Pilgrim South is a local Secunda band making waves. When I spoke to them the vibe was very relaxed and that of a brotherhood.
Ras, the vocalist and lyricist, started the conversation by telling me how he ended up joining the band. “I was playing Oktoberfest at eish! in 2017. A friend of mine said that two guys would like to speak to me. It was Jacques and Frikkie,” explained Ras. Jacques Koen is the lead guitarist and Frikkie Swanepoel plays the acoustic and rhythm guitar.
Ras was keen to join the duo and they teamed up. At the time, they had another drummer and bassist but unfortunately, they could not commit to the band as much as they wanted to. By April 2019, the three of them had found their rhythm and started marching to the beat.
In 2019 Brendon Fick, drummer, joined the band and 4 practices later they played their first show together. The same year at Misty Waters, Wihan Franzen was asked to join the band. Wihan is originally a guitarist but took to the bass like a fish in the sea. Wihan did not have much time to practice either before he played his first show with the band.
Finding a name for the band was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Ras explained: “We want to talk about the journey of life. Once we found our sound, we struggled to decide on a name. One night at Misty Waters, Jacques thought of the name Pilgrim South. We use the word pilgrim as a verb. We use our music as a pilgrimage and we are from the South.”
Ras continued: “The message we want to carry over to our fans is one of hope, from dark to light and there is always a silver lining!”
Within 5 months of the band forming (August 2019) they wrote 3 new songs and 2 new songs are almost ready.
On 26 October 2019 they recorded a 7-track original EP at DOBE Entertainment recording studios in Middelburg. They sell their EPs at shows and by word of mouth. The band’s marketing is also done by them.
They have played 3 local shows and 13 shows in other areas since the end of June 2019. “One of the first shows we played was in Harrismith for the Free State Round Table. My bass guitar broke and I only realised it during sound check. One of the gentlemen offered me another bass guitar to play with and fixed my bass with matches and glue. I still play with it!” Wihan told me through his laughter.
The band’s sound is a mix of Southern Rock, Rock and Blues influences with Country lyrics. This sets them apart from anyone else out there.
On 28 February they will be launching their EP at Stoepstories with Saving Oliver and Etienne Smit. All the best for the future! – Ané Prinsloo
