Bye Beneco, a five-piece outfit from Johannesburg, was one of the standout new acts at Oppikoppi 2013. Lenny-Dee Doucha, lead singer, answers some questions.
Hi Lenny-Dee, how’re things?
Swell, thank you, Henry.
I saw you guys at the top stage at Koppi. As far as I’m aware it was your first appearance there – how’d you find the experience?
We were all thrilled to play Oppi this year. I think we all had a fair amount of adrenalin pumping through our veins as we started our first song of the evening, “On the Line”. It is a good icebreaker, so as soon as we’d played it through the ball started rolling. It was epic.
I’m finding it hard to pinpoint your sound, but judging by your Facebook profile (“raw, organic, dreamy, ambient, ethereal with an underlying gypsy folk, dark prison blues spirit …”), I’m not the only one! What vibe do you generally aim for in the music you create?
It is difficult to pinpoint our sound and I think the reason for this is that we do not aim for one. We don’t necessarily sit down and decide on a genre we would like to explore before we start writing a song; more evidently we just begin and allow the music to make the decisions. Each band member has come from a different musical background, which of course contributes to the variation of our sound.
There are three songs of yours available on SoundCloud right now and a music video has just been released. Where did you do the recordings and how was that experience?
The recordings for the three songs on SoundCloud were done at Matthew Watson’s home studio. He is our drummer/guitarist. Well, it was very relaxed. We were pretty chuffed with the outcome, but are currently recording updated versions of those tracks. The songs have been revised and progressed since we last recorded them; so updated versions are on the way.
Regarding the music video … I think I saw a few comments in the vein of “trippy”, “weird” etc on the web somewhere. How did the conceptualisation and the execution of the video go?
Consider the video as a recipe:
- 1 x Ben Jay Crossman – art direction, creative brain power and set.
- 1 x Robo Wilson – cameraman, mad camera skills.
- 1 x Wilma Smit – veggie burgers and full bellies.
- 1 x Jenny Dison – owns the xylophone, percussion and vocals. Multifunctional jewellery.
- 1 x Daniel Widmonte – rips the guitar, blues enthusiast, tree climber.
- 1 x Matthew Watson – drummer cum guitarist, delicious multi-instrumental skills.
- 1 x Bergen Nielson – drummer/guitarist/vocalist, rare ability for seriously successful songwriting. He is also my boyfriend. Just saying.
- 1 x Lenny-Dee Doucha – think of something yourself!
- 2 g Arugula.
- Now take all ingredients and place gently in blender for 4,5 hours.
- Drink it up and enjoy!!
Serving suggestion: with an open mind.
You started out in 2012 – how are you finding the South African and Joburg music scene as a new band breaking through?
End of 2012, beginning 2013. The Jhb scene has been amazing. People have been so generous with lending us their ears! We have quite a few diehard fans that come to every show and it just keeps growing, which makes us oh! so happy. We love you, humans! Of course there are positives and negatives regarding the South African music scene, but we have been lucky enough to have experienced mostly positives so far. There are people in the industry who are there to enhance and nurture musicians and musical talent (we know some of these people – yes we do). Then there are people who view us (musos in general) as their “suppliers”. Someone actually said this. Your experience will be determined by whom you deal with, whether it is a person, a venue, a label, a company, etc. A good person to speak to about the current state of the South African scene would be Jenny Dison. There is a lot to be said, but let’s move on shall we …
There’s an interesting “short observational documentary” in which you feature, painting and playing guitar. What’s your “main art” and to what extent do you view your music as your own artistic expression, considering there are four other band members as well?
You saw that! Cool! It was shot a while ago. Music has become my main focus. In terms of music as a means of artistic expression – yes! All the band members are so talented and working with them is an honour. We use our music as a platform to express ourselves, in unity. It’s a beautiful thing.
Regarding touring and gigging – any anecdotes that stand out? Any places you won’t be visiting again (out of your own will or that of others)?
So far we have had some great shows with some great musicians. Obviously there is the “sound issue”. Let’s not get into that, because I’m sure whoever is reading this can relate.
What does the near and far future hold for Bye Beneco?
Exciting things are happening for Bye Beneco. There is talk of our next music video – if you followed the recipe above, it will give you an idea of what’s in store! A potential tour. Cape Town and possibly KZN. Lots of exciting stuff happening. Just keep your eyes and ears open. Our Facebook page has all of our SoundCloud/Bandcamp/Twitter links. Follow us for show, tour and other exciting band updates!
What is the meaning of life?
The meaning of life according to my mac dictionary: “The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death: the origins of life.”
According to me: Being selfless. Being able to let go. Finding joy within small things. Being humble. Pulling yourself towards yourself. Blah blah and all that gushy crap.
PEACE!
Teken in op LitNet se gratis weeklikse nuusbrief. | Sign up for LitNet's free weekly newsletter.