Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Prime Circle still getting around
New album ‘If You Don’t You Never Will’ drops before rock band heads off on Euro junket
THEIR seventh album went on sale across the country yesterday, but now it’s time for the real work.
Tomorrow Prime Circle leave for a month-long tour of Germany, where they are headlining their own shows for the first time – and many have already been sold out.
The album If You Don’t You Never Will was first sampled to South African audiences at the band’s Rivonia Barnyard gig in Joburg last month, before they toured Australia shortly afterwards.
Lead singer Ross Learmonth shared the song-writing duties with drummer Dale Schnettler and keyboardist Neil Breytenbach, with Just Jinjer’s bassist Denholm Harding producing.
The album was written over six months and recorded in just five weeks.
Learmonth and Schnettler are pleased with the final product, and have described it as a good marriage of electronic and rock.
“We started with 28 songs… Denholm selected seven and we had to write three to make since the band’s beginning in Mpumalanga 16 years ago.
It took five years for them to break out, with Learmonth working in construction and waiting tables.
He and lead guitarist Dirk Bisschoff, with bassist Marco Gomes, are the remaining founding members. Breytenbach joined in 2007; Schnettler the following year.
Learmonth is pleased the band no longer gets compared to other overseas bands, but was rather becoming a point of reference itself to other bands, particularly locally, with a sound that is now their own.
“The reaction to the new album has been insane.
“Even our hardcore fans, who are very honest and can often sting, have liked it. Some of our friends who used to hate our music actually like this one too.”
If You Don’t You Never Will showcases Learmonth’s distinctive voice, anchored with Schnettler’s drumming and given body with Breytenbach’s keyboards.
“You know…a young fan came up to Neil and said to him ‘you’ve made keyboards cool’, which really is a great compliment to the sound he creates and what he brings to the band,” said Learmonth.
When they return home from Germany, Prime Circle plan to spend November touring the country, with dates in December and January still to be announced.
“South Africa keeps us grounded. We’ll do Kirstenbosch in Cape Town in January, which is my favourite
It took five years