A long time ago I started writings songs. I was a kid, needing to spill my guts somewhere and a song seemed like a perfect channel. I had been playing guitar since I was 8 years old and the guitar felt like another hand, part of my body – I loved playing whenever I could. So the songs began, some angsty, some happy, some thankful, some angry – they went on. In my early 20’s, I made my first demo which later I took to New York. That very demo got me my first gigs in the Big Apple and I got to play with awesome musos like Marc Shulman , Alex Brofsky, Ian Herman, John Ossman and so on… It was very exciting, being at the epicentre of hip arts culture and joining forces with such iconic musicians. I went thru the electronica stage and collaborated with the likes of 310 (Tim Donovan and Joe Dierker) to make some beautiful haunting music together. I got to play at places like CBGB, Bitter End, Arlenes’ Grocery and more. After a persistent calling to return home, I finally got back after 9 years of New York. I had gone there as a professional dancer and came back with music calling me more strongly than ever.
In 2002 I released my first album Dissolve in the Sun. It was a collage of songs, some produced in New York and some in Joburg and it felt like it was a hard-earned manifestation of my music, one that made me proud. Home changed the way I was playing – I got more acoustic, more rootsy, more worldy, more African. And the music re-invented itself. I played with Reuben Samuels, Brendan Outim, Frankie Beagle and loads of others. Did the festival circuit: Oppikoppi, Rustlers, Splashy Fen, Southern Cross, Bassline, Radium, Blues Room and so on…. This started to feel more right than ever. Got on the road and realized how much touring felt like home. Dorpie to dorpie, club to Backpackers, wherever I could get a space to play, a roof for the night and a meal – that was all that was required. In 2004 I released a live album called Live Transmissions.
And then I had a kid and got married and took a little sabbatical from it all. Still writing but not playing out quite as much, the songs transmuted and childrens’ songs started to emerge. All the time writing and consolidating songs written during the years following Dissolve in the Sun.
So now I’m in the midst of recording and producing 2 albums – one rootsy acoustic album and another children’s album. Both will be released within the next 5 months and I’m back in action doing what I love the most - playing and playing and playing…
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