The blues-folk trio Wolftown is creating a real buzz as their first album is being launched. Lead singer Sarah Pope answers some questions.
Hi Sarah, how are things?
Things are GREAT! Very busy, but I’m enjoying every second.
Photo: Omega Bronkhorst
Your upcoming album launch in Cape Town promises to be a most unusual affair – the evening’s entertainment includes pole dancers and a snake charmer. Why specifically these elements? How do they tie in with Wolftown’s vibe?
We wanted to create a different atmosphere from that of most CD launches and give you all a chance to see some talented Cape Town performers that you don’t normally get to see. The idea was to put on a show more than just have a regular gig, and we think what we have in store for you will prove to be fun, interactive and a unique experience.
Wolftown’s (lovely) first single, “Settle Down”, did particularly well on charts, radio and the web last year. Where did the song come from? Did you expect such a positive response?
The song was actually written in a few minutes – the best ones always are. I recall having a friend over and playing it for her, and she fell in love with it immediately. Her reaction got me really excited to see how it would do. The boys and I were over the moon with the public response to the song.
More recently, the video for “Don’t you know” was released and is making waves! What’s the story behind the song and the video?
The song is about when you fall in love in an instant – everyone knows that feeling when someone walks into a room and your heart beats a little faster. So it’s about how you would do anything you have to do to get close to them. With the video we wanted to create something that was light-hearted, like the song, and something that just shows real moments between people. So what we did was invite a bunch of people over, bought them a few beers, played some music and filmed everything that happened. We didn’t have any idea what the end result was going to be, but we were ecstatic about what did emerge.
The phone number the girl in the video wrote on the passed-out guy’s forehead … that’s not a full number. Isn’t that a bit cruel?
WARNING: Video contains some nudity
Ha-ha, well spotted – it’s a small anomaly! She is a beautiful girl; no one was too sure about her giving her real number away on screen.
Your sound is described as “blues folk”. Not a lot of local artists get into this genre – what does your typical fan look like? Who and what does he/she hate and why?
I don’t really know if we have a “typical fan”. We’ve been lucky enough to have fans from all age ranges as well – people that love different genres of music. One of our biggest online fans is someone whose first love is metal, so I think it’s safe to say they are all different. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Now that the album’s done and dusted, are you aiming to work in a lot more gigs, maybe a tour or two? How about the festivals?
We are planning a tour up to Joburg soon after the Cape Town launch and a big East Coast tour a little later for summer. And we’ll obviously be playing most areas around the Western Cape! We definitely hope to be getting on some festival bills a little later this year.
You’re credited for creating all the songs (except “Sinister woman”, which was a group effort). Did you consider a solo career, or what are the advantages of playing with a full band?
I started off as Just Sarah when I discovered I could sing (this actually took a long time to surface). I knew I wanted to be in a band from the beginning, as it appealed to me a lot more than being on my own. Kyle and Damian inspire me – without them, most of these songs wouldn’t have been written in the first place. They are my other family and they support me, just like I support them. Being in a band is a lot more than just jamming together – your dreams have to become one and you have to work/fight together to achieve them.
What does the more long-term future hold for Wolftown?
We are looking at digging our toes into the international market; we believe our album has a universal sound. We’re hoping to get overseas in 2014.
What is the meaning of life?
To give life a meaning!!
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