AARON CLOETE
The Color Blew is an alternative rock band, founded in 2014 by Liaan Horton, Marius “George” Cronje, and Armando “Stix” Santos, joined in 2015 by guitarist Timothy James. The band prides themselves on their passion and insight, and PDBY got in touch with several of the bandmates recently to discuss their music and their current rise in popularity. The band members of The Color Blew all originally came from separate bands and when asked why they work so well together, bassist, Marius Cronje, said he believed that “it is due to the relationship we have built over the years. A relationship of honesty, which in itself, aligns with the music we make. We’re brothers.” The passion that they hold for their music is the most important thing for them and they work it into their songwriting process. Liaan Horton, frontman of the group, pointed out that “the only rule we have when writing music together now is that we must all feel the music. That’s it. That is our formula. We have roots in certain genres, but we won’t let our creative visions be tied to them. Life is too short.”
The band epitomises the conception of alternative rock. By refusing to be tied down to a specific genre, this comes rather easy to them as they each cultivate a wide range of influences from Metallica, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Radiohead, Deftones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, amoungst others. Cronje said that “as time goes by, I draw influence from every type of music I get to listen to”. Drummer, Armando Santos, adds that “like learning, influence is a continued, constant and never-ending process [of] appreciating and noticing new […] emerging talent with their own influenced style”. The band’s most recent album, Light Switch, is available on streaming services and one can hear their single “Dance Dance Dance” on most non-classical radio stations. All of their music is characterised by their signature passion and depth. Horton had this to say about these releases: “I have been blown away by so much love shown to us after the release of this album, it’s really humbling having listeners buy into your musical ‘moments’ and making it their own. Both our singles to date, “African Sky and Dance Dance Dance”, have had some pretty serious depth to it if you listen beyond the surface. I am proud of that; they both tell stories and reflect certain narratives in our society and music scene. They both captured moments in time and that is all you can hope for in a good song.”
“The passion that they hold for their music is the most important thing for them and they work it into their songwriting process.“
The band all seem to agree that these songs marked a natural progression of their work and Cronje admitted that they “don’t plan what music [they] are going to make. It just happens”. Recently the band held a streaming concert that is now available on YouTube, and told PDBY how they experienced this new paradigm of music. Horton said “I won’t lie, it does not replace the live experience and it shouldn’t,” but he admitted that streaming would have its place in the music industry for many years to come, both in terms of sharing their art with their fanbase and in terms of reaching new listeners. Cronje was positive about the event, calling it a fun experience and he gave a nod to the studio team that helped the event take place, saying that the “team at Ware Jakob Studios were exceptional”. The band plans on staying true to their principles going forward, never releasing any music that they don’t feel makes the grade. They want to push their creative agenda and move ever “onwards and upwards”. All in all, they are just going to continue doing what they love. Their passion, depth, and insight definitely make The Color Blew one to watch.