"It’s been wild" - The Future Primitives bid us adieu

PL: What are the best and worst things about being a musician in South Africa today?

 

Johnny: Not sure if there's really a best, the worst things are obviously being so far away from Europe and the States making touring difficult and expensive. Also, our currency is pretty weak. The scene is also pretty small here and there are a lack of venues and bands so it can get boring really quickly, but we make the best of what we have. Another factor is gear - it's a lot more difficult to find the guitars and amps that we want here, although we have managed to get lucky here and there. So there is no best part about being a musician here - we do live in a beautiful city with a great climate though, so we are lucky in other ways.

 

Heino: What we did was pretty new for a South African band, so people have a tendency to stand back at first and not get involved because it’s unknown, whereas people overseas would be more receptive of your music, because they grow up in that kind of environment. Other than that, we have a growing local music scene and that can only make things interesting, right..?

 

PL: What advice would you give to the The Past Primitives - when you guys were first starting out?

 

Johnny: I wouldn't have changed anything really.

 

Heino: Scream more.

 

PL: Why are you calling it quits?

 

Johnny: It's just time to move on - we don't wanna be stuck in a box (not to make it sound bad), but we wanna expand, try different things, explore...

 

Heino: It’s not really quitting, think of it as moving from one project to the next. We’ll all keep playing music in one way or the other.

 

 PL: What advice would you give to budding musicians - what should they be prepared for?

 

Johnny: Just do whatever you wanna do - don't question yourself and try to think what other people are gonna like. Just make music for yourself and, if you put everything you've got into it, people are gonna feel that and they are gonna like it anyway.

 

Heino: Don’t let people who don’t know what they’re talking about discourage you from creating the kind of music you really enjoy and would want to hear.

 

PL: Are you optimistic about the future of the South African music industry?

 

Johnny: There really is a lot of talent here and I do believe it'll grow and we will really have some amazing bands here.

 

Heino: A lot of cool things could happen, yeah. 

 

PL: Could there have been more support from certain areas of the industry during the bands lifetime?

 

Johnny: Hard to say, I think it's just too small and it's something that's just gonna take time. We hope to inspire others, the kids growing up, to get into the right kinda music and to learn how to do it properly.

 

Heino: I’d say financial assistance from sponsors to help put on shows is an area to look into. Being in a band is more than just going on stage and strumming a few chords; setting up shows, like getting the right gear and venue can turn into an expensive ordeal, especially for a band who is doing it out of their own pocket.

 

 PL: What were your fondest memories of being in The Future Primitives?

 

Johnny: Recording is always great. And of course the tour in Europe was a mind-blowing experience. But even shows at home, we've been lucky in having good friends, some of them very wild, that make you wanna play harder. So yeah, we pretty much always had good times.

 

Heino: The first few months before we started playing shows were great; getting to know one another (as Warren was a fairly new person in our lives at that stage). It set the right tone for us to start playing and to do what we really wanted to do. Looking back and seeing what we did, I think we achieved more than what we expected. And it’s good to leave it at that. We’ve been lucky enough to make friends all over the place, so one can only be grateful for that.

 

PL: Where to from here?

 

Johnny: We're just taking it easy for now. Heino and Warren started their own band, but are still trying different people out on guitar, trying to get the right people involved. And as for me, I'm just on music leave pretty much. Will pick it up again soon and start working on solo stuff - good to take a step back for a bit. I also like the feeling of having a blank canvas - starting again with nothing, and having to make something. It's a challenge.

 

Heino: Yeah, Warren and I have been jamming for a while, working on new things. Will keep you updated via The Future Primitives page though, so keep a close eye on that. 

 

PL: What’s your message to your fans?

 

Johnny: Thanks a lot for all your support and love - it really means a lot to us. It makes us wanna give back more, maybe not with The Future Primitives anymore, but we still wanna keep you people happy no matter what we end up doing.

 

Heino: There’s a lot to be grateful for and being able to play shows and make recordings for people who appreciate it is definitely one of the best feelings one could experience. Thank you for coming to shows and getting down on the dance floor. It’s been wild.