Sam Fender Releases “Little Bit Closer” With Star Owen Cooper
Sam Fender has reunited Adolescence director Philip Barantini and the Netflix drama series’ star Owen Cooper in a new video for his single, “Little Bit Closer.” The song is from Fender’s third album, People Watching, available via Capitol Records.
Shot in the Lake District of North-West England, the video follows Cooper and a group of friends on a camping trip to the Lakes, where Cooper’s character quietly contemplates questions of faith. It’s a beautifully shot short film that broadly plays on the original themes expressed within the song’s lyrics.
Sam Fender: “It’s so great to be working with Phil [Barantini] again, I had no doubt he was the right director for this piece, his video for Spit of You was my favourite. Phil called to say he’d asked Owen if he’d like to be in the video, and that Owen was keen. I was elated that he could do it after seeing his incredible performance in Adolescence. Alongside Semera Khan [Creative Director] and the rest of the cast and team, they have created something beautiful.”
Philip Barantini on working with both Sam and Owen on “Little Bit Closer”: “To have the opportunity to direct another video for Sam was an immediate yes – an absolute no-brainer for me! Not only is Sam an incredible artist but he’s a beautiful human and a great friend! Also, the opportunity to direct Owen again so soon after Adolescence was an absolute joy!”
Fender previously worked with Barantini back in 2021, working alongside him and fellow Adolescence star and co-writer Stephen Graham for the video to “Spit Of You.”
2025 has already been another stratospheric year for Sam Fender with his third record, the globally acclaimed People Watching, debuting at #1 in the UK as the fastest selling of the year thus far with over 100,000 sales in its first week of sale, and the second biggest selling record of 2025 to date. It’s Sam’s third consecutive #1 album, and helped to reap him another BRIT Award, his third to date, for best “Rock/Alternative Act.”
Sam Fender Live – People Watching Tour
May 24th – Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2025, Sefton Park, Liverpool
June 6th – London Stadium (w/ Olivia Dean + CMAT) SOLD OUT
June 12th – St. James’ Park, Newcastle (w/ CMAT) SOLD OUT
June 14th – St. James’ Park, Newcastle (w/ Olivia Dean + CMAT) SOLD OUT
June 15th – St. James’ Park, Newcastle (w/ Olivia Dean + CMAT) SOLD OUT
June 21st – Hurricane, Germany
June 22nd – Southside, Germany
July 3rd – British Grand Prix, Silverstone
July 5th – Rock Werchter, Belgium
July 6th – Down The Rabbit Hole, Ewijk
July 11th – NOS Alive, Lisbon
July 15th – Montreux Jazz Festival
August 8th – Syd for Solen, Copenhagen
August 16th – Wythenshawe Park, Manchester (w/ Olivia Dean) SOLD OUT
August 22nd – Edinburgh Summer Sessions @ Royal Highland Showgrounds (w/ Olivia Dean) SOLD OUT
August 28th – VITAL @ Boucher Road Playing Fields, Belfast (w/ CMAT)
August 30th – Electric Picnic Festival, Stradbally
September 27th – Evolution Festival, St. Louis, MO
September 28th – Pilgrimage Festival, Franklin, TN