Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Gavin Edwards is ready to rock out as Prime Circle’s new frontman
MUSIC artist Gavin Edwards may have driven Ferraris to concerts back when he was signed to Westlife's Brian McFadden's record label but, for him, being chosen as Prime Circle's new frontman tops everything.
At the end of January, award-winning South African rock band Prime Circle announced that Edwards would replace Ross Learmonth, who left the group late last year due to creative differences.
The international rock star, who was also a runner-up on The Voice SA season 1, said that everything he's gone through in life was in preparation for this moment.
“I've been a chameleon my whole life. I'm a lot more peaceful these days but I think all my experiences have been getting me prepared for something as big as this because this is next level.
“When we started with Brian (McFadden) it was massive. We went from playing in Sun City to having a drink with Brian and Tom Jones and signing to his label, it was just insane.
“Then I get back home and go to The Voice SA, which was also on another level. The thing was that during these times, there was a lot of drinking involved.
“So when I say ‘next level', it's because I am totally different this time around. Everything I did and didn't do the last time, during these big moments, I'm making sure to be very aware of all those things now.
“They got me at a time where I'm ready to elevate myself with them to another level,” Edwards explained.
While he has chopped and changed his sound over the years, he is happy to have come full circle with Prime Circle.
“It's great to circle all the way right back with Prime to where I started, which was in love with rock songs. It's crazy, I like tried to get away from rock, just to find myself back in it.
“You can run away as far as you want, but if it's not where your strengths lie, it's going to pull you back. As much as I love Ed Sheeran, my voice and my heart started in rock.”
The new frontman said that as much as he had great moments throughout his career, from driving Ferraris to dining with Russell Crowe, he knew that God had been working extra time when he got the call to audition for Prime Circle.
“There have been many moments that I've loved during my career, but I would say that this is the highlight. I can't explain it. All I know is that when the phone call came I knew it was coming, I knew that's God busy working. I knew it.
“There were talks of auditions. I went in with the mindset that they were going to audition 50 singers. I didn't just think I was going to walk in, but I was also confident in that I could
pull it off. I still rehearsed as if they were going to check everyone out.”
“A few days later, he flew to meet the rest of the band, they instantly clicked and all other auditions were cancelled.
“We put the mics on, the guitars on and played, and that was it. In their minds they were like it's done, we don't have to look any further,” he said.
Now that he's in the position he has already begun putting in the work
to make sure that he firstly respects the old Prime Circle songs but also creates his own identity with the band.
“There is a history of old Prime Circle songs that are going to be done live that I need to make sure I respect and sing amazingly because fans love these songs. The other part is that we now need to go even higher.”
He said the band members have a restored sense of youth.
“We feel like we are 17 years old again, so the passion you have to write, create, play shows, run around the stage like you're not 45 years old, all of that.”
Since his arrival, the band have also recorded three old Prime Circle songs so they could hear the vocals, then recorded 10 new songs of which six are going on their upcoming EP.
“We also shot three videos, did a photo shoot and now we are in rehearsals. All this was done in the period of 18 days. In between all that, I go home and do about six hours a day of rehearsing old Prime Circle songs.”
He said he has trusted the process so far and is grateful that the rest of the band, Neil Breytenbach, Dale Schnettler, Dirk Bisschoff and Marco Gomes, have accepted him with open arms.
“Now it's just about going out and showing all of their friends and fans that what we are doing is paying homage to the 23 years, and all the support that they've been given.
“They are saying, ‘This is us, We're going nowhere, we want you to now invite Gavin into your hearts'.”
Prime Circle fans can look out for their new single, Better Days, which drops next month.
Their EP, The World We Know, will follow in May.
“We're keeping true to the Prime Circle sounds with a newer edge with my vocals on top of it. We've also thrown in an oldie rock song for all the fans who want to hear something rocky.”