Interview : Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
The Little Stalkers go global (!) and catch up with Sam Duckworth (aka Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly) before his second gig ever in the French capital. Tonight's show supporting Jamie Liddell and Midnight Juggernauts will see him showcasing some titles from his second album (Searching For the Hows and Whys) as well as playing some old classics. So TLS meet up with Sam in a typical French café for an interview and a drink, and how gentleman of him for insisting to pay for the drinks.
The Little Stalkers : It's your second album obviously, did you feel any pressure before recording it ?
Sam Duckworth : Kind of, not so much while recording, but afterwards I would say. It's a strange situation that of the second album, everybody expects it to be this big turning point in your career, but you're making music because you love making music, it doesn't matter if it's your second album ... I just kind of get on with it ... I just love doing it and for me it's just an extension of what I've been doing before, something that's continuing the line in the future.
TLS : You've never played France before, haven't you ?
Sam : No, never, last night was my first time (supporting The Kooks, eugh).
TLS : I was expecting to see you play here to promote your first album, because it did quite well I think ...
Sam : I would have loved to have come ... but to be honest with you, my record label was not really good in having us out but they are really good now, we really wanna play as much as possible in the world, and as a result they've been very supportive this time and they've been great actually.
TLS : And are you going to concentrate more on touring Europe and abroad to promote this album ?
Sam : We've done a lot of touring in the UK already ... so the rest of the summer and the rest of the year we are going to concentrate on touring the world ... hopefully we'll be back, we hope to be ! It's something we wanted to do for years.
TLS : I thought you were headlining tonight, cause you're quite big in the UK so it's kinda weird to see you as a support ...
Sam : I love the guys we're playing with tonight, especially Jamie Liddell who's headlining, he's one of my favourite artists so playing with him tonight is fantastic.
TLS : Can you tell us about the production of the album, because you worked with someone you really like ...
Sam : I worked with Nithin Sawney, he's one the most interesting musician and producer in the UK. He's done incredible things, Beyond Skin is musically one the most amazing record I've been given to hear ... I learnt so much and had such an amazing time doing it.
TLS : There are a lot more instruments and brass on this album and you even used an orchestra, was it your or his idea ?
Sam : It was mine, but one of the reason we came with was that it was obvious when working with someone like Nithin. I just carried on writing and came with a collection of songs that work together as an album. Tracks like Could've Seen It All and Window Of Your Mind were written with strings, so it really makes sense when you work with one of the best living composers to work with a live orchestra. I really didn't want to make the same album twice 'cause there's too many bands that kinda find a formula and stick to it ... I love making music and I just love experimenting and trying to push the limitations of myself as much as I can, I don't think I've made the record I'll make next time and it's not the record I made for the 1st time.
TLS : I saw you playing 2 years ago and there was just you and your laptop and a trumpetist on stage ... so would you say your music is « bigger » now ?
Sam : We're doing this tour, me and a drummer and everything on samples. I like the fact that we make the record on the studio and then you don't wanna play the record exactly. Live shows have a bit more of a rock dynamic ... more energy ... people playing instruments together very loud.
TLS : And what about the lyrics ? I read them and some of them were very political, about consumer society, wars ...
Sam : Some of the tracks are incredibly political, I mean most of them are ... the lyrics are just the extension of what's in my head ...
TLS : So do you think artists should express their political opinion, as it might influence the youth ?
Sam : I think it's just important to write and sing about what you care about ... Tower is about foreign policy ... though we don't need to be patronised by the way politicians talk to us ...
TLS : About the title of the album ... Searching For the Hows and Whys, is it what life is about ? A way to go forward in life ?
Sam : It's about a philosophy, you need to keep looking, how you relate to the world and other people, asking questions to see changes, be different.
TLS : Last question, which bands would you recommend right now ?
Sam : Jamie Liddell, absolutely, he is amazing.
JT.
