We sat down with South African indie folk artist Cape Jay who shared his latest single, ‘Brazilia’, on October 18, 2024 via Sound Foundry. Since his 2022 debut, his single ‘Not Enough’ received praise from South African tastemaking publication Texx and the City, while his music has received airplay from South African radio stations Cape Talk and 5FM. Kept busy by his day job that takes him traveling around the globe, Cape Jay has had little time to spare for live shows, but hopes to change that soon, with plans for intimate events to showcase his music and foster connections in the works. Influenced by Bon Iver, RY X and Jack Symes, Cape Jay conjures up an intimate, soul-stirring sound reminiscent of The Kooks, The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons. Through his music, he reaches out to touch you with stories from a unique lens through which he sees the world.
Stream ‘Brazilia’ while you read our interview with Jay below.
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
A passion towards music and creating sounds. An excavation of self. An expression. A creative outlet. Meditations. A journey into who and what I am and what I believe in and stand for.
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
The sound usually comes first – this paves the way for the emotion and idea to come through. But every now and again the idea takes hold and I work the sound around that idea in my head.
Does your material feature any collaborations?
No collaborations right now. But hopefully many to come in the future.
What’s on your current playlist?
Hermanos Gutierrez, Ry X, Low Hum, FARR, Black Marble and Cassia.
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
Great question – I don’t know. I’ve never been able to perform for large crowds yet.
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
I try to play/explore every track in the studio to its full length. I like to experiment as much as possible to see if anything original and creative comes up that takes the song into a different dimension.
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
Heartache, frustration, joy, euphoria, anger, doubt and courage.
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
Not really. It’s one of many things I would love to do and I am trying to take it as far as it will go.
What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?
My beer.
Any emerging artists on your radar?
Not at the moment.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
Gin and Tonics.
How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?
I am still figuring out my craft as I go. I guess it’s too early to tell.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
A full album drop to come after the release of my next single.
Famous last words?
To be nobody but yourself, in a world that does its best night and day to make you anybody else, is the hardest battle that human beings can ever fight. And never stop fighting.
Follow Cape Jay:
LinkTree – Facebook – Soundcloud – TikTok – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify
