Rocker Cancels Tour Due to His Mental Health: ‘Friends Have Been Worried About Me’

Singer Sam Fender canceled his upcoming tour to take care of his own mental health. In an emotional statement published Monday, the “Seventeen Going Under” singer said he has “neglected” himself for over a year and was not dealing with things that “deeply affected” him. The 28-year-old said his friends and colleagues have been concerned about his well-being.

“It seems completely hypocritical of me to advocate discussion on mental health and write songs about it if I don’t take the time to look after my own mental health,” Fender began. “I’ve neglected myself for over a year now and haven’t dealt with things that have deeply affected me.” Fender found it “impossible” to work on himself while touring and called it “exhausting” to put up a facade of “happiness and wellness for the sake of business.” Even those closest to him have been worried about him and the situation is “not going to get better unless I hake the time to do so.”

“I am eternally overwhelmed by the love and support of our fans and I hate to let you down, but the state of my wellbeing is starting to affect everything I do, including my performance,” Felder continued. “I refuse to go out there and not give it my all EVERY Time, as you all deserve nothing less.”

As a result, Felder and his band have canceled their last three headlining shows in the U.S. and will not perform with Florence and the Machine. He is also pulling out of the Life is Beautiful Festival. Felder still hopes to perform in Australia in late November and at St. James’s Park next year.

In the end, Felder thanked his fans for their support. “I’ve met a fair few of you over the years and those encounters restored my faith in humanity, you’re all sound as f—,” he wrote. “Me and the boys are burnt out and we need this time. Thank you for always sticking by us.”

Felder has built a huge fan base since releasing his debut EP Dead Boys in 2018. He has released two albums so far, including last year’s hit Seventeen Going Under. The title track earned Felder the 2022 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. He spent most of last year on the road last year. In a July interview with PEOPLE, Felder admitted that touring so much has taken a toll on his mental health.

“The anxiety is insane. I feel like every single word that comes out of my mouth is going to be f—ing scrutinized,” he told the magazine. “I kind of always had this thing in my head, I think when I was a young lad and I was full of insecurity and I was bullied and I had all these things that I had issue with within myself, I always thought that I would be able to fix that by just f—ing smashing it as a guitarist and singer. And if I had a band and I made it and I became successful, I kind of always thought that that would just f—ing close the lid on all of that. But the reality is, if anything, it freaking amplifies it. It makes you even more insecure.”