You are reading an interview with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
conducted by Dan Claydon on 30 June 2004
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
A brief MSNIM chat with Sam (ex-Silverskin) of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
So who are you and what exactly is Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
‘Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly’ (the cape) is something I've wanted to do for awhile. It’s basically just me writing some solo acoustic songs and putting them to the kind of beats you wouldn’t usually associate them with
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
A lot of the songs originally started out as 'bog standard' acoustic songs, that later ended up being put to urban style backing tracks.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
Why give it a name, ‘get cape..’, rather than just label it as Sam Duckworth acoustic?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
Haha, I guess it’s down to two things really. The first is the way I'm perceived by people as a person. I'm pretty sure that I've stepped on many peoples toes and rubbed them up the wrong way with my attitude in the past. It’s nothing intentional but I suppose enthusiasm has got the better of me in some situations and in others I've just been rude and for that I apologise whole heartedly.
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
Its not that I think by going by Sam Duckworth i think people will be put off because I am some kind of public hate figure, I just feel that by giving it a separate name I can eliminate any preconceptions people might have about me both personally and musically and just let the songs do the talking. The other reason is that the cape mite turn into a band in the future and by giving it my own name it could lead to problems later down the line when I try to get some more people on board.
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
I don't want anyone in the future to feel that it is Sam Duckworth plus backing band, you know?
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
OK, well you're ex-Silverskin and the Cape sound is very far removed from that of Silverskin, do you not really want to be labelled as 'ex-Silverskin doing acoustic' or do you think the reputation and friends you gained as Silverskin will benefit you?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
To be honest Silverskin was a learning curve and I had a lot of fun doing it, but I don't honestly think it is something that will stick with me, especially further afield from Southend. I've made a lot of good friends through Silverskin and met some cool bands who no doubt will feature in any plans I have in the future, whether in the cape or any other medium. You're right about the sound being so far removed in terms of the overall construction, but its still a project based around songs, something Silverskin always tried to do. I'm quite interested as to what Silverskin 'fans' think of it really. I hope they like it, but if they don't then I won’t be too bothered. Its something I like doing and something I'm pretty proud.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
So did Get Cape have anything to do with Silverkin's split or was that for other reasons, if so, what?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
The cape had nothing to do with Silverskin splitting. Its something I've always done and will continue to do, write songs. There was not a single underlying reason for Silverskin splitting up to be honest with you. The situation was obviously a bit overblown at the time, but in the cold light of day it was basically due to the fact that it was beginning to lose its fun and that circumstances were escalating and it was very difficult for us to continue in our current state. What with university/exams and 3 of us not being able to drive. We all felt it was better to go out then than just meander on or end up hating each other. Its not really a big deal, bands split all the time, it’s just a shame to end that chapter really. But on the flipside its exciting starting a new one.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
Yeah definitely, so will you be playing a lot of shows as the cape or touring, or just demo-ing material?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
Just playing a few shows here and there and writing some songs and recording them at home. Eventually I'd like to record a proper cd but who knows. Touring isn't really an option when you don't drive, don't have a cd to put out or have any label backing.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
Are you hoping for or expecting to get some label interest?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
I'm hoping someone would like to put something out. I've met some cool people in labels via friends in bands but its pretty unreasonable to expect anyone to put a cd out that I cant really promote heavily.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
It's been done before, what with the Remarkable Rocket though, and from what I've heard the cape is very much more accessible than a lot of other music.
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
i don't want to take anyone’s money on the prevision that I can sell a lot of cds, as being honest I don’t think I can without the proper support.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
(shit or was that TANAOU?)
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
Well all the rocket stuff so far has been on Jay’s own label, but then again I think quite a few people are interested in it. I think that stuff is fantastic, really well done and accessible enough. It’s just harder to tour/promote stuff on your own or as a duo.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
Yeah, so is that one of the reasons you started Emotion is Dead promotions, to help promote your projects to the right crowds? Crowds being the word there .
