Latest / The Chris and Mike Show / #127 - Acoustic Element - From South Africa to the World

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#127 - Acoustic Element - From South Africa to the World · The Chris and Mike Show

0:02
Awesome, amazing. Welcome to YouTube and Twitch
0:08
followers. Yes, tuning.
0:34
In. Chris is Mike.
0:37
So we are joined here. This is really cool because
0:40
we're actually for the first time ever, we, well, we did
0:42
Australia, which was another continent, but now we're in,
0:45
we're in Illinois, up there with Mike, Arizona with me here and
0:47
with these guys, they're in Cape Town, South Africa, right?
0:50
How's it going? Talking to the world, literally.
0:55
That's really cool, man. So you guys are?
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Going to represent. Got to got to represent
1:01
absolutely. So you guys are from, you guys
1:03
represent the band, you are the band acoustic element, correct?
1:07
Correct. All right, so let's talk about
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the band for a little bit. Where how long you been
1:12
together? Where you playing shows or you
1:13
know what's what's happening behind the scenes with you guys
1:16
and you don't share because the whole purpose of our show is you
1:19
want to plug the hell out of our guests.
1:21
So you're going to have plenty of opportunity to plug your
1:23
websites, your band, your dates, your tours, your releases, all
1:26
that kind of jazz. So start off a little bit of
1:28
history behind you guys, who you are and all that kind of fun
1:30
stuff. So we acoustic elements, I'm
1:33
Callan, this is Jodie and we are cousins from Cape Town, South
1:38
Africa and we play the violin, guitar and Jodie Beatboxers.
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Right on. That is so cool.
1:47
Right now, how long you guys been together?
1:50
So we are, we've been doing this for about 15 years.
1:52
So 2010 we actually started on Christmas Day, but we've been
1:56
telling that story since and it's getting really, really old.
1:59
But it's really, it's really cool because we just got, we
2:02
just got kind of got a new violin, I got a new guitar.
2:03
And we ended up walking down the street and someone gave us a 50
2:07
bucks and we said, hey, we can make money from this, you know,
2:09
So but yeah, we've been been doing it for a long time.
2:12
And we've been, we just came back from two months in Europe.
2:16
We go pretty much every year for the past several years now,
2:20
doing a lot of cool shows out there and then doing a lot of
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we're doing 186 gigs on average a year, just to put it in
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content, in context. When did you guys start playing
2:30
your respective instrument? So I started violin.
2:34
What was it 3031 years ago when I was six years old?
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You're. Just making a sound.
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So I know, I mean just just say 31 years is strange because I'm
2:42
only 25, but. That's right.
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I've been, I've been 30 for like 20 years in a row.
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So it's me too, man. Oh, there you go.
2:54
And Jodie plays same amount of time started music but plays
2:57
every instrument under the sun. Well, you survive, I mean,
3:00
playing for about 2021 years. Guitar, yeah, flamenco style
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originally. So I've got nails on my right
3:06
hand and and then I beatbox as well, which I don't think many
3:09
people do so, but Kellen's like how to play.
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Flamenco. That's one style I don't know.
3:16
Oh, it's so stunning. It just needs just you need
3:19
flamenco. Flamenco.
3:20
So castanets and Spanish essentially, yeah.
3:24
Yeah, Spanish style guitar. Oh yeah, OK.
3:27
Oh yeah. Flamenco.
3:28
Like and like the fingers, they're doing this.
3:30
Yeah, OK. Right.
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Yeah, but Jody essentially grew up in the jazz world and I grew
3:38
up in the classical world, so it was an interesting fusion of the
3:42
two, you know? That's cool.
3:44
One of one of the not to plug one of the bands I was in 'cause
3:47
this is all about Mike and I, but we had a guitar player that
3:49
played the the go. The classical Godin.
3:55
No. Is it Godin?
3:55
Is that what it's called the classical Godin?
3:57
Yeah. So everything that he did was
3:59
with that through a ramp. So it, it, you know, it, it was
4:05
cool. I mean his his head couldn't fit
4:06
through a door at the end, which is why we're no longer together.
4:10
But. He's one of those people that
4:12
thought he was Eddie Van Halen at 40.
4:13
I'm like, dude, you ain't fucking Eddie Van Halen.
4:16
You ain't. By the time you're 20, you're
4:17
not going to be Eddie Van Halen. So you.
4:20
Know that was sounds like Luke the last.
4:23
Everybody knows somebody like that if you write in the music
4:26
world. Right, that was the benefit of
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MM is as humble as they come and and there was never any.
4:31
You know, when we were in our band, there was number
4:34
arrogance, there was number egos.
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It was all for common good of let's let's put together a
4:38
badass set list and have a blast playing live.
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And I hate everything I do within the nicest way possible,
4:45
right? I'm always trying to do
4:46
something better than what I did before.
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So if you like what you heard, I always appreciate that I can
4:51
take a compliment, you know? I'm glad that you like it.
4:53
That's why I wrote it. I liked it, too.
4:55
Yeah. But there's always that air of I
4:59
can do better. And I think that's what keeps
5:01
you 100%, you know? 100% give a guitarist A
5:07
pentatonic scale and then go straight to the head.
5:10
Exactly. So you got, you mentioned
5:14
earlier 182 shows a year, is that what you said?
5:18
On average for the past eight years, if our content isn't
5:21
lying to us, but we're definitely feeling it, you know,
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you know, mid 30s, you know we. Approach 30 every year you.
5:28
Know you, but so we do a lot of corporate shows we do a lot of
5:31
corporate stuff, weddings, private gigs and then like in
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Europe, we do funny enough, more actual performances and shows
5:38
like so whereas in, in Cape Town, it's very gig based, you
5:41
know, it's like gigs. So so yeah, but we, we kind of
5:44
started off doing hotels and during residencies and we just
5:48
created quite an established, you know, a machine that was
5:51
acoustic element and the bookings thought, you know,
5:54
we're fortunate to say it flies in consistently for the past 10
5:58
years. And so we, we're lucky to be
6:01
doing this and we've got a great product.
6:03
I think that's just very special and fits into various spaces,
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you know, and we don't require much.
6:09
We're not Divas, so artistic. Whoops, acoustic, I want to say
6:17
give. Me an example of something.
6:20
I I know, I know. My brain was saying autistic.
6:23
I'm sorry. Give me an example of somebody
6:25
who I would know that's out there right now that your music
6:28
would relate to. An artist or somebody?
6:36
You stumped him. You stumped him.
6:38
Yeah. It's really an interesting
6:42
question. We happened to say that that
6:45
they're that much, they're that original, but what genre?
6:49
Do you know would funny enough, but funny enough, it would be
6:52
vitamin strings who did the soundtrack to vitamin C, vitamin
6:57
D, vitamin D? Yeah, who did the soundtrack to
6:59
Bridgeton? Bridgeton, yeah, they would be
7:01
similar. They're very similar.
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To yeah, yeah, OK, OK, cool that.
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My. Wife made me watch.
7:06
My wife made me watch that. Yeah, yeah.
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It's lovely because some text. Guy no.
7:12
My wife made me watch Bridgerton, so yeah, yeah, yeah,
7:14
yeah. So now, yeah, cool.
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I'm looking at. Your watch.
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Funnily enough when that show came out, everyone.
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Funnily enough, when the show came out we got a whole lot of
7:23
DMS with people asking if that was us.
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Yeah. Really, that's cool.
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So that kind of puts you helped you helped you go on the map
7:31
because then somebody they could relate to what your sound is.
7:35
Absolutely, and especially with the show blowing up, a lot of
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our gigs became like the reference.
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We like Bridgeton themed, like events.
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Bridgeton start. We want that kind of music.
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But with our live music actually clean bandits.
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Clean Bandit would also be another.
7:48
Yeah, Clean Bandit would be another example.
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We love Clean Bandit. We also love Goldfish.
