Alive - Elephant Sun

Sugar: You've been going for three years now. During that time have you found that the attitudes and responses to local music have changed ?

ES: Definitely! We were watching a live music programme on TV and someone was interviewing members of the audience. They were saying that their favourite songs were by Just Jinger and other SA bands and not overseas bands, which is a big change from a few years ago. It's all down to marketing. Before, it wasn't cool to support local music. Then it was "support local music because you should". Now it's "support local music because it's really good!"

Sugar: When you release your CD what songs would be your choices for singles?

ES: 'Why', probably. Definitely 'African Silence'. Our songs tend to be a bit longer than the normal radio length, though.

Sugar: Any plans for a national tour?
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ES: We've only been playing the Western Cape -- mainly Paarl, Hermanus, Hout Bay and so on. We also played the Splashy Fen Festival in the Drakensberg. We would love to tour nationally but because we are self-financed we will need to generate some radio play and national interest before we can plan it.

Sugar: Your music lends itself to the concept of jumping into a Combi and driving around playing your music in small towns.

ES: That would be great and may be a possibility. We both work but we will find the time to pursue our music careers.

Sugar: What's the funniest thing that's happened to you on stage?

ES: We were playing a gig in Stellenbosch with a huge backdrop behind us and a gale force wind came up and the whole backdrop fell down and engulfed us. But we did finish the song!

Sugar: Well, the legend is that Keith Moon gave Led Zeppelin their name when he told them that they would go down like a "lead zeppelin". It seems this backdrop fell on you like an Elephant Sun! -{back to alive}-

Elephant Sun are:
Christopher Charles Smith - Acoustic Guitar and Vocals.
Criston Kerr Sloan - Electric Guitar and Vocals.
Craig Strachan - Bass Guitar.
Justin De Klerk - Drums.

Elephant Sun's debut album, 'Perceptions',
was recorded at The Music Room with Dirk van Straaten. It is due to be released
in October/November 1997.