It’s Friday night and new indie kids on the block, Ashtray Electric, are minutes away from launching their debut EP, The Dave Sessions. We grabbed the guys on the staircase outside Mercury Live to talk about everything from their passion for music and girlfriends to tattoos, cigarettes and more.

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Who are they?
They’re a Cape Town indie band who started gigging early this year. Andre sings. Rudi plays guitar. Rupert plays drums. Reg plays bass. Wouter plays guitar and keys.

The name?
They didn’t choose the name, Ashtray Electric, because smoking is cool. They like the contradiction; ash and ashtrays remind them of something dead but electricity is alive.

How did the band start?
One night they all hooked up and over a couple of beers realised they had the same view on making music. That was the beginning of Ashtray Electric.

Local influences?
They admire Fokofpolisiekar for their approach and The Dirty Skirts for their pop sensibility. “You’ve got to have some pop sensibility,” says Rudi.

- Annel Malan