| Sam Duckworth | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Sam Duckworth[1] |
| Alias: | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly |
| Origin: | Southend, Essex, England |
| Birth Date: | 30 January 1986[2] |
| Genre: | Indie rock, electroacoustic |
| Occupation: | Singer/songwriter guitarist |
| Years Active: | 2004–present |
| Instrument: | vocals, acoustic guitar |
| Label: | Alcopop! Atlantic Cooking Vinyl[3] Big Scary Monsters Xtra Mile Recordings |
Sam Duckworth (born 30 January 1986) is an English musician who performs as Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. He is also sometimes referred to as Get Cape, Cape, GCWCF and Slam Dunkworth (the latter title apparently first coined by Emmy the Great).[4] According to Duckworth, his original stage name came from Retro Gamer magazine, from an article about superhero games such as Batman containing the heading "Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly",[5] although a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon by Bill Watterson has also been cited. In addition to the Get Cape name, and his given name, Duckworth has released music under the moniker Recreations.
Duckworth grew up in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.[6] Get Cape was signed to Atlantic Records in March 2006, after playing many gigs, both with punk rock band Silverskin and as Get Cape. As Get Cape, Duckworth has collaborated with Billy Bragg, Nitin Sawhney, Shlomo, Killa Kela, Baba Maal, Flea, Kate Nash and many others with his participation in many events for Africa Express.[7]
Duckworth co-organised The Demolition Ball – the last night at the London Astoria venue before it was knocked down in January 2009.[8] He had previously headlined at the Astoria for his 21st birthday party.[9]
After 10 years, Duckworth decided to end Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly and to continue making under his own name. The "last ever" show under the Get Cape moniker was held at The Forum, Kentish Town on 12 September 2014.[10]
In May 2017, Duckworth announced that he was resurrecting the Get Cape name, with the release of the single Optimist, and subsequently announced a new full-length album, Young Adult, due for release in January 2018.[11]
Get Cape's debut album, The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, is best described as an indie/folk/electronic fusion. The album made the top 100 albums of 2006 lists of Q and NME. It reached number 26 on the UK Albums Chart and spawned three top 40 singles.
In October 2006, he performed as part of the BBC Electric Proms.[12] He played at a number of major festivals in 2007, including Oxegen, Glastonbury,[13] Reading and Leeds Festivals and SXSW, and appeared in the BBC Radio 1 live lounge.
In January 2007, Duckworth was nominated for best solo artist at the annual NME Awards, up against Lily Allen, Jamie T, Jarvis Cocker and Thom Yorke, although he did not win.
The Album is gold certified in the UK.[14]
Get Cape's second album, Searching for the Hows and Whys was released on 3 March 2008.[15] [16] It features guest vocals from Kate Nash on the track, "Better Things".[17] The album also features Billy Bragg on "Interlude".[18] "Waiting for the Monster to Drown" was released as a free download via Get Cape's official website and MySpace on 7 December 2007. The first single released from the album was "Find The Time" which was released on 3 March 2008, and reached number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. The album was co produced with Nitin Sawhney[19]
In support of this album, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly performed on The Pyramid Stage at the 2008 Glastonbury Festival[20]
The third and self-titled album was released on Cooking Vinyl on 13 September 2010, with the first single from the album "Collapsing Cities Feat. Shy FX" released on 9 August 2010.[21] The album cover artwork was created by artist Jon Kipps and photographer Joe Lang.
The Mannequin is the first album released under the name Sam Duckworth rather than 'Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.'[22]
The fourth Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly album was released on 7 May 2012.[23]
The fifth Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly album was released on 15 September 2014 on Alcopop! Records. This accompanied a farewell UK tour between 28 August and 12 September.
The sixth Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly album was due to be released in January 2018 through Xtra Mile Recordings. Singles from the release include "Adults/Always", "Just A Phase", "DNA" and "VHS Forever".
In March and April 2019, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly opened for Pink Floyd's Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets on their 27 Date North American Tour.[24] [25]
Duckworth co wrote the song "Apples" on the 4th album from Lily Allen titled No Shame (Lily Allen album) The song was performed at the 2018 Mercury Prize ceremony.[26]
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly produced the fourth album from Benjamin Francis Leftwich titled "To Carry A Whale" released June 18, 2021.[27]
Sam Duckworth produced the single "Chasing Daylight" from the sophomore EP from Noahfinnce released on May 11, 2022 on Hopeless Records.[28]
In 2023 Sam Duckworth co wrote and produced/mixed an ep with Afrobeat legend Dele Sosimi for a new project entitled Dele Sosimi and the Estuary 21. The ensemble recorded a session at Maida Vale Studios for the Jazz show with Jamie Cullum on BBC Radio 2 in May 2023 to celebrate its release on Wah Wah 45s.[29] The first single - Mo Se Bo La Tan (Feat: Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) / Ride Out The Storm was playlisted by BBC 6 Music (B List) and Jazz FM (UK) (A List).[30]
In 2021, Duckworth worked with Southend singer-songwriter Frances Murray[31] and her BLAB recording project. BLAB is signed to Asylums' Cool Thing Records[32] and has put out a number of tracks produced by Duckworth including "Eton Mess",[33] "Gemini" and "Insurance".
On 24 March 2008, he performed on Hollyoaks as part of a gig staged in the village.[34] He also had an episode of American TV show One Tree Hill named after him. Every episode of the show has a title with a musical theme, either a song title or band name. Episode 3 of season 6 of One Tree Hill is titled "Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly."
Duckworth grew up in Southend-on-Sea and attended Southend High School for Boys between 1997 and 2004, studying up to A-level.[35] He is well known for his debating and love for a variety of different musical styles. He has had run-ins with the British National Party after a racist attack in a nightclub which led to the song "Glasshouses", and he has since become an avid supporter of Love Music Hate Racism.[36] He is a Fairtrade supporter.[37]
Duckworth also took part in Oxfam's Blue campaign at Glastonbury which was shot by photographer Rankin.[38]
In 2019 Duckworth co-produced a gala at Kings Place in London with Lily Allen called "Last Registration" in the run up to the General Election. These were released as a podcast series called "Arty Political Broadcast" and featured: Reni Eddo Lodge, Jordan Stephens, Guilaine Kinouani, George Lamb, Gizzi Erskine, Tansy Hoskins and a host of prominent activists and speakers.[39] [40]
| Year | Alias | Title | Label | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly | The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager | Atlantic |
|
| 2008 | Searching for the Hows and Whys |
| ||
| 2010 | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly | Cooking Vinyl |
| |
| 2011 | Sam Duckworth | The Mannequin | — | |
| 2012 | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly | Maps |
| |
| 2014 | London Royal | Alcopop! | — | |
| 2015 | Sam Duckworth | Amazing Grace | — | |
| 2016 | Recreations | Baby Boomers 2 | Xtra Mile Recordings | — |
| 2017 | Sam Duckworth | Kingdoms | — | |
| 2018 | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly | Young Adult | Xtra Mile Recordings |
|
| Year | Alias | Title | Label | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly | Split with The Remarkable Rocket | BSM | — |
| 2005 | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly | — | ||
| 2006 | Split with Dave House | BSM / Gravity DIP | — | |
| 2009 | Covers | Pure Groove | — | |
| 2011 | Sam Duckworth | Angels in the Snow | Cooking Vinyl | — |
| 2014 | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly / Sam Duckworth | Starrcade | Alcopop! | — |
| 2015 | Recreations / Sam Duckworth | Lifestyle Concept Store | self released | — |
| 2016 | Recreations | Digital Ghettos | Xtra Mile Recordings | — |
| Live at Lux | — | |||
| Live on Southend Pier | Post/Pop Records | — | ||
| Beaches Ain't Shit | Xtra Mile Recordings | — | ||
| 2020 | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly | Hold Tight | Self-released | — |
| Year | Alias | Title | Label | Chart | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly | I Spy / Call Me Ishmael | Atlantic | — | The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager |
| The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager (Part One) |
| ||||
| War of the Worlds |
| ||||
| 2007 | I Spy |
| |||
| Waiting for the Monster to Drown | — | Searching for the Hows and Whys | |||
| 2008 | Find the Time |
| |||
| Keep Singing Out | — | ||||
| 2010 | Collapsing Cities | Cooking Vinyl | — | Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly | |
| 2017 | Optimist | Xtra Mile Recordings | — | Non-album single | |
Other members of the Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly live band have included: