 01/08/2006 PLACE OF BIRTH:
RIK: Stepney Green, London
CLARE: The lovely Staines in Middlesex
DATE OF BIRTH:
R: 07/05/79
C: 19/12/79
PERSONAL MOTTO:
R: This heart keeps beating for me.
C: Que sera sera
STYLE OF MUSIC (IN FIVE WORDS):
R: Epic, cinematic, soulful, honest, pop.
C: Honest, euphoric, harmonious, catchy, indefinable.
DESCRIBE YOURSELF (IN FIVE WORDS)
R: A skinny, compulsive, confident, ridiculous thinker.
C: Small, giggly, physically fit as a fiddle, pragmatic, reckless.
Captain may be a relatively new creation, they formed a year ago, but its members, all in their mid-20s, have each earned their stripes. Rik Flynn and drummer Reu Humphries, compatriots since school, were formerly in The Junket, a short lived band from the late 90s. Co-singer/keyboardist Clare Szembek lent her seductive vocals to a variety of underground dance acts. Guitarist Mario Athanasiou fled his native Greece after military service amid rumours that he once shot a donkey. He was approached at a party by Flynn simply because the singer thought he looked like the perfect guitarist. When he found out that this stranger was indeed a guitarist, he could only conclude that fate had played a part. Alex, the bassist, likes to claim he was once a circus musician. Their debut album ‘This is Hazelville’ is a great big canvas heavily daubed in sonic drama, some heavenly harmonies, and a gleeful refusal to follow your usual verse/chorus/verse song structure. Sandwiched between slow-burning ‘Hazelville’, which opens the album in full epic and gloriously cinematic style, and album closer ‘Accidie’ – Captain’s dramatic and cacophonous live favourite - are songs so immediate and accessible, you’ll struggle to get them out of your head.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY RIK FLYNN AND CLARE SZEMBEK.
What do you do to chill out after a hectic night performing?
R: Talk nonsense with the band, listen to Small Sins, drink Sambuca and smoke lots.
C: Try to sleep. Which is tricky in a splitter with four lads. Boys are loud and often a bit smelly after a gig.
What is your biggest achievement so far?
R: Getting to number 34 in the charts with ‘Broke’ and finishing our album. We were lucky enough to have Trevor Horn producing it, so that felt pretty amazing.
C: Winning Young Journalist of the Year for the south-west. A sweet, sweet moment. Thanks Trevor MacDonald.
Tell us about your new projects...
R: Well, we’ve been getting some cool bands to play at our club night, The Hat. We’ve been recording our album with Trevor Horn, which sounds great. Our drummer Reu and myself have been meaning to unleash Christian Warship, our thrash side-project, on the world, but we’re pretty focused on Captain right now, and it’s shaping up to be a joyous summer playing some great festivals in Britain and Europe.
What are your plans for the future?
R: We’re hoping to take The Hat on tour at some point too, with the best of the bands that have played it. Trying to write the perfect song too.
C: Buy a flat in London. It’s all very scary, particularly as the only places I can afford are pretty damn scummy.
What is catching your ear at the moment?
R: I love Small Sins from Toronto. A man who claps constantly and a filthy mouthed singer make for good listening. The Answering Machine are cool, they’ve got a drum machine called Mustafa Beat.
C: I have to agree with Rik. The lead singer has a mouth of a robber.
You’re having a dinner party. Who would you invite and why?
R: Jonathan Ross (because he’s a piss-taker), Audrey Tatou (love the French accent), Burt Bacharach (to steal all his secrets), Wayne Coyne (he’s a beautiful thinker), Kate Moss (she looks like she likes a drink), Philip Schofield (to find out if he really is that orange) and an Irishman (they are the best conversationalists, they’ve always got a good story to tell).
C: Gordan Ramsey (to cook and for his swearing), Peter Gabriel (I’d get completely tongue tied but hey), Zippy (just for comedy value and to annoy everyone), Edith Bowman (I reckon she’d be fun), Joaquin Phoenix (to look at), Stephen Fry (intellect and wit. He’d be a charming dinner guest) and Nannette Newman (to wash up). I’d love Jonathan Ross to come, but I hear he’s at Rik’s that night ...maybe he could come for an aperitif.
What is your recipe for success?
R: Honesty, bloody-mindedness and hard graft.
C: Talent, hard work, persistence and luck.
If not a DJ/producer/artist then what?
R: I’d like to write a novel or be a fisherman. It’s always been a dream of mine to start a label run by musicians - it’ll definitely happen sometime soon.
C: I’d be a ballet dancer or gymnast I reckon.
THE ALBUM ‘THIS IS HAZELVILLE’ IS RELEASED ON EMI RECORDS ON AUGUST 24TH. THE SINGLE ‘GLORIOUS’ IS OUT NOW. THEY ARE PLAYING AT THE SUMMER SUNDAE FESTIVAL IN LEICESTER, THE V FESTIVAL AND T ON THE FRINGE IN EDINBURGH.
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