Cubzoa On Touring With CMAT, New Album And The Isle Of Man

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We chat to Cubzoa about the making of his debut solo album, touring with CMAT and the mystical inspiration of the Isle Of Man

A couple of years ago I had the great pleasure of accompanying Jack Wolter (Cubzoa) and the boys of The Leaning on tour as their photographer to Jack’s childhood home of the Isle of Man. Jack is one of the kindest, most genuine men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and these qualities speak through his music. His playful and gentle spirit was as evident whilst jumping off waterfalls as it was singing on the sand to crowds of locals swinging their legs over the coastal wall at sunset.

Everyone on the IOM seemed to know and love Jack. He is deeply appreciated where he is from, and you can feel that reciprocated back. Whilst we make our way around the Isle, he is gentle but firm in instructing us all to say hello to the fairies when we cross the Fairy Bridge, risking our own misfortune should we fail to do so. So of course, we all happily oblige – its an isle-wide tradition and I for one ain’t messin’ with that. Respect to the fairies, always.

Now I catch up with him at Presuming Eds in Brighton to discuss the upcoming release of his debut solo album ‘Unfold In The Sky’ which comes out on October 24th via Bella Union, available to pre-order here.

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Tell us a bit about the album. Where was it recorded? Was there a theme or a binding flow tying this album together? It has a clear array of emotions running through it; where did this come from, or are the songs sort of their own entities?

Cubzoa: Aw that’s a cool question. So I recorded the album mainly in Brighton but I started writing it in lockdown, I had a little set up. My other band Penelope Isles couldn’t really tour and we’d just finished a record, so I was just like “I’m gonna start something new.” I really wanted it to be separate from that band. I really wanted it to sound different, I wanted it to feel different; I think that’s probably why there’s quite a lot of electronic elements on the album.

I’ve always been into electronic music as well. I was ready to record something less ‘guitary’. As the process went on, as I wrote all the songs and then took it to the studio to try build on them, I think that boundary that I’d set myself to ‘sound different’ was putting too much pressure on myself. The songs just kept on changing and then id have to try it again because it wasn’t working.

Then I gave it a little rest because there was no real pressure to make it in any timeframe, so I kinda went back out on the road with Penny Isles, just doing other things like life, and I would keep on coming back to it because it was a side project at the start and wasn’t my main priority.

One day I went in and was like “I’m just going to have fun and enjoy myself,” and then it just started finishing itself. Theme wise, it’s a breakup record. It’s an album about moving on and I think the songs were quite a therapeutic place for me to be in, and maybe an honest place. I think maybe I’d not been that honest with myself for quite a long time and it was a moment that just aligned with where I was in life. Making this album, I kind of had a chance to be honest with myself, so that’s where the songs live.

That’s beautiful, you can definitely hear that

Thanks man. It’s kind of scary being honest sometimes, you know?

Yeah, it’s vulnerable.

For sure. I think definitely in previous pieces of work that I’ve made, the songs feel what I’m feeling, but the lyrics and stuff won’t always say what it is. I would kind of portray it with more textural stuff because sometimes you’re cowardly or you’re too shy, or just not wanting to fully face it you know?

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I actually made a note when listening to the album of how struck I was by the beautiful softness and vulnerability in your writing and vocal style, so what you’re talking about is definitely audible to those on the other side of it. You self-produced your own tracks previously. Is that the case for ‘Unfold in the Sky‘ too? What’s your process?

I’ve produced loads of records. The last two Penny Isles albums I’ve engineered and produced and so it’s something that I kind of feel natural doing. I didn’t mix this album, my friend Graham from Holy Fuck mixed it. But yeah, I love making stuff. I feel like the production side of it is helps move the writing as well. Like being in a studio and experimenting with different elements of the song and then writing off that and sculpting something.

With this album especially, because it took like three years to make, I was putting things in and taking things out and you know, putting a strings part in that sits there.. you can take a load of things out and see how it stands, like removing that colour and that colour. Because I had no time frame, it was really fun to see the songs – and frustrating actually, to see them go somewhere and then take elements away and being annoyed or being confused or upset and then the reward of then finding something that clicks.

I think that’s really interesting and important though, that you gave yourself space to play with that and not be really perfectionist.

