motel void

In our Interview section, we talk to some of our favorite artists – usually those who have just released new music or have something exciting on the way. This time, we spoke with the London-based band Tugboat Captain.

MOTEL VOID: You wrote and recorded your new album Dog Tale in just one week. How did that kind of time pressure shape the sound and spirit of the record?

TUGBOAT CAPTAIN: The creative process involved in making Dog Tale the way we did had a huge influence on the sound, feel and general aesthetic of the album. We made the record in the studio that Sox (vocals) and Joshua (bass) run as producers in South London and it was the perfect opportunity to flex the technical proficiency that had been built up over the 6 months the studio had been open at this point. A big part of the ethos of Ctrl P as a studio is the ‘print it’ mindset, the key facets of which focus on spontaneity, creativity and concision. We really wanted to hone in on the idea that we collaborate so organically as a group and are capable of making beautiful, exciting ideas a reality within a short period of time. I think this also feeds into the way the album feels as a cohesive whole.

MOTEL VOID: There’s a strong sense of home, memory, and everyday life throughout the album. In what ways did living in London influence the themes you explored?

TUGBOAT CAPTAIN: When we started the record we wanted to make a piece of art that really represented a moment in time for us as a group and this meant that inevitably it has ended up representing and reflecting how it feels to live in a big city as struggling creatives. London is an expensive and occasionally exhausting city but we’ve lived here for years and couldn’t do any of this without the support of a die-hard community of creative people. We formed a huge choir of friends and family who gathered in the studio on the last day of recording and belted out the choruses. The first time we played the album live, a lot of the choir were in the crowd, and hearing them yell back the words really helped create the impression that we’re all in it together.

MOTEL VOID: Tugboat Captain began as a solo project back in 2017. How would you say the band’s sound and identity have evolved since then?

TUGBOAT CAPTAIN: The band has been in constant evolution over the years and has drifted from being a solo project into something that is totally collaborative. Initially the project began as Sox’s personal bedroom recordings but with a desire to play live this expanded and inevitably this influence the way we made music. This growth has happened in conjunction with Sox and Josh becoming full time record producers and song writers and means that now we see ourselves as primarily a studio band. We want Tugboat Captain to be a band that makes great records regularly and only playing shows when we have something new and exciting we want to share. The current lineup feels so brilliant cohesive and clearly defined in our collective sound and desire to make the music we make. Dougal (keys) and Sophia (violin) only joined the project in the last year and the way we’ve collaborated as musicians both in and out of Tugboat Captain has brought us incredibly close together, both emotionally and musically. There’s also a lot to be said for working out of our studio, writing, rehearsing and recording all in the same place. To me the album and us as a band sound like that studio! 

MOTEL VOID: Your music blends folk, orchestral pop, and indie influences. Were there any particular artists or records that inspired Dog Tale?

TUGBOAT CAPTAIN: There are so many different things that influenced the record and so many things that influenced our individual playing. I like to think that the biggest influence on the record was all of our solo work as musicians and producers and that we all came into the project with our own clear style that blends together and informs each and everyone decision we make as a group. We of course all share some similar influences beyond each other. The focus on immediacy and vitality, particularly found in performance based recording is something that’s influenced the record – we spent a lot of time thinking about ourselves as a single organism and how we lock together in the context of recording. This was massively informed by the last few Big Thief records. We’re also big fans of the expansive arrangements of The Divine Comedy and the distinct personality of The Wave Pictures. Andy Shauf and Claire also played a big part in the creative decision making of the record. We wanted something that sounded earthy and homely!

MOTEL VOID: You’ve got a run of UK live dates coming up – are there plans to take the new material on tour outside the UK as well?

TUGBOAT CAPTAIN: We’re pacing ourselves a little better than we have in the past with the touring. As a group we’re a bit older than we were the last time we toured an album and the expectation is we haven’t got the same stamina for ruthlessly trekking up and down the country playing small rooms. We do however have a tour we’re yet to announce in Italy towards the end of the year and likely have more European dates to add to that. We love getting out of the country – as much as we love service station Greggs – there’s a certain glamour to touring on the continent! We’ve toured pretty extensively in Italy over the past few years so we’re looking forward to continuing our Anglo-Italo cultural exchange. We hope they understand some of the more subtle English turns of phrase on the record!