Meet local band The WINTYR

Cape Town – We just love discovering new and exciting music, and when it’s right here from our shores, even better!

Meet The WINTYR. They are an alternative folktronic trio currently based between the cities of London and Cape Town. 

Consisting of songwriter and frontwoman Evelyn Hart, Tristan Carmicheal (synth, piano & guitars) and Brendyn Rossouw (percussion), the band boast a dark and dreamy synth sound.

We recently had a chat with the band to find out more about them.

Check it out here:

Where are you guys at the moment?

At the moment, two of the three of us (Brendyn and myself, Evelyn) are currently in the UK, while our third band member, Tristan, is in Cape Town, gearing up to join us before our first show in London at the end of August.

What are you doing in the UK?

We are travelling in the English countryside, visiting family, and having meetings in London. Tristan will be flying over in a few weeks time. It’s becoming something of a yearly migration for the three of us, as we take so much inspiration from British music culture and tend to meet the most amazing industry people each year that we visit! The change of scenery is always refreshing and often breeds new ideas and sounds. Both Tristan and Brendyn are music producers, so they can often be found walking around the streets of London with pocket microphones, sampling the sounds of the city.

Where does your name come from and when did you start making music together?

The WINTYR actually began as a solo project. About two years ago, I teamed up with Brendyn and Tristan in studio to start working on a full-length album and as time went on, it became clear that the sound coming out of the sessions was transforming into something brand new – much better expressed as a band than as a solo act. The three of us absolutely love film and film soundtracks, and we wanted to find an identity that could immediately spark the imagination in a similar vein. After brainstorming for ages, we got stuck on The WINTER but chose to play with the spelling for some originality. 

What is the one thing no one knows about you?

Evelyn: I had dreams of becoming an astronaut when I was little! I love the stars and anything to do with space. However, I discovered a bit later in life that I am absolutely terrified of heights and potentially endless open spaces…. So I have had to satisfy that inner space explorer by watching reruns of Star Trek.

Brendyn: I love fly-fishing, Middle Earth and large dogs.

Tristan: I’m a terrible golfer and dancer. I always seem to lead with my shoulders and not my hips…

Describe you music in one sentence.

War drums, dark, dreamy synths, power.

Who are you listening to right now?

Evelyn: FKA Twigs, Faithless, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man.

Brendyn: Whatever I’m busy producing and recording ;) Gangs of Ballet, Henri Kriel, The Taros, Evelyn Hart, Bevan Soga. Besides that I have pulled out some of my favourite Ryan Adams albums of late.

Tristan: I would have to say, M.I.A, Glass Animal and Florence and Machine. I was given a Nickleback CD for my birthday though. I confess, it’s still in my car. 

What inspires your music and how do you go about writing songs?

All three of us take inspiration from travelling, film and story-telling of any kind. The process we’ve followed so far is that I (Evelyn) will work on rough song ideas, maybe just piano and a vocal, and bring those to the guys, who will start adding their own interpretation and direction to the arrangements, songwriting and sound. 

What is next for you guys?

In the short term, we’re busy planning a tour to Johannesburg for the end of the year. For the mid term, already looking at the festival circuit in Europe for 2017 - there are entire markets of people out there, and we want to bring our sound in front of as many as we can, for as long as we can! (The long term!)

Where can people see you perform next?

We’ll be playing a few shows in and around London and Gloucester at the end of August / beginning of September, and then we will be back at the House of Machines in Cape Town for a weekly residency in November. We invite everyone to keep an eye on our social media channels for more details – just search for The WINTYR. 

For more info on the band like their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter or visit their official website.