Born and raised in North Shields, Fender discovered his passion for music during his teenage years and released several singles independently beginning in 2017.

[7] Social pressure had prompted him to smoke spice several times, but he stopped after finding the experience unsettling, while his friends became addicted for years, which Fender said "destroyed their lives".

[7] Fender idolised his father for his talent as a musician, and viewed him as a tough man who struggled to provide for his children in a region facing an endemic lack of opportunities.

[26] Fender recalled that his stepfather had become homeless for more than a year after serving in the armed forces, and faced difficulty escaping street life whilst struggling to find stable housing and employment.

[36] In November 2017, Fender was placed on BBC's Sound of 2018 shortlist,[37] Won by Sigrid, the list was compiled by votes from 173 critics, festival bookers, and DJs.

[43] He embarked on his first North American tour in March, including shows in New York City and Los Angeles and at the South by Southwest festival in Texas.

Nevertheless, after a month of rest, he recovered sufficiently to support Bob Dylan and Neil Young in Hyde Park[10] and set a record for the fastest-selling show at the Mouth of the Tyne Festival, where he was the headliner.

on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in August 2019, Claire Shaffer of Rolling Stone wrote: "Fender is notably one of the few true singer-songwriters who's climbing the modern-day pop charts".

[71] Hypersonic Missiles was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling over 100,000 units in the UK, three months after the album release, on 13 December 2019.

[82] In August 2020, Fender was the first act to perform at the world's first socially distanced venue, at the Gosforth Park-based Virgin Money Unity Arena, in Newcastle.

[85] On 24 November 2020, Fender released the single "Winter Song", a cover of a 1970s track by Lindisfarne,[86] which was premiered as Annie Mac's Hottest Record in the World.

[94] The single "Spit of You", released on 27 September, chronicles Fender's relationship with his father, played by actor Stephen Graham in the music video directed by Philip Barantini.

[135] As part of his modelling work, Fender has promoted branded apparel such as, Acne Studios, Frame, Harrington jacket, Martine Rose, Nike, Rag & Bone, Reiss,[136] Champion, Levi's, Umbro, Urban Outfitters,[9] Converse, Dr. Martens, and Dunhill.

[129] On 1 April 2020, Fender performed for Isolation Nation Live on LADbible's Facebook page with an optional donation benefiting the British Red Cross's COVID-19 relief efforts.

[140] Fender released a cover of "Winter Song" by Alan Hull to raise money for The Big Issue newspaper, collaborating with the social enterprise People of the Streets.

[87] On 4 December 2020, Fender launched a petition to urge all UK councils to stop phone charges for helplines for vulnerable groups of people in the North East of England in need of emergency assistance.

[145] In March 2022, Rega Research released a limited edition turntable signed by Fender as part of the Record Store Day event, whose sale proceeds have been donated to War Child UK, which raised funds to help children in plight amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

[152] Fender holds left-wing views, but has said that the British Left had "alienated their grassroots supporters" by concentrating on identity politics, leaving the working class to "being picked up by the right".

"[153] In July 2020, he signed an open letter to the UK Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss, calling for a ban on all forms of LGBT conversion therapy.

He cites Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway,[156] Otis Redding,[129] Joni Mitchell, Jeff Buckley, Adam Granduciel, and his father's favourite band, Steely Dan, as his early inspirations.

[36] Fender credited his initial interest and inspiration for songwriting to a teacher who encouraged him to enhance his writing as part of a two-year school work beginning at age 13.

"[159] On Fender's originality, The Irish Times' Niall Byrne stated that his work "has retained its own sense of identity and has avoided the pitfalls of regurgitation".

[160] Songs from the 1980s, such as "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman and "Luka" by Suzanne Vega, as well as The Beatles, ABBA, and Kendrick Lamar use a writing style that Fender appreciates.

The motif of "Spit of You" is based on three sequences of guitar arpeggios, a Fender's trademark that he plays on the 2021 album Seventeen Going Under alongside Thompson and Atkinson, creating "movement" to the main chord progression.

[16] MusicRadar has described the pulsating rhythmic sounds of Michael's drum beats as "huge" and explained that he displays "discipline and respect" for Fender's anthemic songs.

Newstead further said that Fender "embrace the voice-of-a-generation mantle thrust upon him" on the first two albums' politically charged songs but, by contrast, is more effective at addressing mental health-related topics and personal experiences.

"[102] Petridis felt he moved away from Springsteen's influence on the second album and noted a significant improvement in the lyrical department through an approach to songwriting that placed greater autobiographical emphasis with the addition of romantic, novelistic aspects.

Songs provide the narrative of his personal experiences and those of his friends, ranging from "troubled childhoods", working class life in North Shields, to male suicides.

[16] Others thematically refer to teenage life, friendship, mental health,[183] poverty,[10] "toxic masculinity",[41] social media addiction, and "faceless" politicians.

[89] In 2022, some of his lyrics are being used for English teaching to Year 9 pupils as part of the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum for England at Whitley Bay High School due to the quality of their writing and "certain messages" conveyed that "resonate with young people".