Sonik to set off on maiden SA tour

SONIK Citizen (pictured), the brainchild of two-time South African Music Awards winning producer and multi-award winning artist, Mark Fransman, are set to tour the country for the very first time.

The Cape Town band includes celebrated drummer Paul Tizzard and bass player Eugene Ackerman, with Fransman fronting the band with his unique soul-inspired voice.

Speaking to Tonight, Fransman said the band was created five years ago. “Sonik Citizen started with the guitar, although I have been playing the guitar since I was very young, I started picking up the guitar a few years back with the intention of composing music and singing. The idea of creating the group started about five years ago”, he said.

“After about a year of composing music, I decided to see if there were players around who were interested in the sound. Our drummer, Paul Tizzard, was the first person who became dedicated to the idea, the music and the vision. From there onwards, we looked for a bass player who could share our dedication and we found Eugene Ackerman,” Fransman said.

He describes the band’s music as Afro and soul rock, and said that their tour came about after they realised their growth. “We will be releasing our debut EP, Head Full of Feathers, on this tour – so that is one reason for it. However, we are also touring the country because, after having played in Cape Town for the past two years, we started noticing that the audiences really took to our songs.

“From talking to people who come to our shows, we learned who it was that our music spoke to. We believe that there are folks in other cities who can relate to our music and its vibe too,” he added.

The frontman, who has worked with a number of big stars, such as Judith Sephuma, Vicky Samson and Gloria Bosman, said he is looking forward to spending time on the road.

“I look forward to spending time with the boys away from home. Of course, playing for and meeting with new people is always beautiful, but we’re also looking forward to learning new things from audiences outside Cape Town.”

The band performs tomorrow night at the Cape Town Jazz Festival on the Bassline stage, which Fransman cites as a highlight. After their tour, the band plans to record its next offering.