Listen to Go The Rodeo’s debut single “Devil under the Sheets”
They are brand new to the music scene and are definitely a band to look forward to. Go the Rodeo emerged from a blend of boredom and passion for music. Corné van Niekerk and Robert Mitchley had been playing together for several years, with Corné on drums and Robert on bass. After the dissolution of their previous band, Township Lights, they decided to keep the boat afloat, so Corné took the opportunity to step to the front of the band and become lead vocalist.
For a while it was only the two of them, but ultimately they wanted to emerge into a full band. After a long journey outside the horizons, in search of additional band members, they realised their answer was to be found within their immediate group of friends. Wikus van Rensburg and Tiaan Maartens, were roped in to form part of Go the Rodeo.
They try and keep an open mind when it comes to the style that they produce. After pushing one direction, but ending up in another, they decided to just see where the music takes them. They have a strong indie-blues influence, with dark undertones and simple rock riffs that excites them.
“Devil under the Sheets” refers to the struggles of a sexual male. Influenced by Arctic Monkeys; the band wanted to create a simple, yet soulful, not too energetic, catchy tune. When asked what the single is about, their response was just what I felt when I listened to the song;
“The unquenchable lust, the beauty of it, the darkness and how easy it is to blame it on sinful nature. How sex can rid you of what makes you human, yet nothing makes you feel more human than having sex” says lead singer Corné.
Go the Rodeo reminds me of an early Ashtray Electric. Our local scene needs more indie-blues rather than having another jivey local band that produces the same sound and genre over and over. I asked Go the Rodeo why their music will make a difference in the local scene;
“For me, the music scene is in such a weird place, I just want to make music that I like and hopefully there are enough people out there that will like what we produce. If the music we create can contribute to the scene and bring it back to a better place that will be great!” Corné adds.
Robert and Corné have done some small gigs, but not full band shows yet. They are planning on doing some live performances, but they still need to do some rehearsals before that can happen.
Download “Devil under the Sheets” below and be sure to follow the band on Facebook and Twitter.
