My Sad Captains - Interview

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 24 / 8 / 2007

intro

The latest signing to the Fortuna Pop! label, My Sad Captains released their debut 7 inch single at the start of the summer. Anthony Strutt chats to them in London at the launch gig for it.

The latest signing to Sean Price's Fortuna Pop ! label, My Sad Captains released their debut 7 inch single, 'Bad Decisions/Here and Elsewhere', at the start of the summer. My Sad Captains consists of Ed (vocals/guitar), Nick (guitar/samples), Cathy (keyboards/violin), Jack (bass) and Jim (drums). Cathy also plays in Fanfarlo with ex-Tompaulin drummer, Amos Memom. They will also soon appear on a Sparklehorse compilation with their version of 'Hundreds of Sparrows' Pennyblackmusic spoke to them at the launch gig in London for the single at the start of the summer. PB : Why 'My Sad Captains' rather than 'The Sad Captains' ? Ed : It is taken from a poem by Thom Gunn and that's what he called it. We didn't interfere with it. PB : So it has got nothing to do with being at sea or captains or is that what the poem is about ? Ed : We didn't want to be a 'The' band. That was quite important and for me it is quite personal. PB : How did you all meet ? You are all based in Camden, aren't you ? Ed : We all come from different bands. I was in a band with Jack at school, and in another band with Nick at uni. Jim is my brother and then when this project started up we all got together. PB : How long has the band been going ? Ed : We started in 2004 and then Cathy joined about a year and half ago. PB : Was that pre Fanfarlo ? Cathy : Yes, it was. PB : Is the debut 7 inch, 'Bad Decisions', your first release or is the Sparklehorse tribute out yet ? Ed : The 7 inch is first, With the Sparklehorse thing I'm not sure what is going on. I think it is very limited to something like 500 copies and it is only out in the States as well. Nick : It is for a charity also. PB : With the Sparklehorse track could you choose what track you wanted to do ? Ed : Yes. Nick : We had a vote and 'Hundreds of Sparrows' was our favourite. Jim : It's Nick's favourite. PB : So why do you like Sparklehorse ? They are quite miserable. Cathy : Because we are pretty sad. PB : No, you're not. Your music is pretty joyful. Ed : I like the weird sounds they use. PB : How would you describe your sound ? It's got an element of Belle and Sebastian, but it's not British. It is more American. Ed : We want it to be melodic. We like harmonies. Most of the stuff we listen to is American. We like college rock in particular. PB : Like Dinosaur, Jr or the Pixies ? Nick : Yeah, and also Yo la Tengo. Ed : Is the 7 inch a good example of My Sad Captains, ? Nick : Originally it was a play off between the choice of two different singles. One was good to go, which had a different sound, and this one, 'Bad Decisions', which is less summery and poppy and was also good to go, Not everything we do is upbeat. PB : Do you have anything else recorded ? Ed : We have done bits and pieces. We want to do this single, and then do another and then build things up. We aren't thinking of an album just yet. We just record in fits and starts. Hopefully the single will push us up a bit further. PB : Thank you for your time.

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