Yeah, I think when you haven’t got pressure to finish something, which I was lucky to have, then you can do that. There’s like four different versions of some of the songs. ‘Barcelona’ for example had a kind of slow, half time dreamy version and then there’s like a punky thing

The possibilities are endless, aren’t they? In theory you can just keep reworking things.

I know but it’s hard, you’re just like, oh, wait, should I just stop now? Or should I carry on? Like, I want to carry on. There’s a couple of tracks on the record that I’m like “can we just get the masters back and change a few things on it?” But I’ve got to draw the lines somewhere.

You’ll be doing it forever!

I know, exactly.. It’s finished!

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I’m a big fan of the first track on the album in ‘Two Worlds.‘ It’s a very dynamic Sonic landscape and almost lulls you into a false sense of security in the initial stage of the song before crashing down on you. It’s a little more erratic and heavy stylistically than a lot of your existing stuff. Do you resonate with that and how has this album differed creatively and sonically from your existing music?

That song I guess kind of sets you up for the record, it kind of lives in two worlds. There’s the mechanical side and then there’s the more organic side and I feel like it does go between the two. And I guess that is the in-denial and honest kind of stuff we were talking about. But yeah I love heavy music, man, and I like big orchestral stuff, like Mogwai.

I noticed strings featuring.

Lots of strings, yeah, big up Holly Carpenter who did all the strings on it. The juxtaposition between the two was important. There’s also a London band called Caroline who I think do it really well. They kind of create this orchestral mess that then completely cuts to somewhere else. That was a big inspiration for that first track. I’m a little emo metalhead at heart, it was nice to throw it down a little bit.

It’s nice to hear those tones coming coming through alongside the more delicate stuff which you’ve done a lot.

The way that I do them live is completely different to the record and I’ve been doing it with the band recently; that’s a little bit more kind of grungy and trashy and three piece rock kind of stuff. But then when I do it on my own it’s a bit more mechanical with drum machines and stuff.

Is that Anna B Savage in Choke?

No, it’s not. She’s on another track, Anna is at the start of the record. She kind of does a spoken word thing. It’s almost like a letter to someone, like a kind of final goodbye. It’s kind of like someone’s gone off in a spaceship and they’ve left a letter at home, or a letter through like a com unit. Then it’s my friend Nanna Schannong from Lowly, they’re a Danish band and she’s one of my favourite singers. She sings on ‘Choke‘ in the second verse, yeah.

Choke holds a special place in my heart personally, from the Isle of Man trip. I obviously associate it with the sort of fairy law and landscape of that time and place. But as with your other tracks, you have this sort of intriguing folkiness which doesn’t really fit into traditional folk categories. I would describe it as almost like mythical grit

I dreamed a beach definitely gives me some like Fleet Foxes-esque tones in places, can you delve into this folk element a bit? How do you describe your style?

I’m going to use that, I like that a lot. I feel like that kind of folklore thing especially in the Isle of Man, growing up saying hello to the fairies, it’s always been there and I love folk music, it’s been a big part of when I discovered playing guitar; John Martin and Nick Drake. I guess I’ve never really thought that it’s got a big folk element to it, but now that you mention it I do like that.

You grew up on the Isle of Man. Do you think this folkiness was potentially influenced by that landscape and community?

Yeah, I think so. I’ve always been proud of the Isle of Man. I had to leave to explore the world more, you know, it’s a small place, but I’ve always been proud of it. Me and Lily talk about it all the time, and we’re actually thinking about going back there and making a record there just to kind of reconnect with it.

I’m living in Cornwall at the moment, but I don’t know it, I don’t know it’s grooves. And it’s funny, going back to the Isle of Man. The last time I was back, I went to this old railway track where I would literally spend every evening of every summer hanging out and it’s just weird going back there, it’s not there anymore. It’s like a new building or something. I think I’ve been thinking about that a lot recently.

It’s nice to kind of revisit that stuff. I think home and growing up, I talk about that quite a lot in the album, stuff like ‘Chewin’ On My Lips’ is definitely based around the landscape of The Isle of Man for sure.

Which song are you most excited about and why?

I think it changes a little bit. I think ‘Buckle Up’ probably in terms of sharing it. I love how it sounds. I’m pretty proud of the production and the mix. But something like the title track ‘Unfold In The Sky’ is probably one of my favourite tunes. So it’d be nice for everyone to hear that. I’m just looking forward to playing them live, kind of reframing the songs and seeing how they live, they’re constantly changing.

