Meet Sean Munday, Jonty Oosthuizen, and Dane Blunt from Pretoria’s three-man rock band, Paint the Walls. While balancing honours degrees and the working world amidst a pandemic, Paint the Walls managed to release their debut single, “Take Me” on major streaming platforms. PDBY interviewed this band to discover who they are, and what they are about.
What are the roles within the band?
Sean is the singer and the bassist, Jonty mans the drums, and Dane is the guitarist.
How did the band start out?
Dane and Jonty were in a band before, called Shotgun Not. Their singer and their bassist left Pretoria. I found out through a mutual friend over Instagram, after posting a picture of Mark Hoppus from Blink-182, that Dane needed a singer for their band and [that] we both liked the same music. I got his number from her and messaged him; the rest is history.
What influenced the creation of the single, “Take Me”?
I wrote it during lockdown while trying to write about this time [that] I was staying with this girl [that] I really liked. There was so much I wanted to say but didn’t. Nothing I wrote sounded right so I made up a story for the verses that aimed to capture that kind of feeling. The chorus represents all the things you wish you could tell someone, but you just end up talking about random cr*p (hence the “nana’s”).
What was the process behind releasing your single on major streaming platforms?
It was actually a lot easier than most people would think. You just find a distributor, upload it there and in about a month your song is on streaming!
What would you say influences the sound of your band? Are there any particular bands or artists that do so?
We all love Blink-182. When we were writing songs, they were always our biggest influence.
If possible, can you give us a sneak peek into what the band is currently working on?
We’ve got a few more demos [that] we’d love to release. Hopefully we can make that happen!
Do you have any intention of performing live when COVID-19 restrictions have lifted?
That’d be awesome. There’s no better feeling playing for a crowd and you can see they’re really enjoying it.
How can those who enjoy your music reach out and interact with you?
We are on social media, @paintthewallsband. We always appreciate a nice comment or a message!
Are there any additional thoughts you would like to share with the readers?
The local rock music scene in Pretoria is really great and I think more people would enjoy the shows if they went. We’ve made friends with the guys in some great bands like Double Sun, Triiip, and Smokey Mercle who I think a lot of people would enjoy listening to.
Find more from Paint the Walls at @paintthewallsband.
My name is Ashleigh Pascoe and I am doing my Honours in Publishing. This is my fourth year studying at UP. I would describe myself as a bubbly extrovert with a passion for written work and writing!