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OK, I'm stalking your website right now, just so you know.
8:00
Are you guys all independent? Are you signed to a record
8:02
label? So we so we kind of very
8:05
independent. In fact, we're so independent we
8:07
started an Independent Record label.
8:10
So we've got OTB on the ball, on the ball and on the ball
8:14
studios, which is where we are steaming from.
8:17
And yeah, we make loads of music with we work with various
8:21
producers. Yeah, we've had some some crazy
8:24
things and times in the studio. Let me tell you.
8:27
Idris Albert was recently Iris star.
8:30
So yeah, we've we work with the Black Coffees and the Zake
8:33
Spontwini's of the music industry.
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And we also record and and podcast and live stream live,
8:41
live entertainment. Like right now there's a show
8:43
happening outside in it's a live music venue as well.
8:48
So that's kind of where we're at in Cape Town at the moment,
8:51
yeah. Cool.
8:53
And you just, and you just, and you just released your fourth
8:56
album. A single Singles singles.
9:01
OK, so currently acoustic element, you know, so this is
9:05
the other thing acoustic element.
9:07
Most of our music was actually on all the DSPS as Alt Ego and
9:12
we took that project off about a year ago and we're currently re
9:15
releasing this as new projects with remixes and new versions.
9:19
But essentially we we had a brand called Alt Ego, which is
9:21
essentially still us. The Alter Ego 2 acoustic.
9:24
It's just the electronic side of us because we, you know, we're
9:27
an acoustic band. So you'll see our first albums.
9:30
We have a Christmas album, but our first two albums are just
9:32
covers. Sometimes we implement a bit of
9:35
attacking, but a lot of the time it's just acoustic guitar and
9:38
violin and bebop. But now then you, you know, as
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we we're currently focusing on singles and Afro tech is a big
9:47
focus for us. Afro, we love our Afro tech and
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then some pop songs that we just love and love, love working with
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the likes of Luke, Goliath and the guys in the studio, which is
9:58
South African royalty right now. You know what I mean?
10:01
Music royalty. So, so because Mike and I are
10:04
from America, right? We have no idea what the South
10:06
African music scene is like, but I'm, I noticed on your website
10:09
when you're still under, under alt ego, that your debut single
10:13
Get Wild peaked at #2 on South Africa's national radio station.
10:17
So put that in perspective for us that live in America, like is
10:21
how big how, how big of a deal was that?
10:26
Huge. Yeah, well, dark our current
10:28
single, it's also it's just broke the top ten of the South
10:32
African Top 40. Label Heart, Yeah.
10:34
Label Heart, our last one also. Yeah, and that was a long time
10:37
ago. We we released Get Wild quite a
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long time ago, seven, 7-8 years ago.
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Just 7 update. 2017, yeah. Yeah, it was 2017.
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Yes, and so I. I I left that part out, my bad.
10:49
And, and we've been, and so we've been essentially like
10:52
touring, travelling, playing gigs for the past seven years
10:55
and then working to essentially working.
10:57
And now we have this amazing studio space, OTB Infinity
11:00
Studios. And we and we, and we so proud
11:03
to be able to make music out of this space as well.
11:07
So acoustic element, like all I all I can say is there won't be
11:10
a seven-year gap before the the next song is dropped.
11:13
You know what I mean? So we, we, we, and I think the
11:17
reason we're talking to you and have the opportunity to talk to
11:19
you is because we need to tell you that and your listeners that
11:23
and viewers need to go and check out Acoustic Element because
11:25
it's coming soon, you know. Yeah, yeah.
11:28
Well, and I mean, and the world today with music, right?
11:30
Nobody cares about albums. They want singles because like,
11:33
you know, I'm the guy that goes on the iTunes and I buy the
11:35
whole album because I, I just, I, there's so many hidden gems
11:39
in a record, right? When when you release something
11:41
that may not be picked up on the radio, you may not hear it
11:43
otherwise. So I love buying the whole
11:45
album. Mike over here, he's a Spotify
11:48
guy, so he'll just buy a track. Whereas if I see you on iTunes
11:51
because I'm going to go look for you, I'll buy the whole thing
11:54
because I want to hear it all, you know?
11:55
Because I love hearing everything that an artist puts
11:59
together because every single piece, every single song is, is
12:02
art in itself because it's its own little creation.
12:04
And can you know? If they're capable of writing an
12:07
entire album. This is true.
12:09
This is true. There's a lot of artists that
12:12
aren't capable of writing past one song.
12:15
Which I don't. Get.
12:18
I'll never understand it either, but.
12:19
No. Did you?
12:20
It's like a brain fart, right, Right.
12:24
So. So Prince that came out with
12:26
Prince, Prince's family, they came out saying that they opened
12:29
his vault and there's 20,000 fully recorded start to finish,
12:34
songs that have never been released before 20,000.
12:38
I believe that was a hermit. Right, but they were just
12:41
touring. Or nobody saw him, so he was
12:44
obviously holed away writing songs.
12:45
That is a lot of songs. It is a.
12:47
Lot that is a lot of songs. Right, because we and and we
12:50
don't know about Eddie Van Halen's.
12:52
Right, because he had his own vault.
12:54
Too, Based on his vault there's probably thousands more, but he
12:58
never had a numbering system. Right.
13:00
He just, he's just scribbled. Put away.
13:02
They're just put away. Yeah.
13:05
Well, we have about 3 that's just waiting for us.
13:08
That's good. We get into that 20,000, we get
13:10
into that 20,000. Listen.
13:12
Right, you two more than. One.
13:13
That's two more than one. One song I have right see, I
13:17
have a lyric book that's probably 3 inches thick that
13:20
that you know, I've been, but I've been writing since high
13:22
school. So it's it's it was non-stop.
13:26
I mean, I you know, if I put it all together, it's probably like
13:28
6-7 inches long, you know, or long, I think.
13:31
Whoo thick, you know. But he showed.
13:35
Up Are we still doing my songs back?
13:37
Back that's. 4 inches more than you need.
13:42
But that's amazing. It's actually.
13:44
Just the tip. So but yeah, I think writing
13:51
songs is a very personal like experience, I think.
13:55
And and I just, I'm finding that just collaborating.
13:57
So getting, you know, someone who's good at it, because I
14:01
always feel very critical about my own work.
14:03
But I mean, I think it's also just about an expression and
14:06
letting it out. That's the main thing, right?
14:08
And so singers and songwriters should just get get it out in
14:11
whichever way that is. You know, you don't have to sing
14:13
it yourself. You can do whatever you want to
14:16
with that. Yeah.
14:19
But we are. It's something that.
14:21
There's another thing about being critical.
14:25
If if you're critical of your own work, I can be just as
14:27
critical of yours as well, right?
14:29
There's nothing wrong with except not accepting less than
14:33
perfection. If you want to be a professional
14:35
musician, you got to throw your emotions out the window, right?
14:38
It's not that I don't like you, it's just that you're not good
14:40
enough to be in this band. Exactly.
14:43
I have those conversations as well.
14:45
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 'cause, yeah, 'cause I, I'm the, I was
14:49
the lyricist, the vocalist. And, you know, I wrote, I wrote
14:51
the lyrics and whatnot, came up with melodies based on what Mike
14:53
generated from music standpoint. So I could, Mike and I had this
14:58
innate ability, we've talked about it before.
14:59
I could take, I could write a song.
15:01
Like the song you heard was Freeman.
15:02
We wrote that back in 93 that we started the show with so and I
15:06
saw you bobbing your head jamming out.
15:08
So that's a good reaction to that.
15:10
So I, I took those lyrics to Mike, right, Thank you.
15:13
And then and then there was already music to that.
15:15
But then they tweaked it and Mike had that really cool
15:19
ability I could give him. I could give him song lyrics and
15:21
say, Hey, this is here's a song I wrote.
