Sam Fender released new single on 3 November - John Lewis cover
Published on 11/08/2026 at 15:20 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Sam Fender released the new single You Can’t Always Get What You Want on 3 November 2026. The Rolling Stones cover soundtracks John Lewis’s Christmas campaign and brings a North Shields connection into the recording.
The Rolling Stones cover gets a North East reworking
The song is a self-produced interpretation made with bandmates Joe Atkinson and Dean Thompson. It was recorded in Tyneside and features pupils from John Spence Community High School.
That school is in North Shields, where Fender was a former pupil. Easington Colliery Band adds the brass part, giving the arrangement another strong North East link.
Universal Music’s release details identify the track as a recording made for the John Lewis Christmas advert and credit Polydor Records. Official Charts coverage records the same date and describes the physical edition as a seven-inch vinyl and CD package.
Sam Fender connects North Shields roots with Polydor
Fender is an English singer-songwriter from North Shields whose music sits in indie rock and the broader rock field. His work is associated with melodic writing, social observation and a strong North East identity.
An artist profile places those qualities alongside a career built around guitar-led songs and a singer-songwriter approach. The new recording carries that identity into a seasonal campaign without separating the track from Fender’s established musical world.
Polydor Records, which has released his recent album work, is named alongside the single’s physical edition. That label connection places the cover within an established relationship rather than presenting it as an isolated seasonal commission.
John Lewis campaign brings school choir into the recording
The collaboration shapes more than the advert soundtrack. Fender’s former school contributes the choir, while Easington Colliery Band supplies brass, connecting a national Christmas campaign with musicians and pupils from his home area.
The physical edition adds a second Fender recording, his cover of Lindisfarne’s Winter Song. Released on 3 November 2026, the digital single and its physical counterpart place a new Rolling Stones interpretation beside an earlier cover performance.
That pairing gives the release an archival element without turning it into a retrospective collection. The central track remains a concise collaboration built around Fender’s voice, the school choir and the expanded brass arrangement.
Sam Fender: what fans in Germany need to know
- You Can’t Always Get What You Want was released on 3 November 2026, with Sam Fender credited as performer.
- The physical edition pairs the song with Winter Song on seven-inch vinyl and CD through Polydor Records.
- The recording features pupils from John Spence Community High School and brass from Easington Colliery Band.
Sam Fender on social media and streaming platforms
These links open a search for Sam Fender on each platform.
Sam Fender: frequently asked questions
When was Sam Fender’s new single released?
You Can’t Always Get What You Want was released on 3 November 2026.
Which song did Sam Fender record for John Lewis?
He recorded a cover of The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want for the Christmas campaign.
What is included with the Sam Fender physical single?
The physical edition pairs the new cover with Winter Song on seven-inch vinyl and CD.
