Sam Fender has dropped a major hint about his upcoming third studio album - after admitting he rushed his sophomore record.

The Geordie rock star, 30, has released two albums: Hypersonic Missiles in 2019 and Seventeen Going Under in 2021.

Sam appeared in the Sky Arts series Johnson & Knopfler’s Music Legends where he revealed why he was taking his time with his third album.

The Brit Award winner said: 'We have been recording and recording and making loads of stuff but it got to the point where I thought: "We don’t need to get this out yet. We need to get it right".

'For the second one we rushed to get that out and the third one we started rushing and I thought: "No, we have got to take the time." 

Sam Fender, 30, has dropped a major hint about his upcoming third studio album - after admitting he rushed his sophomore record (pictured in 2022)

The Geordie rock star has released two albums: Hypersonic Missiles in 2019 and Seventeen Going Under in 2021

Sam appeared in the Sky Arts series Johnson & Knopfler’s Music Legends where he revealed why he is taking his time with his third album

'I want to do the best I possibly can. I’d rather it be late and great than early and s**te. What we have got so far I am absolutely over the moon with but I want to give it that bit more time and more thought.”

During his appearance, Sam touched on the painful childhood bullying he endured growing up in North Shields.

Sam said: 'Schoolyard bullying is what makes a rock star. It is either going to put you down or it is going to make you work harder for it.'

AC/DC's Brian Johnson and Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler are best friends and, undeniably, rock legends.

Their new series also sees them interview the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Nile Rodgers, and Tom Jones. 

Not long after the release of Seventeen Going Under, Sam was forced to cancel a number of US headline gigs to focus on his mental health.

He said at the time: '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.

'I've neglected myself for over a year now and haven't dealt with things that have deeply affected me.

'It's impossible to do this work on myself while on the road, and it's exhausting feigning happiness and wellness for the sake of business.'

Sam, who is known to perform even for free, told Twitter and Instagram he was 'eternally overwhelmed by the love and support of our fans' and was upset to let them down.

All episodes of Johnson & Knopfler’s Music Legends are available on Sky Arts Freeview 36 and NOW 

The BRIT winner said: 'We have been recording and recording and making loads of stuff but it got to the point where I thought: "We don’t need to get this out yet. We need to get it right"'