15:23
And then next day of practice, he'd have music.
15:26
That is what I heard in my head without he and I actually
15:29
discussing what I heard because I just gave him the raw lyrics,
15:32
said here, come up with something.
15:34
And he's the only guitar player I've ever worked with that was
15:36
able to take emotion out of my lyrics and turn it into music.
15:40
And it always fit. Just always fit.
15:43
Got to mention. Yeah, sometimes you also just
15:46
need the person the correct connection with.
15:49
Something right, exactly. So you guys got that kind of?
15:53
Chemistry for sure, right? Right.
15:55
So do you guys have that dynamic when you're writing songs?
16:00
Oh. We have that our whole life.
16:02
It's crazy because we've been doing this for quite a long time
16:05
and that's the the, the connection weird.
16:07
Like we get sick of this something like like, you know,
16:10
something happened on my right. Feels like, no way, something
16:13
like something. But so we're so connected, it's
16:15
a bit scary. And when we're playing, I think
16:17
performing wise is actually where the magic happens.
16:19
Funny enough, when it comes to studio, it's a different
16:23
experience. It is.
16:24
We like getting each other space in the studio.
16:26
Yeah, Studios are completely different experience in general
16:29
to every. That's a very personal thing as
16:30
well, I think. Yeah, but.
16:33
I love those moments. I love those moments where when
16:36
you're playing live, there's no word spoken, but you, you 2 know
16:41
exactly what's going on, right? When you have that look that
16:44
nobody else knows, it's like the it's like somebody plugged you
16:48
into a socket and you're on the same circuit, right?
16:51
Yeah, yeah. Insane.
16:53
But it goes more than that. My rest will get.
16:56
My rest will get so. And then I'll be like, Judy,
16:58
were you playing golf or paddle yesterday?
17:01
Yeah, it sounds weird, but like, it sounds weird.
17:05
And those, like moments where you're like, I actually thought
17:07
about this, like, no. Or like I'll say something that
17:10
kind of like, no, I was just thinking about that, like,
17:12
weird. But it's got to be music as an
17:14
energy transfer. And I believe that, yeah.
17:17
Also, we can feel the energy of the audience in front of us all
17:20
the time. And that kind of determines the
17:23
where the set goes. And then at the end of it, you
17:25
know. You just know.
17:27
You know. When you know, you do.
17:30
And that's the biggest difference.
17:31
I don't think a lot of people understand that aren't
17:33
musicians, that what you do live is equivalent to 10 practices,
17:38
right? And, and you feed off the energy
17:40
and then you learn how to kind of improv with the songs from at
17:43
least that lyrically and, and so do the music, right?
17:46
And then when you're in the studio, it's there's the
17:49
energy's not there. I mean, it's there, but you
17:52
don't. You don't have something to feed
17:53
off because you don't. Way harder to create that
17:56
energy. Yeah, you're.
17:57
So definitely. Definitely that's one of the
18:00
hardest things to do as a musician going into the studio,
18:03
you know, after playing your songs out live and and getting a
18:06
use of that adrenaline rush and that euphoric how you get from,
18:09
you know, watching the crowd and and then you got to go in and
18:11
like. Well, that's why it's so
18:13
heartbreaking when you find out that some of your famous idols
18:18
and heroes couldn't cut it in the studio.
18:20
Like one of the most heartbreaking moments to me was
18:23
the Train kept a Rolling song from Aerosmith was not Joe
18:27
Perry. He couldn't cut it.
18:28
Then he didn't play that solo in the studio.
18:30
It broke my heart when I learned that.
18:32
I was like, what the hell? He learned it later on, he
18:35
became a better player. He learned how to play in the
18:37
studio. But Chris is 1,000,000% right?
18:40
And you guys know, being in the studio all the time, some guys
18:43
go in there and they freeze up every time A. 100%, yeah.
18:49
Oh, it's it's not even a matter of can't doing it, it's knowing
18:53
that I can do better. Yeah.
18:55
So as as a, I'm a Virgo perfectionist, I'll be like, I
19:01
can't even, I can't even listen to this anymore.
19:02
Like because it's just like, you know, it's recorded already.
19:06
It's done. And I'm like, I can still do it
19:07
better. Every time I play it live it
19:08
sounds better. Yeah, just add reverb A.
19:14
Little delay, Yeah. Little little reverb, you know.
19:18
Just a twinkle. Yeah, we, Callum's obviously the
19:23
perfectionist. And I mean, to be honest, I'm
19:26
the one in this case. We would have the yips in golf.
19:29
We call it the yips in the studio.
19:31
And Callum's pretty, pretty darn flippin accurate.
19:34
I mean, he is a violinist. They are highly, they're known
19:36
to be highly strunk. But I must say it is a pleasure
19:39
working with him in the city because he makes it, makes it
19:41
easy. Yeah.
19:43
Although, although you do need you didn't, we love a good
19:46
collab and, and we collab with Jimmy Nevis on the on the track
19:50
rebel heart. And you know, it's a game
19:52
changer, you know, for the not only for the algorithm, but just
19:55
for radio and just the talking points in South Africa.
19:58
He's an he's a bit of an icon and you know, Jimmy Nevis, shout
20:04
out to him. He couldn't be on the podcast
20:05
because he's got a gig tonight. But you know, he does send his
20:09
best to you guys as well. Oh, right on.
20:12
OK, so here's a question. Here's a question.
20:14
So it's it's 11:30 AM in Arizona.
20:16
What time is it in Cape Town? 8:24 PM.
20:22
On August 8th, that's like. August 8th, yes.
20:26
OK, OK. Wow.
20:28
Indeed, that's. Great, that's.
20:29
Great. Yeah, we just got back from
20:30
Austria. Right on.
20:33
Now we have. We have we have fans in Austria
20:35
for the show, right Mike? That was the first country that
20:38
tuned in when we very first started the show.
20:41
There's like 4% of our listenership.
20:43
So another shout out to Austria. Thanks for hanging in there with
20:46
us. Amazing.
20:47
You guys do look a little bit like Austrians, like big stung
20:50
men, you know, That's that. He is.
20:54
I'm just pale. The studio lighting by you makes
21:01
you look very tanned. Thank.
21:04
You. We just spent 2 two months
21:07
touring in Austria. So actually last year we did we
21:11
with this brand they called Gastina Gastina.
21:13
It's essentially a soda water well, the flavoured flavoured
21:17
water from the Gastina Austria. And they also support music and
21:21
tours. And so last year we opened for
21:24
Kings Of Leon. Let me show you.
21:25
Oh sweet, why? Exactly, King of Leon Mulky
21:28
chants and the cooks we opened for them last year.
21:31
Did you get to meet Kings Of Leon?
21:33
The guys. Unfortunately not.
21:35
They flew in a private jet acoustic element, but we were
21:40
chatting with the cooks and Mulky chants most of the day.
21:42
Yeah, nice guys. Nice guys.
21:45
The Kings. The Kings, unfortunately.
21:48
In and out, yeah. They superstars.
21:49
I mean, we were also, we took our parents with us to the gig.
21:52
So they flew up to Austria. So it was quite a special
21:55
moment. So after after our our
21:57
performance, we were kind of with our parents doing the
21:59
things and we didn't really care.
22:00
But I mean, realized what was happening.
22:02
But there was some drama with the kings coming in on a private
22:05
jet. And I was like, this is so cool.
22:07
But what an awesome concert to be at.
22:10
Like they were. They were epic.
22:14
That's good. That's well.
22:16
They're just at, they're like at the point where I always like to
22:19
say music levels, right? You start out in your bedroom,
22:22
you end up playing in maybe a party for your buddies.
22:25
Then you're playing at your high school dance or something.
22:27
You know, there's levels. Of professionalism.
22:29
Those guys have reached a pinnacle where they have no
22:32
other choice but to live and tour the.
22:34
Way they do 100 percent, 100%, I mean.