For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve always been busy in the music scene and out and about doing this and that. Do you write when you’re on the road or is it in the windows of downtime you can create?

I can’t really write on the road. I’m too distracted by everything, I’m just having a good time with everyone, hanging out. I think there is this poetic, romantic vision of going on tour and you’ve got your journal and your acoustic and you’re writing but I can’t really do that. At the moment I’m not really writing at all, and that’s okay for me you know, this album’s coming out and me and Lily (Penelope Isles) have just finished a record.

You do all your output, you need to have some input as well. I think sometimes we’re pressured to make. Even if it’s emailing someone about something, it’s like you’re building this thing or pushing stuff and giving out, but you’ll just run out. You need to live and feel something. Even if it isn’t good stuff, even if it’s sad stuff, you need to go out and feel it. I think touring’s good for that.

Visuals, artwork, installations at live shows seem to be a very important component to your expression alongside the music. Can you talk to us a bit about your artwork for this album?

The visual stuff and the music kind of run equally next to each other for this. I really wanted each song to have a feel or a texture to it visually. I’ve always made videos, I’ve always collected footage of where I’m travelling around and just shapes and colours and how things look is exciting to me. I get really excited by design and how things sit with each other, that makes me feel something, I thought if I could do that with the music it could create a kind of multidimensional thing. I made the album artwork as well. I made a little sculpture.

Ah yes the ice cube.

People have been saying it’s an ice cube which I’m totally down with! But it’s just a plastic box with a little mini version of me trapped inside. Maybe it is an ice cube.

So you’re going on a mini tour in December. Is there anything else of note this year other than being busy touring with CMAT?

I’m playing End of the Road and then SWN Festival, which is in Cardiff. Yeah, that’s about it. Pretty busy juggling, CMAT’s pretty busy so I’m just trying to find little pockets of time. But I’m really stoked about December, and there might be some more shows next year.

So speaking of CMAT, how has it been touring with Ciara and the band? It looks like so much fun. You’ve all got a really beautiful synergy that really comes across.

Oh that’s awesome man. It’s been so much fun. Ciara’s amazing, she’s an amazing person, amazing boss. She looks after us and is just such an amazing songwriter. The thing is with CMAT, it is fun and it’s silly and, you know, we’re all dancing around on stage line dancing and snogging each other, and it’s like the best job ever, but the music is so good. She’s so well read and she’s doing some really cool stuff lyrically and musically. It’s an honour really to be a part of it. Someone sets my guitar up for me as well.

You’ve made it. I love the footage of the Glastonbury crowds all doing The Dunboyne County Meath two step. What are your favourite parts of touring?

For me, the best part of touring is probably before and after a show, I think those nerves that you feel. It’s kind of uncomfortable especially when we’re doing these bigger shows, and then you get that release afterwards and just hanging out with your mates. We’re really lucky that everyone is really close in that band. It could quite easily feel like session work, but it doesn’t, it feels like a band. Doing those big shows is really fun, but i’m not even that present, it’s a weird headspace you’re in.

Is it just a bit overwhelming? The amount of people?

It is, totally you go somewhere else I think. You’re enjoying it though – you’re not bored, I think you’re so overwhelmed and excited by it. I think if you were a bit more present it would be less exciting. But I think that’s a good thing, I hope it stays like that.

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Catch Cubzoa at the following:

Friday 29th August – Larmer Tree Gardens – End of the Road

Saturday 18th October – Cardiff – SWN

Monday 17th November – Luxembourg – Den Atelier (with Billy Nomates)

Wednesday 19th November – Brussels – Botanique (with Billy Nomates)

Sunday 23rd November – Copenhagen – Pumpehuset (with Billy Nomates)

Monday 24th November – Berlin – Kesselhaus (with Billy Nomates)

Wednesday 26th November – Cologne – Gebaude9 (with Billy Nomates)

Thursday 27th November – Amsterdam – Toekomstmuziek (with Billy Nomates)

Wednesday 10th December – Falmouth – Cornish Bank

Thursday 11th December – London – The Waiting Room

Friday 12th December – Brighton – Alphabet

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