Matters

This is the second Sugardrive interview I conducted with lead singer Paul E. Flynn. Of the five albums this seminal band released, I somehow managed to convince the band to head out to Pretoria and perform, ‘unplugged’ on a little show I did each week on @tuksfm back when Noah imagined his ark. Here we joked a lot and didn’t get much work done, but it was a glorious one-of-a-kind night, huddled in...

Three months into the new millennium, I got offered an interview with Jude Abbott, one-eighth of the English rock band Chumbawamba. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to discover how they intended to replicate or surpass the success of their previous album, Tubthumper . Their eighth album, WYSIWYG (an abbreviation of What You See Is What You Get), and its 22 tracks, sadly did not chart anywher...

On the 18th of March 1998, I got to speak to one part of the critical twosome, Gert Bettens, known as K’s Choice, Belgium’s duo who turned the world on its head with the 1995 debut single “Not an Addict”. From there, the world welcomed them, and the band spent the next two years touring the better part of the US and Europe. On the eve of their third album’s release, Cocoon Crash , this humble, won...

This was the second of many interviews I was privileged to host throughout Faithless’ lifespan.  Having first spoken to Maxi Jazz while he was ordering a pint in a busy London pub on the eve of Reverence ’s release in 1996, two years later, a few million albums sold subsequently and tours aplenty, Maxi and I reconnected again.   It was hard to listen back to this while converting it from...

Each week, give or take, I post an interview I have conducted, either legacy or current. This week’s contribution comes kind courtesy and hot-off-the-press (as it were) from creative agitator, initiator, serial entrepreneur, and extraordinary all-around human being David Chislett. I count him as a dear, dear friend and equal inspiration. What David has not poked, questioned, or contributed to in t...

Disclaimer: My journey with this band does not extend back to their humble beginnings, but when I reported on their first three albums, catching them live in 2018 fundamentally changed my life. The Lumineers remain trailblazers, be that now or 17 years ago when they first arrived. I dodged dodgy Wi-Fi and multiple repeat calls to capture this 30-minute session with co-founder, songwriter, and all-...

In 2006 I had the privilege of sitting with the late great Chris Cornell in Cape Town at the height of Audioslave’s global modern rock domination. What I was not able to do, however, was capture a voice recording, I was a print journalist at the time, after all, and the record label scoffed at my request. 😉 Rewind four years earlier, November 2002, the month Audioslave released their seminal self...

It may have taken more than 42 years to get Mike Scott and his motley crew of genius talent to our shores. Still, thanks to Breakout Events, The Waterboys will finally be setting sail to play live at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens on Friday, 25 November, and in Johannesburg at Casalinga on Sunday, 27 November. If you happened upon the British-Irish indie folk rock back in the early to mid...

Welcome back to the story behind Marc Marot, ex-Island Records Managing Director and today an artist in his own right.    This is the second part of a two part interview that unpacks a journey that saw him promoted to the youngest Managing Director of a major record label at 29.    Amongst the artists signed and developed by his team while at Island Records were Pulp, PJ Harvey...

Meet Marc Marot, ex-Island Records Managing Director and today an artist in his own right.   This is a two-part interview that unpacks a journey that saw him promoted to the youngest Managing Director of a major record label at 29.   Amongst the artists signed and developed by his team while at Island Records were Pulp, PJ Harvey, The Stereo MCs, P.M. Dawn, The Cranberries, Elbow, Chaka...

On any given Friday, I tend to celebrate the promise of the week by it all resolving well. This one did that when I got the rare chance to chat with X Ambassador’s lead singer, Samuel Harris. If you’re new to their music, they’re anything but an overnight sensation, having plied their trade for the better part of 15 years! This 14-minute snapshot should give you a glimpse into what’s possible when...

While the world was catastrophising over Y2K, Supergrass, made up of Mickey, Danny and Gaz, smartly busied themselves with producing their ‘mature’ third, self-titled album. This is another CD-interview disc for ‘Promotional Use Only’, which this is, so please enjoy the band unpacking all the hoopla around the attention they richly attracted at the time.

