Black Cat Bones sing to a new beat
Talk about the new album you’re busy with is rife. How is the recording and production process coming along?
The bulk of it is written. Now comes the fun part: rewriting, arranging, pre-production, rehearsing, and recording.
Should listeners be expecting a new musical direction for the upcoming album?
Very much so. We will, however, retain our bluesy heritage, but rather than getting stuck in our ways we will use this solid foundation to build our new “revised” sound on and hopefully be able to provide our fans and listeners [with] the best of both worlds.
You’ve recently taken on Jason Oosthuizen, former drummer of Van Coke Kartel, as your new drummer. How has this influenced your band dynamic?
The music for the album was completed by Andre [Kriel, guitarist] and Chris [van der Walt, bassist], literally a couple of days before Jason’s arrival, and [we’re] currently chipping away all the unwanted “wood”. Jason’s input has been crucial to the creation of the new sound [thus far]. He really is a breeze to work with and a very delightful character to say the least.
The drummer change seems to have been quite a sudden switch. Has it been tough getting Oosthuizen up to speed for live performances on such short notice?
Not at all. This cat is as professional as they come. He just pulled in there and started klapping it from the word [go].
Now that you have a Sama nomination and an MK award under your belt there’s a lot of anticipation for your new material. How does the pressure of South African fame feel?
We just take as it comes. We’ve never been the kind of group that will allow “fame” (whatever [that] means nowadays) to get to our heads or under our skins. Being nominated and awarded is an enormous honour and [a] blessing for us but it did not change the way we view ourselves or others in the music business at all.
We understand that there will be some upcoming unplugged, Deboned performances. Where can we look out for these?
The Deboned side of the Bones is something that Andre and Kobus [de Kock, vocalist] have been doing in various shapes and forms since even before the band was established, and is aimed at venues and events that cater for an audience with a more mature or contemporary taste in music. However, the unplugged sets have been known to evolve into a swampy stomping ground for thrill-seekers from all walks of life, if you know what I mean.
Image: Claudine Photography
