We featured a review of TheCITY's self-titled debut EP in Supernova vol. 4.6. In the interim, we caught up with the band's bassist, Ryan McArthur.
Why
‘TheCITY’? What is the significance of your band’s name?
People
sometimes ask how such 'different' individuals meet, and if you look
at a cosmopolitan city, you'll find very different people with common
interests, which is what we are, a meeting point, a focus of a
concept - TheCITY of Future Afro music.
Do
you think the city in which one lives has any influence on the kind
of music people make or listen to? If so, has Cape Town influenced
you in anyway?
Of
course. Reuben and Clem are Cape Coloured so the music of Cape Town,
Goema, is part of their heritage and they grew up listening to
Abdullah Ibrahim, Winston Mankunku and Errol Dyers, and hearing the
minstrels rehearsing on warm summer afternoons, preparing for New
Year celebrations. We fuse our heritage into the music we make. We
feel it's very important.
You
describe your sound as ‘Future Afro’. Can you describe the genre
in a bit more detail?
It's
a fusion of hip hop, electronica, afrobeats and soul.
You’re
a group of people from very different backgrounds and musical styles.
How did you decide on the genre of music you’d like to create as
TheCITY?
We
all share a love for jazz, so that is a common musical thread, and
probably a subconscious understanding we share.
Who
is your greatest influence and why?
Wow,
it’s really hard for musicians to boil it down to one influence,
especially if you’re trying something different, which is more of a
hybrid of styles. Top 3: Little Dragon, J Dilla, and Abdullah
Ibrahim.
That
is our 1st album done in 2010. Back then, it
was only a duo with Clem and Bonj. We’ve just finished a five track
self-titled EP, which is our first official release as a band and is
available on iTUNES, Deezer, Google Play, Shazaam and all the other
online purchase sites.
What
is the secret ingredient to success in the music industry?
There
is no secret ingredient for success in any career path, except to be
passionate about what you do and to plug at it constantly no matter
what. It can get rough juggling gig management, PR, admin, rehearsal
schedules, etc., so it's important to know your priorities and to
strive for balance in everything.
Interview by Andrea Vermaak
Press images by Deidre Hewitson
