SOUTH African music sensation Matthew Mole, 22, is heading to East London as he prepares to wow fans in a one-night only show tonight.
He will be jamming it out at Buccaneers Bar Pub and Grill and the event is already completely sold out.
The South African music history-making artist will be playing in the city for the first time ever and will be backed by Alice-born South African Music Award (Sama) winning artist Nakhane Toure, 26.
Mole, barely out of his teens, last year became the first SA artist to ever enter the local iTunes album chart at number one with his debut album, The Home We Built.
His indie folk-pop offering beat exalted international artists Jay Z, Imagine Dragons, Michael Bublé and the Rolling Stones in the process, thus inscribing his name in South Africa’s music annals.
Mole’s touring partner Toure has also enjoyed considerable success with his own debut album after he won the 2014 Sama award for best alternative album of the year.
Both artists were nominated in the male artist of the year category but lost out to eventual winner Kabomo and his album Memory Remains.
Opening for the headlining artists will be Jeffrey’s Bay musician Tristen Beer, and he will be followed by up-and-coming East London duo Jason Gladwin and Wesley Thatcher, who are making waves on the local music scene.
Various DJs will then entertain the crowd after these acts.
Seven hundred tickets went on sale and all were sold. No paid entry will be accepted at the door, but once the artists have finished, a reduced door price will be available dependent on space.
The show starts at 8pm.
The Daily Dispatch asked Mole and Toure to squeeze some time out of their busy schedule to talk to us.
RR: The pair of you are currently on an Acoustic 2014 tour. How has the tour been so far and what have been the highlights?
MM: It’s been amazing. We still have a way to go, but so far they have all been beyond my expectations. Willow Bridge Barnyard in Cape Town has definitely stood out as being one of my favourite shows ever.
NT: It has been really great. I think when you release an album, there’s always that thought that you’ll be on tour. That it’s finally happening is exciting. And Matthew and I get along really well. That helps.
RR: How are the two of you finding touring together?
MM: Nakhane is such an amazing songwriter. I think we work quite well together in a live show, hopefully we can do some kind of collaboration at a show soon!
NT: It has been filled with laughs and good conversations. Matthew has a way with a hook that I do not, a great simplicity with melody that sticks in your head. I admire that.
I think there are some similar facets in our music that stops the two sets from being jarring.
At the other end of the spectrum, we’ve also evolved into two very different artists.
RR: What do you think of the Eastern Cape and of coming to East London in particular?
MM: I am super excited. I haven’t ever played there, but from the sound of things I think the people there are going to be such a great bunch of people to play to. I’ve been hearing such encouraging and supportive things, so it must be rad!
NT: The Eastern Cape has really great energy – it is not at all as “sleepy” as people who haven’t been there think it is. And I get offended when they make that assumption.
So I’m expecting great energy. I’ve also heard that the venue (Buccaneers in East London) is really great. My friends said that I would love it there.
RR: What other major shows are on your calendar later this year that we can look forward to?
MM: I heard that I’m playing at Oppikoppi this year, that’s gonna be cool! Otherwise, I’m going through to the Seattle Film Festival to play a few songs there.
NT: I’m performing at the YOU Spectacular on June 6, then in July I’ve got some dates at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
RR: What are your goals for the future?
MM: The long-term goal is to expand internationally, as much as I can. International travel and experience will be the next level!
NT: I just want to keep creating great work, the medium with which I work doesn’t matter.
RR: Nakhane, you were born in Alice and raised in Port Elizabeth, and now you are back in your home province – how does that feel?
NT: It’s my first time performing in the Eastern Cape in general, and you would not believe how special that feels to me. I try to tell myself that I am not a sentimental person, that this means nothing, but it does. Hopefully I won’t be too emotional. I also lived in East London for a while, in Amalinda, so it’s home.
RR: Your debut album, Brave Confusion, won the Sama for best alternative album. Were you expecting this success and how did you feel when you won?
NT: When we were recording the album, or actually even before, when I was writing the music, I never thought anyone would like it.
I was making it for myself and sharing it with friends.
Of course at the back of my mind I had hoped that when the album was released it would be understood, and liked. That it has been, is a great blessing.
RR: Matthew, we only heard of you and your music such a short time ago. How old were you when you started playing and writing music?
MM: I started playing guitar when I was 11, but I only took music a little more seriously when I was like 18.
RR: What part of your life have you tried the hardest to keep the same as before you became a celebrity?
MM: Relationships and friendships with people for sure, but that’s been super easy because the people that have surrounded me with that are such incredible people.
RR: Last year you made history by becoming the first SA artist to enter the local iTunes album chart at number one with your debut album The Home We Built. How did that feel?
MM: It was such an honour just to be in the iTunes chart alone, so to be at number 1 was such a bonus. It was amazing!
RR: What is the best thing that came out of the ensuing media frenzy?
MM: That’s where so many people heard about my music. So I’m grateful that people were so enthusiastic and spread the word.
RR: Did you expect to make such a big impact so soon?
MM: Not at all. It’s so encouraging hearing things like this from people though!
RR: Has becoming such a big music icon so quickly changed you in any way?
MM: If anything, it's opened me up as a person. It’s been great seeing and hearing so many things that I wouldn’t have imagined. So it’s only brought good change to my life so far.