22:38
You'll never, never get anything done.
22:41
Exactly, I I look, I don't, I fuck.
22:44
So that I, I mean, I wouldn't, I wouldn't do it any other way.
22:46
But we were talking to the organizers of the the festival a
22:49
couple of a year later and and we only found out like recently,
22:54
they on the rider on the King's rider.
22:56
They they have off stage. They have to have what's it
23:00
called? A letterbox.
23:02
A letterbox on stage for the guys to if they if they need to
23:06
take a piss. Oh my God.
23:09
That's. Seriously.
23:11
And they I would just they got. Wow.
23:13
And they? If I had, if I had the pee, just
23:16
I would look at Mike like I'm going and then they would just
23:19
jam out or something like fucking litter box.
23:21
That's just insane. Oh, he did it.
23:23
Maybe the wild Yeah, like go take a leak.
23:27
Just extend your solo a little bit, all right?
23:29
Yeah, literally I got. You run off stage and come back
23:33
on. I'll just be on stage.
23:40
If you. Like the Chili Peppers, just go
23:44
out there in your socks. Socks, right?
23:48
Imagine the sock fell off. I'm like, how do you keep the
23:51
sock on right? I'm sure they must be double
23:54
sided tape or something. Probably super glued to it.
23:59
It would hurt taking that off. OK, so you drop, you drop Kings
24:06
Of Leon. What's other what's some other
24:08
worldwide acts that you guys have played with or or opened
24:11
for or collaborated with, you know, festivals, things like
24:13
that, that that people would know?
24:16
Well, I will say in our audience, there's been a lot of
24:20
really cool people. Bill Gates.
24:24
Roger Federer. Roger Federer, Nadal.
24:26
OK. Morgan Freeman.
24:27
Justin Bieber. Justin Bieber, Charlize Theron,
24:31
My. Actor hero Charlize Theron.
24:33
She's a. Hot Morgan Freeman was such, you
24:35
know, from Benoni, from South Africa, by the way.
24:40
Morgan Freeman's from South Africa.
24:41
Is he really? No, no, no, no, Charlize Theron.
24:43
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I.
24:47
Was like. Whoa.
24:47
But Morgan Freeman did play Nelson Mandela.
24:50
He did. He did, Yes.
24:51
He did right? Yes.
24:53
She is a monster there. OK, I'm kidding.
24:56
So all those people, so all those people you dropped are
25:02
those, did you have a chance to connect with them?
25:04
As far as them, I mean, they're in your audience.
25:06
Most of. Them OK A. 100% yeah.
25:09
We, we've sometimes have the privilege of doing so and
25:12
sometimes, unfortunately not. Like with Bieber, we just had
25:14
interactions over 2 days because we were playing at the hotel he
25:17
was staying at with Morgan Freeman.
25:19
He walked past, we had words with him, you know, and, and
25:22
there's some special memories with some really cool beeps.
25:24
Yeah, like, sure. Yeah, we kind of like the fact
25:29
that we not always the band that essentially is being, you know,
25:34
the headline act every time, but we also the band that like the
25:38
people, the rich and famous, we always say like, you know, the
25:41
Hollywood a listers, They we like the ones they book for
25:44
their private function, you know, that's where we sit.
25:46
So yeah. Because you're you're really you
25:49
would probably be a really good back count background music
25:52
without interrupting the flow of what's going on exactly.
25:55
And we know when to turn it up. Right.
25:58
And and the fact that you play violin and guitar, I'm sure, I'm
26:01
sure you get a lot of focus on your violin playing because
26:04
violinist. Massive ass.
26:05
Like, absolutely. And, and especially when when I
26:08
know as as a musician, when I go see a band and a violinist comes
26:11
out on stage, regardless of what type of band I'm singing, it's
26:14
instant credibility. Oh yeah.
26:15
It's just it's like, 'cause you. Know they're a real musician.
26:18
There's no fake violinist out there.
26:21
You. Can't you?
26:23
Can't air violin. You can't air violin.
26:25
You know you can't. Well, actually Justin Bieber air
26:29
violin to me. You did did it really right on.
26:35
Let me ask you this. You're a violinist.
26:37
Can you learn to play the violin in the same way that you learn
26:40
to play a guitar? Like, I don't read music right.
26:43
I play by ear. Do you know people out there
26:45
that have become successful famous violinist without
26:49
actually learning the proper technique?
26:53
I don't know, actually. I think you have to get through
26:56
the whole. I think you have to go through
26:59
the whole classical training. OK, that kind of answers my
27:03
question, but here I'll give you an example.
27:05
Like in the old Southern rock bands, you had what they called
27:08
fiddle players, right? Yeah.
27:10
Yeah, those guys learn how to play a violin growing up in
27:12
school. Or did they learn by ear?
27:16
I guess, well, here's the thing, there's always a technique
27:20
because a violin doesn't have threats, correct, right.
27:23
So where where you play a guitar, if you put your finger
27:26
down that anyway in that gap, that's the note.
27:28
But a violin a millimetre off is.
27:32
A different note, it's so small. Exactly.
27:35
Well, is it so we actually have? To sorry that was so rude.
27:45
So you have to, whether you, you learn it by yourself, there's so
27:48
many different techniques. There's, there's a left hand, a
27:51
right hand ear and just the positioning.
27:54
I, I, I don't know of any person who's not had lessons.
27:59
That's why I'm agreeing with. Chris, it's instant.
28:01
Credibility because you're thinking that person is a real
28:04
musician. No matter, you know, the rest of
28:06
us, a lot of us are imposters. My, I consider myself an
28:09
imposter. I love to play.
28:10
I love. Me too sometimes.
28:11
Music that I make. But you know, we had a guy,
28:14
Joseph Cloud, on the show. True musician.
28:17
He understands theory. He explains it on his Facebook
28:20
page and Instagram. You can tell the guy knows what
28:23
he's doing. He's a classically trained
28:25
guitarist. I felt like a moron talking to
28:27
him. Nice guy, but he really puts get
28:29
you in your place right? Yeah.
28:32
Yeah, I'm just really reinforcing Chris's point.
28:35
You guys are true musicians in my eyes.
28:38
Yeah, I was just a singer. I don't think you did.
28:42
Yes. Something we wish we could do,
28:44
by the way. We really do.
28:46
Yeah, we often speak about how. Sing Yeah.
28:49
Yeah, me too. No, no.
28:53
That's Chris's. Department yeah yeah, yeah.
28:55
Well, you know, we could always we could always we could always
28:58
get you guys to do some do some work on one of our we're going
29:01
to re record our stuff from 93 probably like at least 8 songs.
29:05
I would say make an EP out of it.
29:07
It'd be cool to have violin perfect, I was thinking.
29:09
Send us the check. Yeah, I think it'd be cool, man.
29:13
We're going to find a spot for sure.
29:15
Yeah, yeah. Let's go, because you.
29:18
Know and it's like. Elaborations as well.
29:20
Right, right. And the cool thing about the
29:22
world today, we can do it from from here and there and there.
29:25
We can work anyway. You know Exactly, yeah.
29:28
So that's the one thing that Covet taught us too, right?
29:30
Magicians could be in different parts of the world and still put
29:33
songs together, you know? Exactly.
29:36
Yeah, that's unique. So what's the What's?
29:39
Embassy for children during covet.
29:42
Go ahead. Sorry, have you ever seen those,
29:45
those, those virtual orchestras and choirs on during Corbett
29:48
where they would get like 40 different people all playing
29:51
from different parts around the world?
29:53
It's. Insane.
29:54
That's one of the most famous ones.
29:58
From Yeah, Mike. It's well.
29:59
John Paul Jones, Led Zeppelin did one of the most famous ones.
30:02
I believe he did the battle evermore maybe?
30:09
Oh yeah, I think that's what he did.
30:12
There was cool man. There, there we should do.
