Centurion’s Jaid River chases her dreams
The singer-songwriter released her latest music video of her third single “Sidewalks” which she hopes will bring words of wisdom to other young dreamers.
Jaid River has been making waves with her debut album Verlanger showcasing her musical range and heartfelt themes.
The album features Afrikaans songs, but the crowd favourite at her live performances Sidewalks is her first English release.
Produced by Jaco Smit, Sidewalks is the third track on her debut album, and follows in the footsteps of Duisend Jaar Van Nou and Stad van Verlange, both of which received critical acclaim and secured her a number-one spot on Lekker FM’s Top 40 chart.
The Centurion-based artist marked the song with a meaningful music video shot in Pretoria at night.
“I actually only wrote in English throughout primary school and also most of high school,” River told Rekord.
She said that she began writing in Afrikaans in 2015.
“Sidewalks was one of the songs I wrote in high school that I always knew would make it onto my debut album.
“It’s completely different. It’s more of a storytelling writing style and I’m glad I had the freedom to showcase that diversity on the album.”
The captivating music video for Sidewalks was shot in Monument Park and Rietondale.
“It took a while for Pretoria to start feeling like home after I moved here from George after matric.”
River said that she still missed the Western Cape for its natural beauty and the ocean, but that she had found that it is often more about the people than the place.
“Now that I have found my people in Pretoria, it feels more like home.”
Collaborating with GP van der Merwe on the video concept, River said they wanted to bring a meaningful message.
“The main message or feeling that we wanted to bring across with this video was just that absolute solitude and almost loneliness in a massive, unknown place or city.
“We didn’t plan too much ahead of time other than the general feel we wanted to create and also the colour schemes.”
She said that their approach worked well and she is very pleased with the result.
“I think sometimes the best things are created when you don’t plan them out in excruciating detail.”
Sidewalks deals with the pursuit of dreams, with the chance to make music being one of River’s greatest dreams.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be on the other end of chasing my dreams. There is no final destination for me,” she said.
As for her next steps, River revealed: “At the moment I’m focussing a lot on organising shows and also co-writing a lot and spending time in the studio.”
She said that she hoped to start working on her second album by the end of this year.
River hopes that Sidewalks would offer words of wisdom for other young dreamers.
“Following a dream isn’t easy. We sometimes create this idyllic idea in our minds about how it’s gonna play out and usually it’s a lot harder.”
River said that it was important to be persistent, work hard and importantly, surround yourself with a supportive group who share the same dreams.
“But don’t give up. If it’s something you love it will be more than worth all the obstacles and time and effort you put in to make it happen.”
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