Chasing Friday Talk South African Music and World Cup Soccer

MAS: Congratulations Chasing Friday on your win for the May Music Video Contest! How does it feel to win a second time on Make A Star?

CF: Thank you! It feels awesome! We put lots of effort into telling people about the competition and getting our fans to vote for us in each of the stages, and it’s great to see that it paid off in the end. There were many excellent music videos in this competition so it’s very encouraging to see that our music video could stand its own against them.

MAS: Tell us something about the winning song ‘Take My Hand’. What inspired the lyrics and how did the song come together?

CF: The song was written by our drummer, Mule. The lyrics were inspired by the sense of expectancy and excitement before a night out with a special person and the euphoria of having a great time. Mule can play guitar as well, so he played the song to us with the basic chords, and then the band came up with the rest of the music.



Click here to watch the Chasing Friday 'Take My Hand' video



MAS: Very interesting, why did you choose this song to turn into a music video?

CF: We felt that it was a song that people would be able to identify with and we had lots of fun recording it, so we wanted to share that by turning it into a music video.

MAS: How do you feel about the ‘Take My Hand’ song and music video compared with the previous winning song and music video you entered- ‘It’s Not Like London’s Calling You’?

CF: We feel that ‘Take My Hand’ shows the maturing of our sound and songwriting from ‘It’s Not Like London’s Calling You’. In terms of the music videos, ‘Take My Hand’ focuses more on documenting the studio process and the fun involved. Whereas ‘It’s Not Like London’s Calling You’ followed more of a storyline in order to convey the message of the song.

MAS: So we know you’re from Cape Town, South Africa- a long ways away from most of the world’s biggest music metropolises such as London, New York and Los Angeles. How is the South African or more specifically, the Cape Town music scene at the moment regarding culture and genres of music- have they mixed?

CF: The Cape Town music scene and the South African music scene in general is growing at a rapid rate. There are more and more, younger bands starting while they are still in school and there are also more and more bands and artists that are achieving success in other countries. There are definitely more collaborations happening, especially rock bands working with hip hop and electro artists. We even have collaborations where different languages are being mixed!

MAS: Have you toured as a band in many foreign countries?

CF: Not yet. We’re still conquering the local music scene, but we would love to eventually tour in some foreign countries.

MAS: How does the typical South African group make a name for themselves around the world, is there a blueprint for success? How has the internet and MakeAStar.com helped your band?

CF: There isn’t a specific blueprint for success. The typical South African group relies on getting their song(s) playlisted on our national radio station and performing at the country’s biggest festivals. In terms of making a names for themselves around the world, some artists take part in festivals in other countries. The Internet and MakeAStar.com have made a huge difference! Thanks to MakeAStar.com Chasing Friday has been exposed to a much larger audience than we had before. We have also used Internet radio stations to get our songs played all over the world. Groups like Die Antwoord have achieved major international exposure and success due to their video being featured on blogs and being seen by millions of people worldwide.

MAS: We all know the World Cup is only days away. What’s the atmosphere like at the moment? Have the tourists started invading?

CF: Well it’s the opening ceremony and opening games today, and the atmosphere is amazing! For the past few weeks there have been flags on people’s cars and we have been celebrating Football Fridays every week. People wear their favorite team’s shirt or colors. Everywhere people are blowing on their vuvuzelas. The tourists did start arriving a few weeks ago, but it’s been a pleasure having them here as part of this worldwide event, and we hope that they are enjoying their visit to our beautiful country.

MAS: Does Chasing Friday have any special concerts or other events planned for the festivities?

CF: Not at this stage, but we are going to try to organize a gig or two and we are also hoping that the release of our music video for “Champion”, which celebrates the 2010 World Cup, will generate some interest in the band and result in some bookings.

MAS: When South Africa isn’t playing, what other countries do you want to see win?

CF: England and Netherlands!

MAS: Tell us something completely random again!

CF: Phill, our vocalist, has a keytar manufactured by Tyco called the Hotkeyz, which has some funky pre-programmed tunes, which we’re working on incorporating into our live shows. The Hotkeyz has already featured in a few videos of our live shows!

MAS: Awesome and good luck with everything!