30:14
We'll do a cutting position. No.
30:19
OK. So, so here's a question for
30:22
you. Like like what are your guys's
30:25
right? Like right now, if, if, if, if I
30:28
had to say, give me the top three bands you're listening to,
30:30
who you're listening to. Can't you?
30:34
I've listened to a lot of jungle I'm I'm loving.
30:39
I'm listening to Oracles. Oracles.
30:42
Helen loves oracles. We've been inspired by anything
30:45
with with. With instrument.
30:47
Instrumental. Yeah, So what Oracles is this
30:50
French producer and DJ who live mixes with the orchestra behind
30:55
him and he composes everything that he does.
31:00
So that's quite magical too. But I do like the I love the
31:03
kooks, actually. And but that's, you know, that's
31:08
what else? Luke, who are you listening to
31:09
right now? This is the producer that
31:12
produced Rebel Heart. He actually just stepped into
31:15
studio so. Cool.
31:17
What's up? Man, Hey, what's up, man?
31:19
That's. It Mike guys good.
31:22
That's the legend behind most of the bangers that come out of
31:25
Cape Town at the moment checking out.
31:27
True to a producer, he goes right off the screen.
31:31
Yeah, he's the shy. He's the shy type, you know, But
31:34
it's all the the music. Chris had to drag drag me out of
31:39
my shell too, to do this show. So yeah, I asked him to do the
31:42
show and then he taught me how to be a little more open.
31:47
Yeah, Extrovert I could talk to. Yeah, I could talk to anybody
31:50
for hours, man, You know, because that's just elite
31:53
singers. You got to go out in front of
31:54
everybody, right, And be completely vulnerable to make it
31:56
in front of the world. So you learn after doing that
32:00
for years, it's like this is nothing.
32:01
This is just having a conversation.
32:03
Which is if I was just talking music, I can do that all day
32:06
long. Some of these other ones it it's
32:09
definitely been an eye opening experience for sure.
32:13
Yeah, yeah. It's yeah, it's quite funny.
32:17
We we're a live band, but you know, our experience of music, I
32:21
think in especially being from Cape Town or being from South
32:24
Africa is, you know, you're getting just influences from all
32:27
kind of types of. So we're very open to, you know,
32:30
to different types and styles of music and not sit on one genre.
32:34
SoCal and I specifically, we like techno tech house, Afro
32:38
house. You know a lot of, we listen to
32:40
a lot of Afro house and Afro tech.
32:43
You know some. Of the stuff, yeah, some of the
32:44
stuff you're dropping is going right over my head.
32:46
What's Afro house? Afro house is Luke.
32:50
Can you give up a little? Pretty much house music but with
32:54
like African travel drums. There you go.
32:56
House music with epic and tribal drums.
32:59
OK, I would probably love that. Yeah, me too, because I saw.
33:03
That you heard the beginning of that?
33:06
That's what I asked my drummer to do, was more like a tribal
33:09
beat at the beginning of that song.
33:11
I love those kind of beat. Yeah, we're dropping a song very
33:17
soon. I'll send.
33:18
I'll give you a little free cursor.
33:19
Yes. Awesome.
33:21
Let. Me, let me also do love.
33:27
What is your guys's favorite part like?
33:29
I have two favorite parts of the process.
33:31
I love songwriting. I love sitting down with Chris
33:34
and creating something new, right?
33:36
And then I love playing live. What are your two favorite parts
33:39
of being a musician? Oh definitely play it live for
33:43
me. Yeah, yeah, right.
33:46
That's my name playing live is so much fun for sure right.
33:50
You guys produce as well, though.
33:52
I mean you're making because the recording is I can.
33:55
It depends who in the business. I ask because some people will
33:58
love seeing the like Luke just loves all the glory, you know?
34:02
So once the song is done, mixed and masked with it and everyone
34:06
you know, he just loves getting all the followers and likes on
34:08
Instagram and. But nothing wrong with him.
34:12
Kalin loves the in many other ways, but he hates the the shine
34:16
and and it's a beautiful thing to watch not but and he creates
34:20
the shine. I think I enjoy orchestrating
34:22
the I enjoy making, doing everything behind the scenes.
34:26
Making things happen. And getting a little bit of like
34:28
shine, but not too much with, not with not too much
34:30
responsibility because that's. You and I would have that in
34:32
common. Yeah, with the same.
34:35
There we go. Exactly.
34:36
Yeah. I like when.
34:37
He's very much understanding what he does on his page.
34:41
Yeah. He's very much undeciding what
34:43
he does, but. A little.
34:50
Yeah, I dig it all. I just want to jam.
34:52
That's been my thing. I just, I don't care how we jam.
34:54
I just want to jam, you know, whether it's in practicing or
34:57
whether it's in front of 10 people or 10,000 people.
34:59
I just love the jam. I just.
35:01
Yeah, we have that philosophy. Yeah, which is good, right?
35:04
It's the best way to approach it man.
35:08
I'll tell you in this tour that we did with Austria now, there
35:10
was a gig that had thousands of people and there was a gig that
35:13
literally had two people and same energy.
35:17
Right, because that's the that's but that's the musicians, right?
35:19
That's the world we live in because you don't know when you
35:21
like Mike said earlier when you first start out, there was a
35:24
clip, squirrel, squirrel. There was a clip I saw on on
35:27
Instagram or Facebook the other day was a real and shit you not
35:30
Guns and roses on a corner stage, right?
35:33
Like a figure like it looked like a 10 by 10 room.
35:35
They're on a corner stage standing there fucking just
35:38
singing. Nobody's in the audience.
35:41
There's like maybe two people in front of them just standing
35:44
there and. It said something like these
35:46
people had no idea what they were witnessing.
35:48
Yeah, and nobody does, and you don't.
35:50
And you don't know where it's going to go because you think
35:53
you have something, but the world has to accept what you
35:56
have, right? So, so you can stand on a stage
36:00
in front of two people and that's it for the rest of your
36:02
time as a musician. Or you start getting four
36:04
people, then 10 people, then 12 people.
36:06
Like we. Our, our band nemesis.
36:08
It was a time before all the social media stuff we had to go
36:12
# the Pavement put up Flyers and shit and we grew our, our
36:15
following from nothing to where we were.
36:17
We were, we were packing the house and opening them for bands
36:20
like Marshall Tucker Band and Sacred Reich and and Tony
36:23
McAlpine, because we built it all organically, kind of like
36:25
what we're doing with this show. And it gives you so much more
36:29
credibility and joy for what you're doing because you watch,
36:32
you've watched how you've grown as, as.
36:37
Yeah, we rely on people like you being on the show and then going
36:41
and telling all your buddies, hey man, we had a good time.
36:43
You'd like being on here as well.
36:44
It's a good way to promote yourself that.
36:47
Way. Yeah, like what Chris is saying
36:50
is the word of mouth, you're going to you're going to rely on
36:55
the word of your buddy, right? You're not going to rely on the
36:58
word of an e-mail coming in saying, hey, listen to the Chris
37:00
and Mike show. You're going to throw that right
37:02
in the trash just like I'm going to.
37:04
But you know if if one of you or the.
37:07
Other. By themselves and went back and
37:09
told the other hey now you got to go on here because I had a
37:12
great time that's going to mean something we.
37:17
Went. 21 countries. Right.
37:20
Yeah, that's amazing about it. Well done because.
37:22
You know, thank you. Yeah, Thank you.
37:24
Thank you. So.
37:25
Welcome to South Africa. I mean, yeah.
37:27
Thank you. Thank you.
37:28
That's so cool. One of my one of my good friends
37:31
when I moved to Arizona is named Darryl Haldane.
37:34
He was from South Africa, originally from England, but he
37:36
grew up in South Africa, so I heard a lot about it when I was
37:39
living in Arizona. We love, we love this country,
37:45
man. It's a lot of.
