often tend to forget that the North Shields front-man has a whole backing band behind him.
After all, his band is named solely after him and pays no mention to the other hardworking musicians who accompany him tirelessly in the studio and on stage.
We get lost in the music, primarily focusing on a blue eyed boy singing songs of past struggles and his beloved seaside town - where he still lives to this day - without a second thought for his creative team who help write and produce songs, as well as regularly perform alongside him.
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So here we look at Sam's band mates, and give them a little time on centre stage.
Joe Atkinson - Keyboards, synth & guitar
Sam and Joe first met at Sixth Form at Whitley Bay High School, where Sam was studying A-Level English and theatre. The two became very good friends shortly after meeting, due to their love of music and began socialising frequently.
Although Joe was in a 'rival band' at the time known as Lisbon - who in their own right were relatively well known on a national level - Sam eventually convinced him to part ways and join him instead. Shortly after, Lisbon unfortunately crumbled and haven't been active since 2017.
Joe is now a 'Jack of all trades' with his present band, where he predominantly plays keys, but also chips in with guitar, pads and synth.
Dean Thompson - Lead Guitar
To cut a long story short, Sam and Dean are long-standing childhood friends - meeting age 12. Their love of music alike also brought them even closer together, regularly practising and playing together given any chance.
Sam has even previously said on the record that he played his first ever live performance with Dean when he was around 13-years-old.
The set was for Dean's uncle's birthday, and the duo played an array of cover songs - including a lot of early Kings of Leon material - as Sam hadn't written anything at that point.
Dean went to Newcastle College to study Level 3 Music Performance, before progressing to a foundation degree in Music Production. He also met Sam Fender drummer Drew Michael while he was at the college.
Drew Michael - Drums
As previously mentioned, Drew also studied at Newcastle College where he met Dean Thompson. Drew studied both Level 2 and 3 Music Performance while at the North East institute.
Originally from Blyth, Northumberland, Drew was in many bands growing up which were big in the North East but failed to take off further afield, including Static Line Parachute - who earlier especially dominated the Sunderland scene, but split up in the mid 2010s.
Drew alike Joe was enticed from another band, based in Brighton at the time, where he was playing predominantly grunge music.
After a couple of rehearsals, Sam decided that Drew was a good fit and has kept a hold of him since.
Tom Ungerer - Bass
Tom, alike many of Sam's current bandmates, was also happily playing in a touring band at the time that he teamed up with Fender's current set up.
Originally from the South of France, Tom was playing bass guitar in a band called Them Things - who had a relatively large following and were able to play at a number of top music locations across the UK, including London and Brighton.
He parted ways with TT to go out on tour with Sam and the others, and has since never looked back.
Alike Lisbon after Joe's departure from the band, Them Things have struggled to be active on social media - not posting since 2018 despite their promising status in the world of music.
Sam is reported to have said "I’ve got a couple of bands that don’t like me now, but I don’t care," during an interview with The AU Review, due to his borrowing and stealing of their past members.
Johnny 'Blue Hat' Davis - Saxophone
Best described as 'the saxophonist with soul', Johnny Blue Hat is the complete definition of an enigma.
Highly successful before teaming up with Fender, Johnny was a solo saxophonist who also worked closely with other bands as a session musician.
Johnny has worked with artists from a range of styles from hip hop/drum and bass producer Featurecast, to Rock & Roll legend Roger Daltrey of The Who.
He was also even formerly invited to play with 'Soul Man' Steve Cropper who featured on The Blues Brothers.
Johnny first started working with Sam in January 2019, recording the iconic sax on his hit song The Borders, and has became a fan favourite ever since - holding a vital position in the band.
The Brit Awards
Sam has been nominated for three Brit Awards at the prestigious ceremony on Tuesday, 8 February.
He and his band are nominated for Artist of the Year, as well as Best Alternative/Rock Act - while his second album 'Seventeen Going Under' finds itself up for the coveted Album of the Year alongside Adele's 30 and Ed Sheeran's =.
Sam Fender will also perform at the official ceremony, sharing the stage with the likes of Liam Gallagher, KSI and Digital Farm Animals.
Viewers can tune in from 8pm, exclusively on ITV and the ITV Hub.
