::Harbourlight:: is a band from Johannesburg, made up of 5 guys who work hard but have a whole lot of fun making awesome music together. Their first brilliant offering, entitled Come Home, was initially released in July 2008 and subsequently re-released in late 2010 after they secured a distribution deal with Maranatha Music. Their second album was recently released and has already been well received, with the single Closer being playlisted on local radio stations KFM in Cape Town and OFM in Bloemfontein.
But that’s not how you know they’re cool. You know they’re cool cos we think they’re cool. We like the fact that they’re a five-piece (and there are some awesome five-piece bands in SA. *wink!*). And we like that they love God. We think they are a band destined for great things…
Check out our interview with them below:
Band members names and ages:
Hey! Don’t you know it’s rude to ask a lady… oh. Right.
Well, from youngest to oldest we have:
Ashley (22), Shaun (25), Chris (26), Josh (29) and Craig is the wise, responsible 33 year old. Nah, that’s a lie. Craig’s usually the one fooling around and making us all laugh!
Hometown:
Alberton (you know.. south of Jo’burg).
What is your genre of music and how would you describe your target market?
The best description for it we’ve come up with so far is ‘melodic rock’. But we’d rather you take a listen and make up your own mind! Our “market” is mainly students and young adults, and we really love playing at universities. However, the music we make is accessible to pretty much anyone and it seems that the not-so-young adults enjoy our sound too.
What are the three best ways that you (or any other similar band) can market yourselves?
With marketing, the magic phrase is “word of mouth”. When it comes down to it, it’s the strength of your songs and the quality of the music you produce that will get people talking about your band.
That said, you can’t just make some groovy tunes and hope that people stumble upon them. Work hard on your online presence and make sure your website, Twitter stream and Facebook page are rocking. Build up a mailing list and advertise your gigs using SMS and e-mail as well as a Facebook event invite.
What’s the secret to putting together a live performance that everyone can enjoy?
PRACTICE! We get together and rehearse twice a week, but jamming the songs individually at home is just as important. Work on your skills for a few minutes every day and you’ll probably be amazed at how quickly your playing/singing improves.
It’s also essential for a band to enjoy themselves on stage and to interact naturally with each other and the crowd. If you’re uncomfortable (for whatever reason) your audience will pick up on it. Work hard on finding creative arrangements to your songs, be professional in your preparation, and then go up there and give it everything you’ve got!
How do you go about the songwriting process?
Shaun: I’ll just jam on guitar or the piano, and often a song will come out of a personal worship time. You get those occasions where the song pours out of you almost effortlessly. Other times it can be a struggle and you’ll sit on a song for years before it’s “done”… don’t rush the process!
What instruments do you play?
Chris: Fender Lite Ash Tele, my red Squier strat, and on the odd occasion I play my Epiphone Les Paul. Very keen on Fender though!
Shaun: I love my two Ibanez hollow-body guitars, and I also have an ancient Hondo electric (which makes it classic!). Of course, valve amps and analog pedals are the only way to go. My acoustic guitar is a Walden and it has a really nice, full sound.
Craig: Yamaha TRB-5 bass guitar. Saving up for a Fender!
Josh: Yamaha keyboard, tambourines, djembes and other fun stuff.
Ashley: I use Tama Starclassic and Mapex Maple Pro drums, and Ziljian cymbals.
Describe your ideal weekend.
The perfect weekend would definitely be spent chilling out and spending time at home with our loved ones and families. Maybe a braai, a few games of FIFA soccer on Xbox, and then of course playing an epic gig! And yup, church on Sunday.
Who or what is the most inspirational element in your music?
We hope it’s obvious that the focus point of all our music is Jesus Christ. It’s a total celebration of the way He loves us despite the stupid things we keep doing. No matter how messed up life can get, or how lost or broken we feel we are, He’s still there showing us love, mercy, healing, grace. It’s mindblowing! He is for sure the only thing that makes life complete and meaningful.
What’s the common denominator amongst all the band members when it comes to food?
That’s an easy one… follow the golden arches and that’s where you’ll be most likely to find us hanging out after band practice!
What’s your most memorable moment as a band?
Wow, too many to mention. It’s always fun hanging out as a band and chatting, remembering some of the amazing gigs we’ve had (and the shockers too!). Playing at Shaun’s wedding in December was pretty special. Looking back over the years, another one of the highlights has been going on a mini tour to Cape Town together in 2009.
Tell us about the new album.
It’s called Mystery Story and we’re really stoked about it!
As sold-out as we are in following Christ, we try our best to avoid creating music that sounds “churchy”. We started out on that journey with our first album Come Home, and hopefully Mystery Story is a further development of that aim. Both CDs are available now in music stores around the country… props to Maranatha Record Company for believing in us!
It seems true for most bands that recording your second album is going to be a challenge, and we’ve definitely had some frustrating times with this album, and moments when it felt like things were just not coming together. But with lots of support and encouragement along the way, we finally pushed through and we’re super happy with the finished product. We hope you like it too!
Check out the Harbourlight web site for bookings or info on upcoming gigs.