37:46
I learned how you guys like to smoke your weed.
37:50
We do, we do, We do like to smoke the meat.
37:54
You. Actually, Oh yeah, that's called
37:55
a. Yeah.
37:57
I personally don't look, but I'm getting excited, you know, but
38:00
but it's a thing. It's called a.
38:02
It's called a. What's it called?
38:05
It's got, it's got like a nickname to it.
38:08
I can't think of what it. Was it's not a spliff.
38:11
But yeah, a spliff. Yeah, we call it a spliff.
38:14
Exactly. A spliff.
38:16
Yeah, it's a spliff. Yeah.
38:17
I wasn't lying to you. I knew this guy.
38:20
Yeah. So are you guys, are you guys
38:24
married, got wives, kids, any of that?
38:27
No, we are unmarried, actually. OK.
38:30
We don't have wives and we don't have kids.
38:33
It's been, it's been pretty rock'n'roll, but also like very
38:35
chilled. Like also not to rock'n'roll,
38:37
but we we tend to, we tend to rock'n'roll.
38:40
Yeah, you know. Rock'n'roll 2025 style.
38:49
Right there. You go, you know, Yeah.
38:52
Go hard and then be healthy. There you go.
38:55
Yeah. Exactly, exactly.
38:56
Yes, very much of that. So like so cuz like OK.
39:00
Body hard and run a marathon there.
39:02
You go, right? Oh, OK.
39:04
So are you a runner? You're a runner.
39:07
We keep fucks. We keep.
39:09
I've done a, We've done a few half marathons.
39:11
We still haven't done a. Marathon We.
39:13
Just left check. OK, All right, Well, we're going
39:16
to check this out because I'll show you on the wall here there
39:18
you. Go you got a hot button issue.
39:20
There you go My wife and I have been running since 2015.
39:24
We've probably done 100 half marathons.
39:28
Oh wow, that's just that's just that's just some of it I have.
39:31
Why is this thing not going the right way?
39:32
I know I have like 3 or 4 boxes worth of metals and then we
39:36
actually take the medals because we.
39:38
Run. Unbelievable.
39:39
The races together and we take them and and we actually donate
39:42
them to a Phoenix Children's Hospital, which is obviously a
39:45
hospital get around kids. And though when the kids go in
39:48
for surgery, they give them a medal to be brave.
39:51
So because we do the same races, right?
39:55
That's awesome. So because we did the same
39:56
races, we always would get 2 medals.
39:58
So we would box them up and take them to them and then you know,
40:01
so yeah. And and South Africa.
40:04
You have. Olympic, Yeah, you guys are all
40:07
about runners from a from a from a sporting standpoint, you have
40:09
some serious runners. Yeah, Grace, the Olympics for
40:12
sure. Oh yeah.
40:14
Massively yes, when you can actually group.
40:18
I mean, he's dated my cousin. We're not like 20 years ago and
40:22
like now he's like this crazy. I'm just like, bro, like you're
40:27
making the rest of us look bad. Slow down.
40:30
Slow. Down.
40:33
But what is the population of South Africa?
40:37
Yeah, we are. 16. I think it's 80 million people
40:43
if I'm not mistaken, and Cape Town's 4 million around those
40:47
numbers, yeah. OK, Yeah.
40:50
So you guys had you guys, unfortunately, Oscar Pistorius,
40:53
that's what you just referred to, right?
40:54
That guy kind of kind of made a bad little.
40:59
Choice. Yeah, he's, he's from Pretoria.
41:03
I wouldn't call that a bad little choice, yeah.
41:05
But funny enough, he's, he's like, he's just ran a race, like
41:10
a race in somewhere in the world, not in South Africa.
41:14
So he's back on the on the circuit, Yeah.
41:17
OK. Yeah, we like it actually makes
41:20
me think of like the Austrians, like I'll be back like that.
41:23
He should have been Austrian. Yeah, yeah.
41:27
So I, I googled, I Googled the South African Olympians.
41:30
You guys had a Baywaza, the Olympic, the Olympic splinter.
41:36
This Yeah, he's Baywaza, a young South African splinter.
41:40
He's rising to prominence with his unique running style and
41:42
impressive performances. Apparently, he won.
41:46
He won a couple 100 and 200 meter races gold at the World
41:51
Athletics in 2024. Our sports do very well at the
41:56
moment. Our rugby players are two. 3.
41:58
Times. Is that the big sport?
41:59
Is that the big sport? Or the rugby champions.
42:02
Rugby, OK. You've got you've got some great
42:03
golfers and cricketers as well, to be honest.
42:06
Yeah, yeah. Who's the, who's the?
42:08
I know I'm going to ask this question.
42:10
You're going to say the name? I'm like, Oh yeah, who's the,
42:11
Who's the the golfers from South Africa?
42:15
Louis Louis was stays in. We've got obviously any else
42:19
Gary. Gary Player.
42:20
Gary Player, yeah. That's.
42:22
What we've actually, we've played for Gary Player several
42:25
times as well. He's he's an absolute legend.
42:27
Well, when he's in South Africa, yeah, of course.
42:31
Gary Player, yes. Who else?
42:33
I mean, Trevor Amulman, he's now a commentator on the PGA Sports.
42:37
But but of late or so that we've got some young up, up and coming
42:43
golfers that are just crazy. There's one lefty that's
42:46
literally from one of my favorite courses out here that's
42:48
playing so well at the moment. Yeah, yeah, right on.
42:51
We we, we tend to love our sports and ball games in South
42:54
Africa. Yeah.
42:55
Yeah, well, you have to, man. Yeah, everybody, everybody has
42:57
their thing. I didn't realize that that
42:59
rugby, rugby and cricket and golf, pretty pretty are the
43:02
pretty big ones. Yeah, the three.
43:03
Big, but rugby, rugby be pretty indestructible at the moment.
43:07
Like no one click yeah. That's the the the movie with
43:10
Morgan Freeman we played Nelson Mandela is based on our 95 Rugby
43:15
World Cup. Yes, I remember that movie.
43:17
OK, cool. Right on.
43:19
Yeah, rugby's the legit football man, because you know, our
43:22
American football is a bunch of wussies now that I I bruised my
43:25
leg, I got to sit out for three weeks and rugby, you're just
43:27
fucking going down the field and you get just checked and just.
43:30
Smashed. Like, you know, 5 feet you
43:32
bounce off the ground. Yeah, like, you know.
43:36
They should, they should incorporate that into the NFL
43:39
because that would be more entertaining than this, you
43:41
know, little wimpy ass baby stuff, you know, Yeah.
43:46
It's ridiculous, but it's a different it's a different
43:48
thing, especially having a helmet.
43:50
I mean, and if I was pretty bad ass because having having a
43:53
helmet is you, I mean you just forcing the you know, you you're
43:58
lying to yourself about the amount of pressure you're
44:00
putting on your like a tactic. Yeah, yeah, We had a, we had a
44:04
boxing coach on this morning, which was our real little
44:07
scheduling conflict. We had to move him up because we
44:10
couldn't talk to him last week. So Mike had brought up the the
44:13
CT ES, the the what the hell are those concussions?
44:17
Right. Right, yeah, and, and so boxers,
44:20
when they spar, they're wearing those little helmets, you know,
44:23
not, not the full. Bone head, I'm talking.
44:25
The headgear right? And the discussion kind of went
44:28
to where it's actually more detrimental having the headgear
44:31
cause the glove hits the headgear, then the headgear hits
44:33
the head. It's like a double hit.
44:35
Right. You know, I remember as a kid
44:37
playing football in the front yard, no pads, nothing.
44:40
And you're just, you know, you're trying to just score in
44:42
this 10 yard thing and you're running as fast as you can.
44:44
You just get destroyed and you just pop back up and you just
44:47
pop back up, you know? The one thing I'll give them
44:51
credit for is they built some of the largest human beings on the
44:55
planet. This is true, This is true.