A night for EL to binge on brilliant music
He will be jamming it out at Buccaneers Bar Pub and Grill and the event is already completely sold out.
The South African music history-making artist will be playing in the city for the first time ever and will be backed by Alice-born South African Music Award (Sama) winning artist Nakhane Toure, 26.
Mole, barely out of his teens, last year became the first SA artist to ever enter the local iTunes album chart at number one with his debut album, The Home We Built.
His indie folk-pop offering beat exalted international artists Jay Z, Imagine Dragons, Michael Bublé and the Rolling Stones in the process, thus inscribing his name in South Africa’s music annals.
Mole’s touring partner Toure has also enjoyed considerable success with his own debut album after he won the 2014 Sama award for best alternative album of the year.
Both artists were nominated in the male artist of the year category but lost out to eventual winner Kabomo and his album Memory Remains.
Opening for the headlining artists will be Jeffrey’s Bay musician Tristen Beer, and he will be followed by up-and-coming East London duo Jason Gladwin and Wesley Thatcher, who are making waves on the local music scene.
Various DJs will then entertain the crowd after these acts.
Seven hundred tickets went on sale and all were sold. No paid entry will be accepted at the door, but once the artists have finished, a reduced door price will be available dependent on space.
The show starts at 8pm.
The Daily Dispatch asked Mole and Toure to squeeze some time out of their busy schedule to talk to us.
RR: The pair of you are currently on an Acoustic 2014 tour. How has the tour been so far and what have been the highlights?
MM: It’s been amazing. We still have a way to go, but so far they have all been beyond my expectations. Willow Bridge Barnyard in Cape Town has definitely stood out as being one of my favourite shows ever.
NT: It has been really great. I think when you release an album, there’s always that thought that you’ll be on tour. That it’s finally happening is exciting. And Matthew and I get along really well. That helps.
RR: How are the two of you finding touring together?
MM: Nakhane is such an amazing songwriter. I think we work quite well together in a live show, hopefully we can do some kind of collaboration at a show soon!
NT: It has been filled with laughs and good conversations. Matthew has a way with a hook that I do not, a great simplicity with melody that sticks in your head. I admire that.
I think there are some similar facets in our music that stops the two sets from being jarring.
At the other end of the spectrum, we’ve also evolved into two very different artists.
RR: What do you think of the Eastern Cape and of coming to East London in particular?
MM: I am super excited. I haven’t ever played there, but from the sound of things I think the people there are going to be such a great bunch of people to play to. I’ve been hearing such encouraging and supportive things, so it must be rad!
NT: The Eastern Cape has really great energy – it is not at all as “sleepy” as people who haven’t been there think it is. And I get offended when they make that assumption.
So I’m expecting great energy. I’ve also heard that the venue (Buccaneers in East London) is really great. My friends said that I would love it there.
RR: What other major shows are on your calendar later this year that we can look forward to?
MM: I heard that I’m playing at Oppikoppi this year, that’s gonna be cool! Otherwise, I’m going through to the Seattle Film Festival to play a few songs there.
NT: I’m performing at the YOU Spectacular on June 6, then in July I’ve got some dates at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
RR: What are your goals for the future?
MM: The long-term goal is to expand internationally, as much as I can. International travel and experience will be the next level!
NT: I just want to keep creating great work, the medium with which I work doesn’t matter.
RR: Nakhane, you were born in Alice and raised in Port Elizabeth, and now you are back in your home province – how does that feel?
NT: It’s my first time performing in the Eastern Cape in general, and you would not believe how special that feels to me. I try to tell myself that I am not a sentimental person, that this means nothing, but it does. Hopefully I won’t be too emotional. I also lived in East London for a while, in Amalinda, so it’s home.
RR: Your debut album, Brave Confusion, won the Sama for best alternative album. Were you expecting this success and how did you feel when you won?
NT: When we were recording the album, or actually even before, when I was writing the music, I never thought anyone would like it.
I was making it for myself and sharing it with friends.
Of course at the back of my mind I had hoped that when the album was released it would be understood, and liked. That it has been, is a great blessing.
RR: Matthew, we only heard of you and your music such a short time ago. How old were you when you started playing and writing music?
MM: I started playing guitar when I was 11, but I only took music a little more seriously when I was like 18.
RR: What part of your life have you tried the hardest to keep the same as before you became a celebrity?
MM: Relationships and friendships with people for sure, but that’s been super easy because the people that have surrounded me with that are such incredible people.
RR: Last year you made history by becoming the first SA artist to enter the local iTunes album chart at number one with your debut album The Home We Built. How did that feel?
MM: It was such an honour just to be in the iTunes chart alone, so to be at number 1 was such a bonus. It was amazing!
RR: What is the best thing that came out of the ensuing media frenzy?
MM: That’s where so many people heard about my music. So I’m grateful that people were so enthusiastic and spread the word.
RR: Did you expect to make such a big impact so soon?
MM: Not at all. It’s so encouraging hearing things like this from people though!
RR: Has becoming such a big music icon so quickly changed you in any way?
MM: If anything, it's opened me up as a person. It’s been great seeing and hearing so many things that I wouldn’t have imagined. So it’s only brought good change to my life so far.
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