What are your names?
J: Johnny Future
D: Drikus Roets
What is the band’s name?
Future Radio
How did you come up with the band’s name?
J: Sheesh, I thought long and hard about this. Are you ready?HAHAHA. Like most of the things we do, our name also has multiple facets. ‘Future’ pretty much speaks for itself, but it is the radio part that brings context and meaning. A radio is mostly associated with music and therefore the name could simply imply the “future of music”. But a radio can also be associated with something that’s old and in the past. It’s in this contradiction that we find the nucleus of Future Radio. Throughout our art lies traces of the past which seamlessly interact with the future and within this combination we find ourselves in the here and now.
What is your genre of music?
D: Riff Rock.
J: Future Rock, haha.
Give us a little bio about you.
J: I already started conceptualising Future Radio in 2018. Up until then, I predominantly worked as a full-time music teacher and a session guitarist. I clearly remember thinking to myself that it can’t be just another rock band. I wanted it to be a synergy of words, visuals and music. I had the music and words part down, but the visual element was still needed in order to tell the whole story. I have absolutely no talent in this department. I, however, had a guitar student who went on to study design and for some reason, he came to mind, so I called him up. Drikus?
D: I was busy completing my design studies in 2019, just before receiving the call from Johnny. We met up, and the rest is history.
What made you go into music?
D: Music has consistently been a passion for us both. Although it was close, I chose to pursue art instead as it came more naturally to me. It wasn’t until Johnny contacted me asking for help with the band branding, that I started considering making it part of my profession
J: The first time I picked up a guitar I knew there was nothing else I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It’s really as simple as that.
Who are your influences?
J: To many to mention, haha. I literally listen and appreciate all music genres. As a lover and scholar of music, I think it should be like that? I have a very wide music taste and a deep appreciation for most music genres. I listen to everything from jazz right through to classical music and I think all the various genres influences me in some way or the other.
Are you signed?
D: No, we are happily independent at the moment. J: I don’t think we will sign a deal until we have some leverage to negotiate. If you have no negotiation power, you’ll always be suckered into some deal that’s no good for you.
You released your new single ‘Stand Up & Fight’, tell us more about the single.
D: I think it’s a great song! Johnny has admitted it’s his favourite from this album. Why is that?
J: Maybe because the idea for this song has been with me for so long that by the time I sat down to write it, it already felt like a part of me. I wrote the bridge lyrics long before I wrote the actual song. I wrote it while I was still a full-time teacher, as a sort of credo for how I want to live my life. Then I decided to leave my job and pursue music full-time so while I was writing songs for our debut album, “Freedom”, those words came to mind, and the rest of the song evolved from there. The song centres around the idea of standing up for oneself, encourages the pursuit of purpose in the here-and-now and challenges the idea of conformity. It’s also a really fun song to play live!
Describe the track in two words.
D: High-powered.
J: Energetic and powerful
Who did you work with on the song?
J: We didn’t collaborate on this album. I wrote all the songs and all the production. There were some great musicians that played on the tracks as well as on this one. Nico Badenhorstplayed bass, Herman Rosslee played drums and Christiaan Baartman did the backing vocals. The album was recorded at GreenSound Studios and mixed by Izak Vorster.
Will we see a music video for the track?
D: Yes, you can go and check it out on our YouTube channel. We actually release music videos for all our songs. Each song is released as an episode complete with visuals and a narrative and together these episodes form part of Season 1. We try to use each of these elements to tell multiple stories, which is unique on its own, but ultimately interconnected. If people go check out our YouTube channel, all this will make a little more sense. But essentially all the music videos will eventually form a short film.
Will we see an EP or Album and if so, what can we expect? D: Our debut album was launched November 2020, entitled “Freedom”. It deals with the concept of emancipation from the unexceptional and encourages the passionate pursuit of purpose. J: It is actually a concept album. Each song on the album tells its own story, but also forms part of the overall narrative of the album.
What else can we expect in Early 2021?
D: We look forward to rolling out the last 5 episodes of Season 1. Thereafter we will release three cover songs while in the studio recording the second album.
J: Yes, I finished writing as well as the preproduction on all the new tracks in December. The second Season/ Album is in the making and is expected to be release somewhere in August this year. We are really excited for the new songs.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
J: We’d love to write/record 6 months of the year and then tour for the remainder. Playing the European festival circuit would definitely be a dream come true! Maybe even world domination, who knows, haha!
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
D: ‘Be like water’ – Bruce Lee.
J: ‘I don’t know’, is not an answer. – My father
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget? J: My guitar, my fx pedals, my picks, my lyrics, and my personality?! Haha.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you? That would be great!
YouTube
Instagram
Facebook