44:58
Do we have any football players from from from South Carolina?
45:00
I'm South Carolina from South Africa.
45:04
I'm sure there's one or two, but yeah, there's a friend of mine
45:07
who literally got up on a scholarship recently, so I
45:10
definitely know what's happening.
45:11
Also the also the NFL is coming hot into South Africa at the
45:15
moment. So it's just issue Johannesburg,
45:17
but also into Cape Town. Yeah.
45:19
So basketball's really being supported by we've got, you
45:22
know, we've got a few big people.
45:23
Yeah. So it should be the way.
45:25
It should be that way. Yeah.
45:26
So are you guys fans of the NFL? I've loved it for, I mean, many
45:32
years We used to I used to play Madden 95 on on on PlayStation.
45:36
Like, I mean, yeah, not currently up to up to date with
45:41
like what's happening, but I mean, a big fan of the sport and
45:43
everything around the sport. Yeah, right.
45:45
On. That's cool.
45:52
Just try and spend well, you know, we've it's the first time
45:58
we've seen each other after spending two months with each
46:00
other in in Austria until we play 21 shows out there so.
46:05
We had a bit of a week break so this.
46:07
Is just moved into his new apartment.
46:09
And yeah, we're trying to just actually decompress after a
46:13
crazy tour with, you know, the Austrians.
46:17
Yeah, yeah. Well, there you go.
46:19
What other countries? What's exciting?
46:20
What's happening in? Well, no, I played.
46:23
I want to talk about you. What's what other what other
46:25
cool countries have you have you guys played in like something
46:28
that that nobody even think of that you that you were, you
46:31
know, playing in and toured in? Goa.
46:34
That was a random country in India, Yeah, it took us like 36
46:38
hours to get there. Yeah.
46:39
At one point we thought we were being trafficked, but it's we
46:42
will be fine. At one point we thought we were,
46:44
we were, we were being taken. Really.
46:47
Like legitimately or just fucking around?
46:50
Yeah, yeah. It's just, it's just, you know,
46:53
I mean, when you're in a car for said in my diamond, it's just
46:55
you sing a cow and then it's just like a lot's happening and
46:58
then you like they. Changed the hotel.
47:00
Changed the hotel the last second and no one.
47:02
We just like, we're going, yeah, they're like, no.
47:04
And we're like OK, OK. And they take us.
47:07
We have a. And then they took us.
47:11
India is as chaotic as it appears.
47:15
I think it's flipping chaotic. I mean, we haven't seen much of
47:17
it, but we've we've done Maldives, we've done Awaiting
47:19
the Maldives, which was fantastic.
47:20
Also. Santorini is amazing.
47:22
We've done Dubai, Qatar, Lake Como also.
47:26
This is not, this is not a different country.
47:28
But you guys have Burning Man, yeah?
47:31
Yes, yes. Right.
47:32
We've got Africa burn and we played there twice and it it
47:35
feels like a different country. It's like it's playing in on the
47:38
moon, yeah. OK, OK, that's cool.
47:42
I've never been to Burning Man because I didn't see the desire
47:45
to stand and watch some guy burn alive, you know?
47:48
But don't bump. Luckily, that's not happening in
47:54
Africa. Like, you know, it's just.
47:59
What's what's your guys? This is this is this is totally
48:01
off topic. What's your guys weather like
48:03
right right now in Arizona, we're in the midst of this crazy
48:05
heat streak where it's like the last last three days we've like
48:08
115 to 120, you know, like it's, you know, it's fucking sucks.
48:13
What's is that hot in South Africa?
48:16
Kind of. You've been at Fahrenheit.
48:18
Oh yeah, degrees. Yeah.
48:22
I don't know if Fahrenheit actually, but it is.
48:24
Exceptionally hot in Celsius in South Africa.
48:29
So even in our winter goes to about 14°.
48:32
Currently like 4, it's hovering around 14, yeah.
48:34
Yeah, but Sun's still. 3:50 sun sun setting at like 8-8 ish Nah
48:40
70 inches to 7°. OK, yeah, I know you should get
48:43
a jacket on. Yeah, I wouldn't wear a jacket.
48:45
And in summer it gets up to about 30. 3.
48:48
OK, what? Mike and it's winter. 57°.
48:51
Say it again, Mike. 57. 57 OK. Sorry, I didn't.
48:55
Yeah. How many degrees is it?
48:56
57. How many degrees?
48:58
You guys, you guys. It's cold.
48:59
I would look we, we. Yeah, that's cold.
49:02
Yeah. We're not at the seven degrees
49:03
so. I would love.
49:06
In winter, give me. 7° man, anytime and see to me when it
49:10
hits 40, it's cold. I'm like holy shit, it's cold.
49:13
And, and because when you know what wife and I were running and
49:15
stuff, you have to get up some mornings like, you know, 4:00
49:17
AM, it's like, holy shit, it's cold.
49:19
Give me your summertime temperature again.
49:21
Would you say 32? 3532333435 yeah, it can go up to
49:28
40 in some parts of the country, but I mean, we're talking normal
49:31
Cape Town vibes, yeah. That's 95 to 100°.
49:34
Chris, OK. Do you guys have humidity?
49:38
In not in Cape Town because we close to the ocean more it's
49:41
more like a Durban thing and Johannesburg think they have
49:43
different climates. So but Cape Town we not that
49:47
humid, no. How far is Johanna?
49:50
We have that from Cape Town. 2 hour flights. 2 hour flight.
49:55
Yeah, 22. I guess it depends how far, how
49:59
fast. There's traffic or not in the
50:02
air, but roughly about two hours.
50:04
And that's more. Inland, but the same distance
50:07
can take you to Namibia then took like a 2 1/2 hour flight.
50:10
So it's, it's quite funny. I think it's about 20.
50:13
Is it like 20,000 kilometers? We also we're working
50:15
kilometers, so 2 hour flights are good weights for us to yeah
50:19
to to explain especially in Europe like you're flying from
50:22
England to Germany it's a 2 hour flight you know we're like, but
50:25
in Cape Town, we can fly from Cape Town to our next city, our
50:28
next city you know yeah got. You so anything else you guys
50:35
want to touch on about your your what's coming up on your music
50:37
world, things like that? Well, acoustic element is the
50:41
place to check us out on Instagram and on on Spotify.
50:44
Apple Music orbited DSPS we have we're planning on releasing
50:48
every 5-6 weeks now. So we're back in studio and
50:52
we've got some cool releases with some cool collabs coming
50:55
with some cool artists that are from South Africa.
50:57
So it will be cool to just check out some more South African
51:00
music and also check out our recording studios on the Bowl,
51:04
studios on the Bowl, Infinity Studios, check us out as well.
51:07
We for local and live music, you know, that's what we do local
51:11
and local is liquor. Well, and the website
51:18
isacousticelement.net for those of you that are on YouTube right
51:20
now, you can go check that out. It's acoustic element.net.
51:23
It has several different tabs, lots of photos, lots of
51:26
explanations of what they do, where you can find their music.
51:30
Amazon. Grable Hot.
51:33
Yeah, Spotify, yeah. And you got some, you got some
51:35
live stream videos up there, so you can follow them on YouTube,
51:38
be in the know for all their stuff.
51:39
They got some really cool things.
51:42
They got a Christmas edition, Christmas edition up to a couple
51:44
of different volumes of of of alt ego sessions, which is them
51:48
They're just now doing something different.
51:49
They have a whole contact page on their site, so and they have
51:52
a booking link. So if you want to book these
51:54
guys to come, you know, class up the joint.
51:57
Hey, they're wedding right. Do you guys have a?
52:02
Yeah, how much do you charge for a backyard party?
52:06
For you up to this. We've actually never played in
52:11
America. We we were supposed to this
52:14
year, but we had scheduling conflicts with our tour in
52:16
Europe, which was already booked.
