Sam grew up in Southend in Essex, home county of his hero Billy Bragg. You should hear Duckworth's version of 'A New England', then you should hear his own song, 'The Lighthouse Keeper', detailing his love/hate relationship with the 'scummy town' he calls home.

In his teenage years he served time in local hardcore bands, before realising that he could say more on his own. He took himself off round the UK on self-generated, self-funded, wing-and-a-prayer-and-a-rucksa ck tours.

In autumn 2005 Duckworth played the In The City music industry conference in Manchester; Eventually, in March this year, Atlantic Records signed Duckworth. Then he headed off to Austin, Texas, for what would be a series of brilliant gigs - in barbeques, in car parks, in the vicinity of Billy Bragg and of the similarly spiky acoustician Plan B - at the SXSW festival.

Suddenly, everyone was talking about Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.