Matters

Singer-songwriter Phil Higgins releases her long-awaited second EP, Blue + Green. A genre-blending journey through indie-pop, folky introspection, and soft indie-rock, Blue + Green is a heartfelt collection of songs born between continents and crafted across years of personal transformation. I spoke with her in early July 2025, on the day of her graduation, having completed a her Music degree in R...

JANN KLOSE REVEALS “WHEN I’M WITH YOU” – A JOYFUL NEW ANTHEM CO-WRITTEN WITH EVERETT BRADLEY (BON JOVI, SEAL) - I caught up with him just before the single broke.

𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘵’𝘴 “𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘫𝘢𝘩” 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘵-𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮, 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘺𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳.https://youtu.be/ejsLsofxVHw?

For someone who had pop success, in the sense that his music was topping the charts in the late 1970s, 80s and 90s, Midge Ure has enjoyed an impressive audience long after his greatest hits left the charts.   “That’s probably because a series of events made that possible,” Midge says. “You must rewind to when people bought albums and things like that. A [commercially successful] piece of music wou...

Milky Chance recently announced their long-awaited return to South Africa with their “Living In A Haze” tour in February 2024 which will see them perform in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. I chatted to the German duo in December to talk about their rise to fame ahead of their South African return. Their 2019 single “Life Without Fantasies” reached the top of the South African viral charts amas...

Australian singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd returns to South Africa in February 2024. Before launching his solo career, Rudd began playing music as part of the band 'Xavier and the Hum'. He drew inspiration from artists such as Leo Kottke, Ben Harper, Natalie Merchant and multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, as well as music from diverse sources such as H...

It's not every day you get to chat to someone who defined your professional life. In my case and a music journalist when "Drops of Jupiter" was the biggest pop song in the world. Fast forward a good two decades and Pat and Co. remain as relevant today as they did back then. As they embark on the biggest world tour in what seems like an age, ‘ I Know, It’s Been A Long Time Coming Tour...

Having just released their latest studio album, Bauhaus Staircase, I was gifted a rare opportunity to speak to both Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) on the eve of the most extensive world tour in 45 years. The best part is the synth pioneers will be heading to South Africa in April 2024, the third time we get to welcome them back, eager to hear new music...

Having just released their latest studio album,  Bauhaus Staircase , I was gifted a rare opportunity to speak to both Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) on the eve of the most extensive world tour in 45 years. The best part is the synth pioneers will be heading to South Africa in April 2024, the third time we get to welcome them back, eager to hear new mus...

In a world dictated to by AI and bots, how refreshing is it that Universal Music and Deezer are investing in the fans, super fans, to take back the power from the algorithm to generate real income and sustainable outcomes.

Meet Meng Ru Kuok - I had the privilege of spending 40 minutes with the digital disruptor as part of Music Exchange 2023 ( #MEX23 ) in Cape Town this week. There is a lot to take in here, so you may want to listen to this talk at least twice ;-) Meng Ru Kuok is a Singaporean entrepreneur and the Group CEO & Founder of Caldecott Music Group (CMG), a global music industry investor and innovator...

I captured this interview with Afro Celt Sound System’s Simon Emmerson on the eve of Volume 2 ‘s release in April 1999.   Sadly, Simon passed away in March of this year, one day after his 67th birthday, but this interview keeps his memory alive and the music he made thankfully lives on in his absence.   Afro Celt Sound System, Afro Cult Sound System, Simon Emmerson, Simon Booth, Real World, Real W...

Meet Charl Kruger, the design mastermind behind some of the last 30-odd years of creative genius to come out of ZA. In this candid interview, I poke and prod to better understand his motivation and obvious passion behind his iconic work, most recently with the reimagining of The Gathering's only ever, soon-to-be released debut album, In The End .

