KENDRA CONNOCK
Following her debut solo offering in 2019, guitarist Robyn Ferguson has added two additional EPs to her repertoire in 2020; both of which solidify her position as the goddess of guitar in the South African music scene. These back-to-back releases come after the artist’s struggle with health issues which have taken their toll physically and emotionally.
Ferguson’s talent is evident in every piece of music she works on and her latest releases, Falling Forward and Harbinger, only showcase this fact even more. As a musical polymath, Ferguson wrote, played, and recorded every note on these two EPs herself; the multi-layered and complex music she produces is exceptional in its own right, but the fact that she does it all herself makes it all the more impressive. As Ferguson used her music as an outlet during a difficult time, Falling Forward and Harbinger were both inspired by her personal health struggles and the physical and emotional effects she is still feeling. She suffered nerve damage during her illness and still experiences some paralysis, but not even that could stop her.
“…Robyn Ferguson has added two additional EPs to her repertoire in 2020; both of which solidify her position as the goddess of guitar…“
Robyn’s music is entirely instrumental; and that’s all it needs to be really. Her talent is not limited to technical skill in playing instruments, but also in her incredible ability to make listeners connect with her emotionally through the sound of her music. Each of her songs is connected to the emotion she was feeling when she wrote it; “Gravity” has a weight to it, a heaviness that surrounds the listener; while “Oxygen” reinforces the sort of claustrophobic experience by the artist during her stay in hospital. “Petrichor” gives the listener space – there’s still that undertone of anxiety from earlier in the EP but it is now accompanied by a kind of peace; as if the rain is finally easing up after a big storm.
You can find Robyn’s music, including Harbinger (written, recorded, and released during the COVID-19 national lockdown) on any of your preferred streaming platforms.
I’m Kendra! Coffee addict, cat lover, postgrad student. Usually found reading, napping, or doodling.