Ollie Jacobs and James Barnett formed an electronic/ rock act that punched a hole in the sky with their Reprise debut, Fresh Meat , an album that came out of a journey that began at the tender age of 16. This interview is a slice in time when the band was coming into their own, circa 1997, when I got to spend time with James. ·  Yes, the quality of it all is less than great (Mother Nature wan...

In late 1997 I had the rare opportunity to speak with the lead singer and guitarist of The Nixons after the success of the hit singles "Sister" and "Wire" from their debut MCA album, Foma . We spoke about the journey that took six years to get the accurate recognition they richly deserved and what lay ahead with the release of their self-titled 1997 album. Like so many of my interviews, this is an...

Doing what he was always programmed to do, in April 1998, I got to spend time with Steve Newman, one part of Tanana’s and equally critically acclaimed solo artist. When we hooked up between SAMA run-ins and new album releases, this time round, we were talking all things retrospectively, Tananas, The Collection, their greatest hits collection. A great giving, humble, gifted human being, listen and...

In late 1999, I got to chat with John Stevens, the lead singer of Neve, a long-since defunct band, but their story is a wonderful listen to the level that took them from zero to hero in precious little time. Their breakout single, “It’s All Over”, appeared on the soundtrack to The Faculty , after which they were away. They lasted two albums before faltering, but their debut, Identify Yourself was...

The year was 1997 when I got on the phone with Amersham lead singer Adam Lomas on the eve of their first official full-length album, Wearing Thin . It was a time of extraordinary possibility and promise; Adam took me through the journey of its creation after the success of their BMG first reveal EP, Pickled. Enjoy this trip down memory lane about an album filled with clever artwork, phenomenal pro...

Three-and-a-half years into their career, Sugardrive were ready to release their second, high anticipated album, Sand Man Sky . In September 1997, I had the chance to speak with the band’s lead singer, Paul Flynn, to talk through their journey at a time when South African modern rock was coming into its own. When we spoke, the band was suffering huge frustration due to their label at the time miss...

Music that makes people happy in every sense of the word; on 1 October 1997, I had the chance to speak to A Reminiscent Drive’s creator Jay Alanski at the time his Mercy Street album dropped. Reminiscent Drive was born on the F Communications label, and between 1995 and 2001, four EPs, two albums and remixes were born. If you are a fan of ambient, electronic music and don’t know Jay’s work, give t...

Going through my trunk filled with legacy interviews I captured, I found a few interview CDs for promotional purposes that I thought needed to be heard and not lost in time. This one is with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, recorded in 1998 on the eve of the two music icons releasing, Walking into Clarksdale. Again, this is not my interview to claim; I used it to craft a printed editorial at the time,...

In October 1997, I had the opportunity to talk to violin prodigy Vanessa-Mae. 1995’s The Violin Player sold more than two million copies by the time Storm arrived. In-between, she released The Classical Album 1 in 1996 and China Girl: The Classical Album 2 just before she delivered Storm , collectively showcasing all the colours of her musical rainbow.   Her talent and ability to bridge the g...

In June 1998, ten years into a successful career, I got to chat with British singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram. Her debut folk-infused album, Ancient Heart , remained a global classic, thanks to the success of the singles “Twist in My Sobriety” and “Good Tradition”, and five albums later, she poured out The Cappuccino Songs . Throwing caution to the wind, Tanita wanted to be playful without another...

Before the turn of the new millennium, I was fortunate enough to spend a few precious minutes with one of dance music’s true pioneers, Carl Cox. House and techno are where he continues to confirm his mark as a name worthy of attention. In this interview, captured 22-plus years ago, much has changed, but so much remains the same. Deep listen and take the learnings.

We are all time poor, but we’re rich in expertise and compelling service offerings, so why not use your time smartly by installing your voice where your market plays? Yes, podcasts are anything but new, but they are a mature content type every business should consider as part of their overall marketing and PR strategy. Why? Well, for one thing, today, the barrier to entry, cost-wise, makes podcast...

Jeremy Loops has been Trading Change since 2014, and along with his commitment and obvious talent, he’s attracted an army of followers. In this, my first ever interview with the roving raconteur, recorded on the eve of his highly anticipated third album, Hear You Got Love , Jeremy waxes lyrical about his journey to here and his ongoing investment in paying it forward. 2018’s Critical as Water albu...