This interview, captured nine months before the group landed in ZA (circa 2004), saw me chatting with the founder member of Basement Jaxx, Felix Buxton.  Kish Kash was the group’s third delivery, a significant album for them, as much as it was for their fans. Listen and enjoy how this album came together. Basement Jaxx, Basement Jacks, Felix Buxton, Independiente, Simon Ratcliffe, Goldie, LTK Buke...

This interview with the one-time member of Savage Garden and celebrated solo artist in his own right, Darren Hayes, was captured in December 2001 and focused on the release of his debut solo album,  Spin . Fast forward some 22-odd years later, and he’s back with a new album, his fifth, titled  Homosexual , validated by longstanding fans, the LGBTQIA+ community and everyone in between. Give this in...

Formed in 1990 by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jason Pierce, the British band Spiritualized quickly gained a reputation for their unique sound, blending gospel, blues, and psychedelic rock elements.  By 2001, when I was fortunate enough to meet up with my namesake in Cape Town, the band had already released four critically acclaimed albums, including their breakthrough album Ladies and Gentle...

In a near attempt at getting William Orbit to Cape Town, South Africa, just before the pandemic hit, this is our conversation around a road well-travelled and adventures ahead, some of which are still to be realised. But just who is William? William Orbit is an English musician, composer, and record producer who has been active in the music industry since the 1980s. He has had a successful career,...

With 2023 now in full flight, multi-award-winning pop singer-songwriter, actor and philanthropist Jann Klose releases his seventh studio album, a 12-track collection of arguably his most considered and commanding work yet. Filled with no less than ten original tracks, along with an arresting acoustic version of "Love You the Most" featuring Alicia Madison and an equally intoxicating, pas...

Fin de Siècle  is the sixth studio album by the Northern Irish band, The Divine Comedy, released in 1998. Before its release, someone thought it a good idea that frontman Neil Hannon got to tell me all about it, and this is that analogue, 1998, recording, warts, and all (apologies), but do enjoy it. The album received critical acclaim and was a commercial success, reaching the Top Ten in the UK al...

In early August 2004, a wonderful time in my life and music in general, I got to chat with Badly Drawn Boy for a second time. This interview caught him on the release of his fourth, highly anticipated release,  One Plus One Is One . Badly Drawn Boy, whose real name is Damon Michael Gough, is a British singer-songwriter and musician who gained popularity in the early 2000s for his unique blend of i...

The Prodigy’s fourth studio album,  Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned , was released on August 23rd 2004, and I was lucky enough to chat with Liam Howlett on July 13th of that year. This is that brief encounter. Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned marked a significant departure from the group’s earlier work. It featured no live vocals from frontman Keith Flint or other guest vocalists, instead r...

In 2004, I had the privilege of speaking to Rykodisc co-founder Arthur Mann. Sadly, he’s been written out of critical modern music history today. What’s tragic is that his role was pivotal and needed tremendous respect.   If you want to commit to this VERY analogue recording of that interview, captured in a busy office (apologies for the ambient noise), there is sage wisdom shared to take away her...

This interview, captured in early 2023, has taken 30 years to realise. For context, Frederick Botha, AKA Drikkie to those who know and love him, formed a band in the late 1980s called The Gathering in Pretoria, South Africa, a country coming out of the State of Emergency brought on by the then Nationalist Party and government of the day. So, not a convenient time to be unconventional; everything T...

In 1998, Culture Club was all things reunited, something that became somewhat of a theme from then on out. This interview, captured in 1998, at the start of the band’s first official re-start after disbanding, is something special and a snapshot worthy of capturing for posterity. Culture Club made up and informed our pop culture and music landscape right through the 1980s, 90s and comfortably into...

My relationship with The Smashing Pumpkins goes back to their debut Gish , but this interview was recorded a good few years later when, in mid-1998, Adore landed. Not by me, sadly, but captured nonetheless, thanks to my working at EMI and an advance CDR recording of the interview landing on my desk, and I was ready to tell anyone who cared. I shared the interview on The Cutting Edge, a weekly show...