52:18
Yeah, we're supposed to do like a private corporate function.
52:21
I'm just scared that if we come to America, we might never want
52:24
to leave. We hear that.
52:27
Really. Yeah.
52:29
OK, So what? We asked this, I've asked this a
52:31
couple of times. We've had people on from other
52:32
countries. What is the South Africans
52:35
impression of Americans? I think.
52:40
Well, two of our best friends are American, so they love you.
52:44
We love, I mean we love American people.
52:46
I just think obviously, I mean with every country, you know,
52:49
politics is a dodgy place at the moment.
52:51
I don't think it out on the people.
52:52
I think the Makins, it's the land of the flippin where we as
52:56
a recording studio, as us, as artists, obviously we want to go
52:59
to America. So I mean, we have not.
53:02
Yeah, we'd love to play. We'd love People of America to
53:04
hear what we do and we'd love to because we don't think that
53:08
there's many people doing what we're doing in this world.
53:10
So we'd we'd love to to. The waters in a new place that
53:13
we've never been in. Sure, sure.
53:16
Well, I'm going to drop one of your I'm going to drop one of
53:18
your videos up on our on our our Facebook page.
53:22
So I'll I'll. Thank you so much I'll.
53:24
Send you yeah, I'll send you links for that so you can come
53:26
in there and check it out and and you know we'll we'll
53:29
subscribe to your YouTube channel you do the same with
53:30
ours and then you'll now be in the.
53:31
Know how to drop all? Our content with you and you
53:34
know if you ever do come to America, definitely let us know
53:36
and if you ever want to come back on the show, we'd love to
53:38
have you back on the show because we love talking to
53:39
musicians we love sharing your journey with with the world and
53:42
helping plug you to get you more and more views on your pages and
53:46
things like that because. You know, yeah, when you guys
53:49
start dropping stuff, man, let us know and we'll we'll promote
53:52
it if you want to. Come back, thank.
53:54
You so much, we can do that, but yeah, that's what this is all
53:57
about, man. 100% thank you for what you're doing, and the way
54:00
you do it is so cool. We can't wait to be on the show
54:03
again. And yeah, thanks to the lesson
54:04
as it made it this far I guess. Right, right.
54:07
And then yeah. So that's the cool thing about
54:09
it. Well, the cool thing about it,
54:10
you can go to our YouTube channel and you can you can
54:12
share what we just talked about. And then once we have the
54:15
finished product, you'll get you'll get 10 to 15 reels that
54:17
you can use however you want. And, you know, cross promote all
54:20
that kind of jazz. Because again, we do this as a
54:22
conversation because, you know, interviews are boring as hell
54:25
and you learn more and you have more fun just talking to people
54:27
and bullshit and you know, for an hour and and you getting to
54:29
know them. And, you know, we learned, we
54:33
learned so much by doing this. Like, you know, violinist, you
54:36
got to be classically trained. Who knew?
54:39
We know how you. Know and you know and the right
54:43
so here's here's another random thought for you.
54:45
So you mentioned the people you met Justin Bieber's all over the
54:47
American media right now because all the shit that's gone on with
54:50
with with was it it's AP Diddy the the baby went back right.
54:54
Is that it? Yeah, so he he seemed to be kind
54:58
of going down a depression rabbit hole, which sucks for him
55:00
because he doesn't, he doesn't seem like he has any way that's
55:02
really going to help him get talked off that ledge.
55:05
What kind of human was he Is is he a decent human being that
55:08
just kind of got caught up on all the nonsense?
55:11
Yeah. He looked like an unreal,
55:13
unbelievable, kind of like. It was it was probably the early
55:18
time where we met someone where I thought this this guy, even
55:22
just walking past his star quality, he's like, you could
55:24
just he's going to trace it. Like you can feel him without
55:28
him even being, you know, it is. It's amazing.
55:31
Yeah. I think he's, I think he's a
55:32
victim of circumstance. And of course he's going to go
55:35
through his own but, but he's a massive talent.
55:37
And I think the new album is insane.
55:40
Like crazy. Yeah.
55:42
Yeah, I can't wait for him to just, he just just keep going
55:46
though, keep keep making some music.
55:49
Yeah, he needs to get his demons in check, which, you know,
55:52
that's that's easier said than done.
55:53
Mike and I both had our demons and we put them in check, but it
55:55
took for years. But other other two artists, my
55:58
daughter grew up listening to what Bieber and and and Bruno
56:02
Mars. Those are the only two that I
56:03
told her I thought was going to last and stand the test of time
56:06
from the teenage candy ass pop rock people because they were
56:09
true musicians. You can sense that, you know,
56:11
they had that power and the charisma on stage as a
56:13
performer. And true to form, Bieber and and
56:17
Bruno Mars are still around where, you know, Miley Cyrus is
56:19
too. But Miley Cyrus had to reinvent
56:21
herself as a whore, you know, basically to keep selling
56:24
records, you know, call it what it is.
56:26
You know, like, many times you're going to show your booty.
56:29
You know, Miley, it's like once is enough, man you.
56:32
Know. Give me some.
56:33
Cheeseburgers, but it's. She's too scared.
56:35
She, yeah, she's just just trying to be the younger
56:39
Madonna. And, you know, it's just kind of
56:41
stop already, you know, it's the shock and all.
56:43
I don't think works anymore. But you know that could be
56:46
wrong. No, I think you just said that
56:48
brilliantly. Oh, thank you, thank you.
56:50
You know, I have my moments. Well.
56:51
I'll say it so. So we always wrap up our show
56:55
like this. If you're feeling bad, if you're
56:56
feeling depressed, if you're feeling suicidal, you know, step
57:00
back, call somebody that that you know will talk to you.
57:03
Don't take your own life. Don't don't take the couch your
57:05
way out. Somebody's going to miss you.
57:06
Somebody Loves You. You're going to leave somebody
57:08
else with a hole in the heart and and the trauma that they're
57:10
going to go through with you being gone is not worth it.
57:14
Journal it, scream on a pillow. Go, go run a mile.
57:17
Do what you got to do to kind of clear your mind of that that
57:19
demon that's bugging you right now, because tomorrow's going to
57:21
be a better day, especially when you wake up and you're still in
57:23
the world because somebody does love you and somebody will miss
57:26
you. I'm Chris, He's Mike.
57:29
This is this is the acoustic element from Cape Town, South
57:32
Africa. We're going to have them back on
57:34
again. You guys are fantastic.
57:35
I'm so glad we we got connected today much and you know, thank
57:38
you. Guys for coming on?
57:40
Absolutely. You ever need it, you must let
57:42
us know. We, we're, we, we'll plug away
57:44
anybody that comes on our show because, you know, it's, that's
57:46
just what we do. Thank.
57:49
You thank you for having us. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
57:51
What a pleasure. Thank you, Chris and Mike.
57:53
Yeah, thank you. You guys have a great rest of
57:55
your day. My brother Mike, I love you and
57:57
we'll we'll talk to y'all. Love you too brother, nice to
57:59
meet you guys. Thank you so much.
58:01
Cheers. Don't sign off yet.
58:39
Fight the battle. That's you, Boss Wheel.
58:43
Fight the battle, but you Boss Wheel, who is his baby to your
58:48
finger. Oh yeah, this is to your.
1:00:06
You. Haven't found something in the
1:00:14
exam from fighting? Wait for the dead.
1:00:18
Wait for the the way you ain't no creature.
1:00:26
We don't pray and smile. You should pray on the almighty
1:00:31
day. You got a dream too, in your
1:00:35
life to keep our soul in every man.
1:00:41
Take the trail behind your eyes. Feel the soul revolution now.
1:00:46
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
1:00:58
Take a moment. We can see you.
1:01:00
See him fight the battle with you more clear.
1:01:31
You gotta, you gotta. You gotta, you gotta, you gotta.