Melodic folk man Majozi’s first EP took the local music scene by storm, and he’s back with a new EP, Mountains. He answers a few questions.
Good day, Majozi. How are things?
Well, that’s nice of you to ask. Things are nice, thanks.
Picture by Cara-Lee Geveers
Congrats on the success of your second EP, Mountains, and especially the current success of the single "Fire"! Did you expect the song to be hitting the charts (5fm, East Coast Radio etc) as well as it has? What's the feedback been on the new EP in general, compared with that of Marvelous Light?
Thank you so much. Ja, I never expected the response to be as big as it has been. I'm so grateful to Eugene Coetzer and Ewald Jansen van Rensburg from Monark. They wrote and produced the song. I think we knew it was a good song and suited me perfectly, but the response has been far beyond expectation. The feedback for my latest EP has been greater than that for my previous EP, largely thanks to the hard work put in by my label (Virgin/Universal Music Group) and my publicist, Rachelle Crous. They have been awesome in promoting it and getting it everywhere.
On first listening the sound on Mountains seems to be of a bit more stripped-down, minimalistic approach than that on Marvelous Light, though the electro elements certainly aren't absent. Was this part of the plan with the new EP, or how did it happen? What is your philosophy generally on exploring as many production elements as possible versus keeping it as close to the bone as possible?
We never really planned for it to sound like that, but I think it all worked out in the end in terms of how all the songs sound and build up through the album. I'm a big fan of production and exploring different elements of it. If it helps get across the emotion of the song then it gets a green light from me. Luckily I had two excellent producers who did an amazing job: Carl Von Hoesslin and Ewald Jansen van Rensburg.
You're credited as the songwriter for two tracks on Mountains: one was co-written by you and three others, and two were written by others. How do songs usually "happen" for you, in terms of the writing process and getting the music, lyrics and melody to fit together perfectly? Now that there's been a lot of success and attention on the airwaves, iTunes, etc, do you feel pressure when writing that a song needs to have "hit" elements, in terms of lyrical and musical content, or how do you treat the songs once that first draft is done?
The songwriting process always varies for me, but mostly I like the process of having an idea or concept and trying to figure out the best way of portraying that idea through the style of music I do. The most pressure I receive is from myself. I always want to know that I'm progressing and getting better. I like being challenged.
Another element that seems to feature more strongly on Marvelous Light than on Mountains is the gospel/Christian approach in the lyrics ... or rather, it's more overt and direct on Marvelous Light, it seems. Was it a conscious decision to craft the lyrics in such a way that they can be interpreted in various ways, or how did your approach differ in this regard from Marvelous Light? (I'm reminded of quite a few acts – Tree63, Matthew Mole, Creed, POD, etc – who've managed mainstream success with a more "underlying" Christian approach in their lyrics.)
I always want to make sure that whoever listens to my music can relate to it no matter where they are in life. I've tried to keep it as accessible as possible and still get across my message and faith. As long as I'm proud of what I'm saying and it doesn't contradict my beliefs, I'm always open to different ways of writing my songs. At the same time, if I write a song that has a more direct approach I wouldn't change it. As long as the song is good.
The melodic folk/rock scene – locally and internationally – has grown immensely popular in recent times, with loads of acts joining the party. Yet only a select few (including you) manage to stand out above the rest and make a mark. What would you attribute the recent popularity of the genre to, and why do you think your music stands out as unique within the genre? Is that in the back of your mind when you are writing, recording or performing – that your music needs to stand out in a genre with loads of competition?
This is an awesome question. I'm not sure how to answer this. Music is not a science. It’s hard to pinpoint why certain things do well at certain times. Just speaking for myself, I enjoy the simplicity, sincerity and openness of folk. It seems like it's straight from the heart, and maybe there's not enough of that around at the moment. I don't want to be the same as everyone else. I want to be different, and that's always in the back of my mind, and I think a big part of being different or standing out from everyone else is just being yourself. I'm not sure if I get it right all the time, but I try.
You've released two EP's now – it's an interesting approach, considering a lot of acts these days opt to either stick with the traditional approach of full albums, or sporadically release singles online. What's the thinking behind your approach? What is your philosophy in general in terms of what works best for both the artist and the listener in this regard, considering the ever increasing influence of the web and social media on how we do things?
My first EP just started off as a fun project that just exploded into something that I never expected. This EP now was kinda like my official introduction backed by a big label. Next up we are doing a full-length album, which I'm really excited about. There are different thoughts about releasing albums and singles, and how they relate to the digital download age. I can't honestly say which is best, but I do enjoy how an album can be like a book with different chapters that all have a different theme but ultimately the book has one message.
You're relatively young in your career, but already you have loads of gigs notched ... any highlights that stand out thus far? And conversely, any performances, places, interactions or instances you'd rather forget?
Opening for the Lumineers is the biggest highlight of my life for sure. I'm not sure how anything will top that. I never have any regrets, really – everything is a learning curve. If something doesn't go to plan then I try to learn from it and move. If I'm not making mistakes then I'm not challenging myself enough and I'm not learning. Obviously at the same time I don't only want to be making mistakes ... haha – no one would come to my gigs – but when they do happen, I take it as a learning experience
What does the near and far future hold for Majozi, as far as you're able to control it?
More songs, and more gigs. I'm really keen to go overseas soon. It’s a burning passion of mine.
What is the meaning of life?
Love.
