WATCH: November Bloom to get Newcastle rocking this weekend
Former Newcastillians, Steven Couper and Tiaan Fourie were joined by Jeffreys Bay local, Devon Kerr.
Honesty in music is rare these days.
Contemporary artists rap and sing about 20 cars, champagne and a mansion on the hill, but people make the real connection with a band that keeps it real.
November Bloom believes its sound is straightforward and honest.
The band is comprised of locals Steven Couper on guitar and vocals, Tiaan Fourie on bass and sound setup, plus Cape Town and Jeffreys Bay native, Devon Kerr on percussion.
To fit November Bloom into a single category is difficult.
Devon cites Tool and Foo Fighters as his creative muses, for Tiaan it’s the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Steven brings a bit of Green Day and The Replacements.
Sound is mood, and mood changes all the time.
The band is a blend of punk and rock on paper, but the styles, influences and mood change so easily from song to song, it’s a constant contrast.
There’s a touch of reggae, ska, grunge, indie and more.
That contrast between styles and sounds is what November Bloom brings to the stage, and it’s become the theme of both its name and tour.
“It’s hard to find a name and we always thrived on the yin/yang and love/hate relationships.”
Steven, Tiaan and Devon consider November a sad and cold month, signifying dark times, while bloom is the hope of new life and growth.
Likewise, their tour is titled the ‘No Morals Tour’.
That is a nod to November Bloom’s style of music and the attitude of the 21st Century, bringing old-school rock and roll with almost jarring variances.
There’s songs to make you dance, and songs to make you feel.
“It’s about having fun with no boundaries and embracing the live event feeling like in the old days. Modern musicians do it for the money, but people want locally-made music with meaning. We’re pretty loud about that.”
November Bloom started out with Tiaan and Steven, who have played music together on and off for about nine years.
In their words, it always came back to music.
“We don’t really fit into the conventional working life, so we started sending each other pieces of music and lyrics.”
As a band, November Bloom started out as Tiaan and Steven planning a local gig, roping in Devon as the drummer at almost the last second.
The gig went so well, they decided to pursue a music career.
Devon, Tiaan and Steven returned to Newcastle recently, spending almost four months together writing and recording music for a demo.
Newcastle is also the launching pad for the No Morals Tour.
November Bloom hopes to play a few more gigs in Newcastle in the next few weeks, before hitting the stages in Johannesburg and Pretoria, and then going coastal.
“Finances permitting, we might go overseas as well.”
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The band believes making it in the local music sphere is about persistence, dedication, passion and songs with honest sound and lyrics.
In big bands, music came from the heart.
“People must feel and connect to it; it makes a difference when they connect and identify with the music.”
Music is also about risks and ‘taking the plunge’, because making music as a career is more of a priority than a job.
With this first step, who knows where November Bloom will end up.
In five years’ time, Steven envisions himself in the same band with the same people, writing songs with the men he considers family.
Their message to aspiring musicians, and themselves to an extent, is: “Be as real as you can be.”
