New music from SA rockers Springbok Nude Girls
It’s official: the much-loved South African rock legends are releasing brand-new music!
BY NICI DE WET The Nudies first exploded onto the local music scene with their unique blend of trumpet-soaring rock 20 years ago. Since then they’ve had many hits, won awards, toured extensively and shared stages with U2, the Rolling Stones and REM.
The band’s just released a new single, Beautiful Evolution, and a new album – their first in 10 years – is due later this year. We chatted to singer and frontman Arno Carstens to find out more. Why did you decide to make a new album? We don’t play as much as we used to but we do get together for a little tour every year. Last year the response was so good we thought we should do another tour, but maybe with some new material. With a band like us, who’ve been together for so long, when the feeling takes hold you go with it. You never know if it’s your last. Tell us about the new album, and when can fans expect it? In October or November. We’re just finalising the loose ends. Expect a box of chocolates with good rock! For us, making this album wasn’t about relevance or making some inflated statement. It’s about five guys doing what they do best and having fun with it. Hopefully the end result will reflect this. After more than 20 years on the scene you’re seen as local rock icons. How does that make you feel? Grateful, lucky, semi-old! Why did you decide to release Beautiful Evolution on vinyl? We wanted to do something that would reflect an evolution of some sort, so it’s about going back to the basics and making fans interact with the song in a practical way. They’re also getting a collector’s item. You have a massive loyal fan base. Are you still asked to play your old songs at concerts? Yes. Those songs made us and are the soundtrack to many people’s lives, so we enjoy doing them. Are all of you still working in the music industry? Three of us are semi full-time musicians – me, Theo Crous (guitar) and Adriaan Brand (trumpet and keyboards), and the other two – Arno Blumer (bass) and Francois Kruger (drums) – are IT people. I’d like to bring out more SNG music Springbok Nude Girls (from left): Theo Crous, Arno Carstens, Adriaan Brand, Francois Kruger and Arno Blumer. in the future but at the moment it’s about the collective willingness. Let’s see. Who’d you like to collaborate with? I’m looking for a genius producer to do another Bhelltower (Arno’s goth-electro side project) album with. The brilliant Arno Kaizer who did the first one has died and I’d like to continue with the project. What would you and your wife (and manager), Melanie, say if your son, Hayden (6), said he wanted to become a musician? I’d say he should follow his passion, hopefully as a scientist or astronaut! But we’d support him in any endeavour he chooses.