October saw the release of Aidan Martin‘s latest single Refugee, a tour-de-force rock and roll anthem perfectly fitted for tense political state of mind the world finds itself in lately.
Aidan Martin is the real deal. With a career stretching for almost a decade, Aidan has been touring, moving around and adapting. A true musical refugee in every sense of the word, never settling for what is given to him, swimming upstream from the norm for a place to call his own. Aidan Martin is one of the true few keeping rock & roll alive in South Africa.
The Aidan Martin band consist of Jorik Pienaar on drums and André van der Merwe on bass with Aidan standing tall in the role of frontman. Here you’ll find no gimmicks, no social media antics as they leave performing for the stage.
Endless Daze Music Festival, a new music festival nestled in the picturesque West Coast and the brainchild from the guys behind Psych Night, starts today and will see Aidan taking the stage once again. We caught up to him for a quick chat before he hits the beach this weekend.
When I first came across your music a couple of years ago, you had a more straightforward blues sound. Your new sound has a more 70s guitar rock feel to it (almost psychedelic), was this a conscious decision or just natural progression?
Well as time goes by your style does grow organically. I wouldn’t say the earlier material was only blues as there was a range of different styles. My influences also span across various genres and I think this is carried over with the new material as well. Over some time, I have been exploring and playing around with some Afro Rock rhythms integrating this into the Rock ‘n Roll sound.
Tell us more about the music video, who directed it and what is the concept behind it?
Marlida Ferreira was the director, while having Hannah Zhukovinah doing her magic with the camera and editing. Together with Michelle Swart (my manager), we had a power team producing this music video. After a few meetings between Marlida and Michelle, the idea of juxtaposing the heavy subject matter of the song with a fun and enjoyable video came to play, while adding in some deeper meaning to the narrative. At first I was a bit wary about the whole idea but in the end, the final product came out absolutely great. Also considering the tight budget we had to work with, the outcome was truly excellent because of the very talented and hard-working team we got to work with.
Refugees have always been a pressing matter in the world with a divided worldview on them. What is the song about?
There are two aspects to the meaning of this song. First of all, it is quite personal… but I will not delve too much into this, leaving it open for interpretation. Secondly there is a clear political element to it. Thereby commenting on the fact that societies and the people therein are still constrained and bounded by choices made by governments and larger entities that are in control.
Why did you choose ‘Refugee’ as the first single?
I was quite pleased with how the song came together and wanted to get it out there as soon as possible.
Thoughts on Donald Trump?
No comment. [Editor’s note: This was asked before the presidential election results – if that means anything to anyone]
What’s next for Aidan Martin?
Right now, we are working hard to get the album done and dusted. Really looking forward to jamming the songs live. Also hoping to tour internationally next year.
Which local acts gets you excited?
I feel there is so much talent out there. Although it is a tough market to get into I think there are certain parties coming together and working hard to open up the scene for new and raw talent. Just look at the line-up that Endless Daze festival has put together.
What can the Endless Daze festival expect from your set?
We will be playing lots of the new material as well as some tunes from the first album. I am looking forward to get on stage and to play the new songs that were produced and recorded with Graham Ward at Ward-Wide Productions. Also, we will be joined by Jonathan Tait on guitars which adds a fresh dynamic to the band.
When will the album be out?
We are aiming to release the album as soon as possible… Almost there.
The Aidan Martin Band is a rock band from Cape Town. Catch them at Endless Daze Festival Friday at 21:00.
