Introducing pop’s brand-new creator Fred Roberts. The 20 year old British songwriter arrives as part of a generation facing unprecedented modern-day pressures; Fred wants to ignite a youthful freedom into the state of play and hopes that through his exposing lyricism and energetic musicianship he might be able to empower those coming-of-age who are struggling to find their feet under the weight of the world.
His debut single ‘Runaway’ was both anthemic and introspective. Written between LA and the UK with Andrew Wells (Phoebe Bridgers, Halsey) and Anthony Rossomando (Lady Gaga, Ellie Goulding), this is the work of a young gay artist thinking hard about his past, and making music that, in the future, will help others make sense of the tumult of modern-day growing up and reckoning with your identity. The rousing guitar rock track, which feels antithetical to the sound of most queer love songs, chronicles Fred’s encounter with a boy he once knew.
Fred’s cross generational inspirations move from Frank Ocean to The Smiths, Billie Eilish to Little Simz, Matty Healey to Brandon Flowers and his idol Troye Sivan who, through his radical portraits of young gay love, marked the first time Fred had seen two men kiss; something he wasn’t able to put in to words at the time, but what was to become a watershed moment for Fred, which was to inspire the young artist on his own journey.
Fred Roberts is detailing his own frank experiences of complex queer love for the first time, unpacking the formative years of his life and making anthemic pop to help counter the pressures on youth today: “I write songs with the specific intent of helping someone who is going through the same experience”, he says. “I want to be part of something bigger than me. His debut EP ‘Sound of My Youth’ was released in 2024.
Catch Fred at Manchester’s largest inner-city music festival Neighbourhood Festival on Saturday 5th of October 2024.