Sam Fender turned down the chance to feature on Sir Elton John's 'Lockdown Sessions' album because he was too busy.
The 'Will We Talk?' hitmaker has been "hanging out" with the 74-year-old music legend and admitted they discussed the possibility of recording a duet for the 'Crocodile Rock' singer's latest LP, but Sam ultimately had to decline as he was working hard on his own record, 'Seventeen Going Under', and didn't want to "rush" anything.
However, Sam is hopeful he and Elton will still work together one day in the future.
He said: "Elton is now actually a friend, so I’ve been hanging out with him and learning some of his tricks.
"He’s a legend. We were going to do something for his ‘Lockdown Sessions’ album but I needed to stay focused on what I was finishing.
"We didn’t want to rush it or f*** it up, so I hope we can return to it down the line or drop it in later."
As well as Elton, Sam has also been able to call on Paul Weller for advice and he really values the former Jam singer's opinion.
He told the Daily Star Sunday's Wired column: "Both have their opinions on the album. Paul’s great to bounce things off because he’s a lyric writer himself, he really engages with that."
The 'Tiny Dancer' singer recently heaped praise on Sam, hailing the 27-year-old singer as the "best rock and roll artist there is".
Discussing who else he would like to duet with, Elton said: "I've collaborated with most people. Sam Fender. He's a British rock and roll artist whos the best rock and roll artist there is. He makes Oasis sound like a calm palm trio. He is brilliant."
