AFTER taking a bold risk to pursue his passion full-time, Warner Beach musician Josh Swanson released a new song with his two-piece band, The Kickstands, on September 11, entitled Day One.

Swanson, 30, plays lead guitar in the band and his journey learning the stringed instrument began when he was in Grade Eight.

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“I was around 13 when I started taking guitar lessons. That fizzled out because I didn’t want to learn how to read music and delve into music theory, but some time later, I decided it was time to get serious about it and ended up studying music in college,” said Swanson.

While he imparted his knowledge through providing guitar lessons, and teaching music at various schools, upon starting The Kickstands some four years ago with lead singer Gary Nixon, Swanson made the leap to commit to his passion, working full-time as a musician.

He described the band’s sound as acoustic folk, drawing inspiration from jazz and blues.

“We take influences from the music that we enjoy, and then adapt to that and build upon our own sound,” said Swanson. He added that while it doesn’t fully reflect in The Kickstands, his all-time favourite guitarist is Joe Pass. He has also been enjoying music from The Jazz Boys, as well as rock artist Eric Johnson.

Swanson delved into his role in the band, explaining that with only two band members, he tries to fill up the sonic space as much as possible. “I use a pedal to manipulate the sound to jump down to the bass register to play a bit of bass sometimes. I try to keep things percussive, and try to keep things interested with chord inversions. In most of our songs, I play guitar solos as well.”

The Kickstands rise in popularity

The Kickstands has enjoyed a rapid rise in popularity, amassing thousands of monthly listeners on music streaming services.

“We play all over KZN from the North and South Coast to the Midlands. Every now and again, we get to play in other provinces, and sometimes different countries,” said Swanson.

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“The best way to learn is to find a song you like and learn that. Don’t waste time on things you are not into. There are plenty of instructional videos and websites out there. Once you can play a few songs, if you still enjoy it, it may be time to go for some lessons and go beyond YouTube videos and emulating other artists. At that point, there is value in understanding how things work,” advised Swanson.

He said that he is happy to see an upswing in young people playing music in Amanzimtoti, theorising that wherever there is an open mic, it creates a music scene, adding that his first gig was at a local open mic.

If you would like to give Day One a listen, it is out on all music streaming platforms. To get in touch with The Kickstands, call 078 143 5542 or email kickstandsband@gmail.com.

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