Reigning from the North East, Cape Cub are going from strength to strength. They’re currently working with a new line-up and are gearing up to perform a Christmas headliner at the Georgian Theatre, Stockton so Samantha Hall caught up with frontman Chad Male to find out more.
So you’ve got your Christmas gig at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton coming up where you’ll be playing alongside Tom Joshua, Llovers and A Choir of Ghosts. Are you looking forward to that? And how do you feel about the line-up?
That gig is going to be a really special one for us. We took a pretty big chunk of this year out to just rehearse, rehearse and rehearse. We’ve had a bit of a shift in line-up too, with the addition of two good friends joining us on bass and keyboards. The whole sound has been completely filled out and the live set just feels better than ever. To round off this new chapter of the band with our own Christmas gig at the Georgian on the 23rd December, right before Christmas, is just great. The supports are phenomenal too and every one of them are from the North East and are either a good mate or a band we’ve gigged with. It’s a big North East love in, and will probably be a big North East session afterwards too if everyone is up for getting merry.
You’re also playing some other northern gigs before the end of the year. So what do you find so special about playing up here in the north?
The north’s just mint, isn’t it? We’ve got our own little corner of the world up here and we’re an incubator for great things. People really get behind their own and the gigs show that, I think. We always have a nice response from our home crowds and they’re always first on the list for when we’re choosing to play gigs, hence this little run of northern dates.
And you’ve just won the Alan Hull Award! Congratulations! How does it feel to be recognised for your incredible songwriting talent?
It’s insane! Like, I sit there writing songs all the time and producing them up, and then I put them online and they just do their thing. You don’t ever expect to get awards or anything. It’s super, super humbling and a lovely surprise to be honest. But it’s not an excuse to rest on my laurels. If anything, I hope I can use whatever platform I get from it to showcase what an insane place the North East is for new music.
You’ve recently released ‘Flowers’ and the response to it has been amazing. Do you ever think you’ll get used to all the positivity coming from fans every time you release new music?
Thank you. It’s been really nice. No, I won’t ever get used to the positivity. I sit there the night before a track gets released just praying that people are going to be into it. For me, music comes from a deeply personal place, so giving it away is hard. My head’s full of anxiety and expectation and everything in between. So the second someone says something nice I’ll take it in both hands!
What have you got lined up for the future for Cape Cub?
Well, ‘Searchlight’ has just come out, the second single through LAB Records, and the third single is due out in 2018. Next year also brings a boatload of live shows, more new music and with all that, this thing should stay full steam ahead. Thanks for all your support guys; you’re doing a stellar job.
Cape Cub play The Georgian Theatre, Stockton on Saturday 23rd December. Tickets, priced at £9.00 (including booking fee), are available from georgiantheatre.co.uk.
