Humewood is a relaxing 15-minute stretch on a waterbed of strings and keys. The set of six tracks is the second EP by Cape Town’s Courtsyde, who started releasing music in 2021. Their work has ranged from melting lo-fi and sparkling synths to more driven numbers that foreground the percussion. But across the board, the songs are smooth as peanut butter with a sound that’s equally vicious.
The Late Night Bites is a newly minted duo blending indie pop, jazz, and psychedelic rock into a cohesive live-looping performance. Their music reinvisions the solo work of singer-songwriter and pianist, Fay Lamour, with the help of multi-instrumentalist and producer, Ryan Stopforth.
[Giuliette Price on a secluded path near UCT’s middle campus. PHOTO: James Browning]
Giuliette Price is a Cape Town-based vocalist and songwriter who has wasted little time since their move from Johannesburg in 2021. Since then, they’ve played on stages with names on the level of Kujenga, MOONGA K. and Alice Phoebe Lou.
[The imagery of Emmaleen leans into her genre’s aesthetic. PHOTO: Supplied/Emmaleen]
Namibian-born Emmaleen is a self-taught guitarist, banjo player and vocalist who has been gracing Cape Town with her gothic blues for the past several years. She has played on stages around the Mother City, including SurfaRosa, Evol, and The Armchair Theatre.
Cold is the debut release from Cape Town-based musician Jean-Paul Britz, released in December 2022. The album’s eight tracks serve as a pensive meditation, with its experimental production choices resulting in a weighty, liquid soundscape.
[Table Mountain watches over Manfred Klose (left) and Given Nkanyane (right) on their short trip home. PHOTO: James Browning]
Stone Jets are a now London-based musical duo who have turned a lucky Cape Town recording studio meetup into an international touring band. Since relocating in 2019, bassist and vocalist Given Nkanyane and guitarist Manfred Klose have played their smile-summoning, South African-flavoured tunes on stages across the UK and Europe.
[Keanan performs on The Funky Bazaar stage in December. PHOTO: James Browning]
Keanan Eksteen is a Kraaifontein-born musician strumming charming indie tunes with an old-school rock ‘n roll attitude. An impressive first year of performance in 2022 saw Keanan take his hip-shaking, arm-flinging energy to stages in Europe, sell out local hotspot café Roux, and collaborate with the internationally acclaimed electronic duo, GoldFish.
[Face Jackson insists on being the best dressed in a room. PHOTO: Samara McQueston]
Every other month, the SGT Pepper bar on Long Street is transformed into The Funky Bazaar — a kaleidoscope of local bands, DJs, and vendors. Offering a curated night of Cape Town artistry, The Bazaar is a labour of love organised entirely by the local band, Face Jackson.
[Cam Trichart performs alongside Almost Alive at The Daisy Jones Bar. PHOTO: Supplied/Golden Blue]
Golden Blue is the solo project of Cam Trichart, a Cape Town-based musician, producer, and sound engineer. He combines a range of guitar styles with sparkly synths and electronic production to make a soundscape that is impressively cohesive.
[“I do a bit of video editing here and there but music has been my main thing for most of my life,” Sarah Blake tells us. PHOTO: Supplied/Sarah Blake]
Sarah Blake is a bassist, guitarist and vocalist sharing soul-soothing songs through honest lyrics and a sound as smooth as morning sunshine creeping through your curtains. Her music combines an education in jazz composition, playful vocal rhythm, and Brazilian grooves.
