SA Music Blog

How’d you come up with your name and what does it mean?

It literally just popped into my head a couple years ago and I just stuck with it!

How long have you guys been playing together?

Zebra & Giraffe is actually my (Greg Carlin) solo project. I wrote and recorded the album on my own and played most of the instruments as well. I got session drummer Matt Marinus to play drums on the album and Darryl Torr (from Harris Tweed) to produce. I recently formed a band to play live and we have been together for about 2 months with only a couple of gigs under our belt so far.

How’d you meet?

I auditioned a whole lot of guys for the band and stuck with the guys I felt most comfortable with.

Where are you based?

In Johannesburg

What is your favorite song of yourselves?

The Knife

Do you listen to your own music?

When I have to practice singing in the car J

Who is your biggest fan?

Probably a girl in Stellenbosch, but my aunt comes a close second!

Have you had any awkward/ bad experiences with fans?

Other than a lot of fans telling me, or rather admitting to not buying our CD but copying it… nothing really.

Do you have groupies? Would you like to have groupies?

I don’t think we’re well known enough for groupies… Would mind a couple if they could help carry gear!

Where and when was your best gig ever and why?

Well we’ve only played 1 proper gig, so I guess that was our best and worst. It was at this year’s Oppikoppi and we played to about 3000 people. It was super nerve-wracking but exciting at the same time.

What happened at your cd launch at the zoo?

We were scheduled to play 6-7 songs to a large crowd which included guests from the media, press and fans at the Military Museum in Joburg (which is next to the Zoo). The directors of the museum where well aware that it was a live music event however, I don’t think they quite understood what that meant. 2 songs into the show we were not so kindly told to stop playing or they’d pull the power. There was lots of screaming and shouting but eventually we stopped playing. We were later told that we had woken the lions and that the audience looked like they were all high on cocaine! It was a very disappointing end to what could have been a great evening however; we got a lot of press out of it as the press didn’t take well to being called drug addicts!

What is the best place to gig?

From past experiences – anywhere where the crowd is good!

Who is single in the band and who is in relationships?

3 of us are in relationships but Darren our drummer & Andrew our bassist are single

Which part of being in a band do you most enjoy?

I love writing and recording the music, that’s my favourite part. But the more I play live, the more I wanna get up on the stage and play – it’s an amazing feeling to have people sing the songs you’ve written with you!

And which part do you enjoy the least?

Carrying gear!

How often do you practice?

2-3 times a week.

What do you do for a living if the band isn’t your living?

I work at Just Music

Do you make money?

The band is starting to make money with all the gigs we have booked, but I think everyone is still in debt from buying equipment

What cds do you have out and where can we buy it?

The debut album is called Collected Memories and you can get it at all music stores as well as online at justmusic.co.za or Rhythm Records.

How do you experience the scene? How do things look for SA music in the future?

The SA scene is growing really well. I think everyone needs to realize that it’s a really small scene we have here and it’s still developing… but things are really looking up. The rise of the Afrikaans rock scene has had a great influence on everyone, and has really raised the bar. Channels like MK are also great initiatives and have lifted the quality of videos being made.

What do you think about all the Afrikaans bands springing up everywhere these days?

It seems everyone wants to be in a band these days and since the success of Fokofpolisiekar, everyone wants to be in an Afrikaans rock band! I think it’s great for the scene, the more bands there are, the more competition there is, and nothing breeds quality more than healthy competition.

Does your band have an image? (like the way you dress?)

To some degree yes. It is something we are still developing. We don’t want it to be too forced, but at the same time we don’t want to look like we’re going to the movies or something!

What do you guys think about guys who wear skinny jeans?

They wish they could just suck it up and buy themselves a pair…cause they know they wanna!

Do you read books?

Yes – I am into artist autobiographies at the mo

Where do you hang out?

No where in particular

What does the future have in store for you?

Lots of shows and definitely a lot more music.

Any plans on touring?

We are about to embark on a nationwide tour with Harris Tweed. It starts in Pretoria on the 22nd of August and ends in Hilton on the 8th of September

Any new albums being recorded or released soon?

Not for a while…

Who is your favorite SA Artist?

I think Fotonadans, aKing and Insochronous are great. I also dig Jax Panik – he writes good pop songs.

For more info on our tour and to hear some of the music check out www.zebraandgiraffe.co.za or visit www.myspace.com/zebraandgiraffe

Catch the Zebra and Giraffe at any of the folowing venues

22nd August – Musaion Theatre, TUKS, Pretoria

23rd August – Alexander Theatre, Joburg

28th August – Klein Libertas Teater, Stellenbosch

30th August – Theatre In The District, Cape Town

Samusicblog wishes Zebra and Giraffe all of the best for the future and we hope to have a gig review on them soon!

See you guys at the show!