TheGeorge – juggling music and high school

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TheGeorge is a four-piece indie-folk group from Pretoria. The band is making waves, while all the members are still in school. PJ Maas, vocalist and guitarist, answers some questions about the project.

Hi PJ, how are things?

Things are brilliant – we’ve just come from a nice little gig in Mossel Bay and we're feeling good about the things to come!

According to some press info you’re in matric this year, as are two of your bandmates (Zandi Uys and Niel Markgraaf), with Duard Musk completing the 11th grade this year. How are you guys juggling music and school?

Well, music has never been something we've ever needed to force or squeeze in. It has always been part of our day-to-day lives, so we handle everything quite easily.

Word is that the band members met (though you’re all in the same school?) in February 2012 at … that singing competition. How did that happen and what made you decide to form the band?

We had never really crossed paths, but then a friend told me that Zandi sings like an angel and I was eager to play, but not alone. She gave me the confidence of knowing that if things go horribly wrong I'd still have her skill and charm to back me up. Niel and I played together in a few projects and later we asked Duard to join because of his reputation as a skilled bass player. We’ve been buds ever since.

You made use of the December holidays to record your first full-length album. I’m assuming it was largely a new experience for the band members to put in that time in a studio. How was the experience? Highlights? Low points?

It was spectacular! We did our recordings through ImTheCarpenter Records with Francois de Klerk. It was such a fantastic experience learning from, and working with him in such a comfortable and productive environment. A highlight for me was coming in every day and doing what I love for two to three weeks straight. A low point was definitely paying the bills for all the Wimpy we ate.

When can we expect the album to be widely available? Care to elaborate on what you were going for during conceptualisation and execution of the album?

Concept-wise we were going for the sound we all want to hear when we’re chilling at a friend’s house. No pretence, just vibes. When writing, I try to capture a room or space which is in my head – and then share it with my bandmates so we all see the same couch, mountain, bottle of booze, or whatever we’re trying to paint. This album is a collection of paintings as seen through my eyes, and the Forest Eyes I so often saw these images with.

The combination of male and female vocals is working really well for various international acts – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Of Monsters and Men, Angus and Julia Stone … Was this element something you wanted to include from the beginning, and what do you feel it adds to your sound?

Starting the band, Zandi and I realised we have entirely different styles when it comes to singing. We never made a conscious decision to have a particular sound, but I think us two sitting in a room practising the songs with just a guitar and each other’s company is something which strongly contributes to the chemistry of our songs.

In the same vein, numerous acts (Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers) have recently reignited a brand of folk that implements only a kick drum as percussion – no snares, no cymbals, etc. How and why did you decide to stick to this plan for TheGeorge, or are there plans to enlist a full-time drummer?

We wanted to keep things simple. Our plan was to write from the heart, and whatever we felt needed to be included in our sound we put in. We managed to pen down what we heard in our heads with minimal instruments, and who knows. Maybe we’ll need some extra layers in songs to come.

How are you planning and aiming to establish a sound that’s unique and recognisable in this genre, especially with the songwriting?

We’re planning on writing every single song you hear as one which we believe and wrote with sincere hearts. When we write a song we try to encourage the listener to visualise every word, and connect those words with a moment in their lives which is vivid to them. Our sound is aimed at making our friends smile. Strangers are only friends you haven’t met.

Seeing that you’re all in an Afrikaans high school (Hoërskool Menlopark, Pretoria), I guess it’s safe to assume you’re all Afrikaans-speaking. The Afrikaans music market has been growing in leaps and bounds for years now and continues to do so – did you consider making your music in Afrikaans at all?

We are all Afrikaans, yes. But we’ve all grown up in environments where English was in our books, earphones, television shows, and in our homes. So when I’m writing, my mind instantly thinks in English. It’s a beautiful language in which I feel I can express myself much better than with Afrikaans.

What does the near and far future hold for TheGeorge, keeping in mind that school’s almost out?

We’re planning on releasing our album soon and recording a music video within the next few weeks. When school finishes we’re probably just going to eat at Wimpy again and write as much as we can and play to as many people as we can. We’re here to stay.

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