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Cape Town – Shotgun Fakes is the alt-pop love child of Pamela and Stefan Myburgh.
Their sound is honest and packed with groove that gurgles beneath the magnetising vocal of Pamela and the next level production style of Stefan. Some have described their debut single Slow Motion as "making you want to fall in love again".
After the dismembering of Pamela’s successful SA pop band, The Arrows, the wedlock pair courageously decided to start over and build their new brand from the ground up.
We chat to Pam about what they’re currently up to in Cape Town and what’s next for the band.
Check it out here:
Hi guys, how are you?
Busy and happy.
You guys are currently in Cape Town producing some music, tell us a bit more about that and your stay here?
We travel a lot. We make music (somehow) just about everywhere we go. This time we have been working in a lovely studio called Pennylane Studios in Wynberg. It's been incredible. We have produced an album for a singer/songwriter 'Aron Halevi' while being here and recorded some new music for ourselves. We have actually just been incredibly busy and at one stage Stef has juggled 6 different projects, it's been wonderful madness, but I think Cape Town brings that out in you! It has this remarkable way of igniting the music in you. It's a very special city.
How would you describe your sound?
Nowadays you say Pop and people think of an 808 beat with synth bass pushing it along underneath and then some contrived vocal hook on the top ... so when I say we make alternative pop music I hope they understand that it's all the goodness of pop, the catchyness, the humanness and the nostalgia but with REAL instruments.
We do use electronic elements in the production as well, but it's not exclusively electronic and that's something we want to stand by. Stef is a phenomenal guitar and bass player and I love playing keys and piano and we both like messing around on analogue synths so ... we find a way to bring that altogether in a way that is still current and relatable (we hope! LOL.)
How do you go about writing and producing songs?
Generally, I write the song or have a hook idea or have come up with a chorus and then we sit together and get a direction for the sound. Then Stef gets his chance alone with the music and I go and finish what I started then we join forces again and fit the puzzle together.
We could be doing this with 5 different songs at the same time. It's never completely the same process but that's a general flow of how we work. I liken the process to cooking. The stove has all the pots bubbling with something different and the oven is going and you keep revisiting each pot and add the flavours as you go until something wonderful emerges.
What is the most challenging part of making music together?
We are married and love a lot of the same things and same music but we DON'T always see eye to eye on HOW to get there. We agree on the destination but not always on the route we need to take to get there if that makes sense? So things can get heated and it's pretty funny! But we communicate our way through everything and we always end up where we both want to be.
What’s the one thing you never hit the road without?
For me it's my hydrating face serum which I cannot live without, yes it's ridiculous but I am addicted to skincare ... and for Stef it's probably his expensive producer headphones because he is always working on something or checking something and needs them all the time!
You guys will be playing Café Roux in May, what can fans expect from your set?
We cannot wait to play this show because the venue is intimate. The audience is right there. Also, it's the only show that we have managed to do while in Cape Town so we have a lot that we would like to share. Fans can expect some of the 'old' Arrows hits because we love to play them and then new songs from Shotgun Fakes with both released and unreleased music. It's going to be a 4 piece performance and have a full but intimate sound. I wish I could watch it actually it's going to be beautiful!
What’s the one thing no one knows about you?
Stef is completely allergic to dairy and soy and so he can't have milk or cheese or chocolate or anything and it's torture. He frequents health stores with fantastic alternatives to ease the adjustment. And me, well, cooking is my side passion. If I didn't choose music I would have probably trained as a chef by now.
What’s next for you guys?
After having taken a break from our '5' campaign we will be back on track as of next month (May) with Cape Town being city 4 and L.A. being the final city 5. So we are going to be in the states for a couple of weeks and then back to London for some shows and some writing. We are working on our album and really hoping it will be ready by the end of the year.
*Catch the band live at Cafe Roux in Cape Town on Tuesday, 2 May at 19:00. Click here for more info and to get your ticket.
