We chat to muso Apple Gule, plus album reviews

The man behind soul-pop smash hit Sink O’ Swim is one of the hottest new talents around. We sat down with the 25-year-old singer from Swaziland to find out more

First up – is Apple Gule your real name? “Ha ha! Nah, Apple is a nickname. My real name is Aphelele. Gule is my surname though.”

What inspired Sink O’ Swim? “The song’s about being at a crossroads of a relationship – it’s, either this is going to work or it isn’t. I wrote it with the production help of Kyle Hodgson, my long-time producer and friend.”

So you write all your own songs? “I do indeed. I just feel that way it has more honesty about it.”

Your sound is often described as soul-pop. Who’s been your biggest influence? “I grew up loving John Legend. I studied him and his music for years and I’ll always have a soft spot for that man.”

Did you always want to be a singer? “I actually was on my way to becoming a professional soccer player. I even attended the TuksSport academy in high school but eventually just fell out of love with it. Music was always a hobby and I loved it, but I only started working on it and wanting to make it my life when I was about 19. I went on to study contemporary music at varsity and specialised in vocals.”

Who’d you most love to collaborate with? “Hmm, this question is quite tricky because the best collabs always happen organically. If I had a wish list I’d say [electronic solo artist] Muzi and [DJ] Black Coffee.”

What motto do you live by? “Strive to be happy. In life we need and deserve to be happy, so whatever it is that does that for you, find it and hang onto that s**t!”

Any advice for youngsters wanting to break into the music industry? “You need to set goals. As soon as I started setting goals I knew what it was I wanted to achieve and then I worked on ways to achieve them.

And hustle. I faked it till I made it. I’d oversell myself to the point where I then had to be good enough to back it up!

“There’s no formula to getting a break; people make it in different ways. But the one thing I can say and can’t stress enough is, you’ve got to hold onto your uniqueness. There’s only one you. Don’t try to copy anybody.”