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0 viewsThree friends, Adrian Culhane and brothers Marco and Jean-Sebastian Correia, are the members behind the music that is The Windy City. Recently returned from a very successful international tour to Perth and Melbourne, the three guys are relaxed and positive as they talk in their studio, aptly located in the windiest part of the Cape Town city bowl.
“We had an image of a desolate city, overrun with nature, and the wind howling through the empty streets. That mood would sound like what our music is”, says Jean. They have recently released their debut EP, ‘The Windy City’ and their June 2011 single ‘Games’ won Best Rock Song on Indie International.
They each found their own musical calling in different ways, from being trained to being self-taught, as Jean is – “I picked up my brother’s guitar one day, and it just felt right. I can’t explain it. Since then I’ve been teaching myself”. Despite their different influences and personal styles, the three work together with an unmistakeable energy.
Image ref: Jean, Adrian and Marco outside their studio
Their sound is unique, and they are influenced by genres and artists of all kinds, like Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Coldplay, The Who, and The Stooges. Marco describes their style of music as accessible atmosphere or ambient pop, but there is much more to their music than can be described in a few words. It is melodic and moody, with swirling synths and distorted guitars.
Despite the fact that most of their musical influences are international, their sound is South African. From Jean-Sebastian’s Maskandi-inspired guitar style to the fact that Adrian doesn’t lose his South African accent when singing, “we can’t help but play with a South African flavour”, Marco says. “We’re not trying to emulate other bands”.
They all agree that touring to Australia was a huge success. “We had such great feedback, and the experience was really encouraging for us” says Adrian. “We have really big aspirations”, Adrian smiles, explaining the leap to an international tour.
The Windy City was officially established at the beginning of the year, although the three musicians have been playing together for years, in other groups and with other artists. Unlike many bands, the three write their music together. “We come into this room with very basic ideas, like one riff”, says Marco, and together, they create a piece of music around it. “We have a democratic process, but there’s always a debate” laughs Jean. “Whoever’s on the outside will fight!”
“Our music is very listenable”, Jean says, and “people have commented that the melodies are catchy”. They want to create music that is accessible to their audience. “When we play live”, Jean continues, “we can always gauge what people think from their reactions to the songs – it’s the best way to tell if the songs good or not”. Their single, Games, has proven to be a crowd-mover – “there’s a feeling of upliftment after we’ve played it, as if everyone’s more connected”.
They plan on doing more gigs locally now that they have returned from Australia, and are positive about the future of the South African music scene – “we have so many good bands, so hopefully the support will come, and with the support will come venues and gigs”.
Listening in on a jam in their studio, filled with moody fairy lights strung up on the wall, there is a tangible creative energy in the room. Each musician appears in his own world with his instrument, but they play together as a single unit, carefully balancing the musical dynamic.