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
No. I just wanted to put on bands I liked that I'd never have got to see in Southend otherwise. Such as the copperpot journals. The reason silverskin played a lot of them is that we liked the bands a lot and that we could help get the venue busy and expose the music to a large audience
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
(and stopped me losing money.)
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
haha
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
Haha fair enough. So what is going to happen to EID when you go to uni, will it move to Bournemouth with you or stop? And if it carries on will the cape be on all the future bills for the same reason you said above?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
I hope it continues at uni but who knows. I'd play the odd one or two but definitely a lot less than i did in Southend.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
What influences are there on the cape then?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
Erm... bit of everything really. Athlete, Squarepusher and tanaou are pretty big influences, just due to the amount i listen to them. I'm sure many of the bands I’m listening to at the time influence me in some way.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
What are your views on the current theme of labeling anything with any emotional theme as 'emo', even acoustic which is so far removed from punk and hardcore etc in most cases?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
I think that trend is dieing now. Emo was a legit genre and now its not. I think most people don't really care. There's more important things to worry about in the world than are alexisonfire postscreamomathcore or whatever. If it’s good then I’ll listen to it, if its not then I won’t. Even if it’s the same genre of bands I like it doesn’t mean I'm gonna enjoy it, people are beginning to wise up to that. There were far too many emo/screamo bands out there.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
What are the plans for the songs you are currently home recording? Will they ever see the light of day?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
Yep. The reason I'm recording them is so I can tighten them up before I play them live. Also so if my drum machine gets wiped by accident, I have a hard copy of the rhythm tracks! hahah
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
Haha, I mean will the recordings be published anywhere? Be it on an ep or the net or whatever?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
There will be 2/3 songs up online before the July show and hopefully I'll replace them with good versions before the end of the year. I won't release anything other than demos until it sounds as good as I hope.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
Speaking of online when is the website being launched etc
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
Not sure, after the end of the month, when I get paid! Probably the 1st July.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
And will you give us the address now or will we have to wait?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
I haven't bought it yet. haha
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
Err great. Guess we will have to wait, on a slightly different note what are your thoughts on the net, some say its killing creativity and music in general, others say its giving bands much needed exposure, what’s your view?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
I'm of the view its helping more unusual bands gain a bigger fanbase without having to struggle to get press through labels. Casing point being the rise of bands like Yellowcard that would've struggled to build up such a fan base without the net. Creativity is rising as the advances in technology are allowing people to do things much more cheaply and on a larger scale. However bands will only be sucessfull if they have good songs, I'm a firm believer in the fact that if you took an experimental band, even to the extent of radiohead and stripped away all the 'arty' bits you'd have a good song at the core.
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
The major problem could be that artists struggle to finance their projects due to there being less money about in the industry. Due to people downloading songs for free or itunes not providing artists with corect royalties. As a result the bigger lables are less likely to take risks on revolutionary bands as they are more content on finding an instant hit to boost their otherwise flaggin revenues. Its an interesting topic really. It'll be fun to see how it plays out. Good music will always exist in one form or another.
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
Lastly as I've run out of questions, are there plans for collaborations with other people, like having members of other bands that you are friends with feature on any songs?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
Collaborations wise I'd like to do stuff with Chris from heffer and Jamie from tanaou, I think we'd work well together. Dave house would be cool to do stuff with also. Also I’d love to work with someone like Chris Martin, Walter Schriefels, and Roni Size but I don’t think that’d ever happen!
Dan - Gamefoe.co.uk:
Hahah, cheers for the interview Sam, any last words or ‘thank you’s or whatever?
Sam - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly:
Thanks to everyone who’s cared enough to come to a show or chat to me, it’s appreciated. Listen to Wilhelm Scream and I'll see you on the 11th July. Cheers.
Sam is putting on an alldayer on the 11th of July in Southend in which he will be playing his debut show as the cape. More info at www.emotionisdead.co.uk
read 838 times