Southpaw Acoustic Duo is the brand new act formed of brother and brother duo Nathan and Sam Jones. In this blog post, they answer a few questions about themselves and their new project.
Who was the First act you saw live?
S: BUSTED!
N: He’s right, on both counts! Our parents took us to see the mighty Busted perform in this large tent thing in Liverpool. I’m sure it was their first tour so it was probably around… 2002?
S: So I would’ve been 8, and Nath 11. Wow!
What was your First-ever gig?
S: My first gig, if you could call it that, was a school concert with my first band Wasted Weekend. I was 13 and I played the bass guitar.
N: My first gig was shockingly also with my first band Long Shot (I know), it was a charity fun day at Llangoed village hall. I was on rhythm guitar duties and I must’ve been 15, and VERY nervous!
What first got you into music?
N: I’m sure I’ve told this story like a thousand times, but a friend from primary school brought the first Linkin Park record into school and I was gripped instantly! It then became the first record I ever bought. Sam’s was Las Ketchup if anyone was wondering.
S: Cheers mate, really wanted that out there! For me, it was just seeing my brother play the guitar at home. I got a bass not long after and started a band with my friends!
What is the one musical instrument you couldn’t live without?
S: My Baby Taylor, my first ever guitar & my main gigging guitar throughout my “music career”. It has a bright, resonant sound, and it’s tiny!
N: My Gibson Les Paul Junior. I waited 10 whole years for a lefty version, I’ll own this guitar forever… it’ll be the guitar my son puts on eBay when I’m gone.
What’s it like gigging with a sibling?
S: It’s pretty comfortable, there’s always plenty of banter and we have that natural understanding so we bounce off each other constantly.
N: Plus we usually travel together so that helps on long journeys!
Are there Any differences between playing as a duo and playing as a band?
N: With a duo, it’s all about dynamics, that’s why we switch instruments throughout the set. Some songs are super percussive, whereas some songs demand bass or electric guitar. it’s important to get that variety!
S: But most importantly, the set-up/set-down time is much shorter!
What is your Favourite song to play live as Southpaw?
S: The Proclaimers! [I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)] It gets the crowd singing and dancing every single time!
N: Agreed. It’s that or John Denver – Take Me Home, Country Roads. Always a highlight wherever we play.
What are each other’s greatest strengths?
N: I’d say Sam’s greatest strength is probably his acoustic guitar playing, he has that modern style nailed down, with the Sheeran style percussion and fingerstyle picking. That along with the smooth vocal style, which really rounds us out as an act.
S: I think Nath’s greatest strength would be his ability to pinpoint the right harmony for any given situation. It gives some of the songs that extra bit of authenticity, and in other cases, mixes things up a bit!
You can check out Southpaw’s profile by clicking here.
Watch them play ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ below!
