Simon and The Bande A Part - Am I The Worm

Picture source: https://www.facebook.com/simonandthebandeapart

Artist: Simon and The Bande A Part 

Singles - Am I The Worm
Genre: acoustic, folk

Listen to Blinking & Breathing:

Yet another success to grace the Cape Town shores is South African folk rock band, Simon and The Bande A Part. A developmental indie project created by singer/songwriter Simon Van Gend, the trio are making waves both locally and overseas with their latest single, 'Am I The Worm?' from their fourth studio album, Blinking and Breathing.

Songs That Should Be Mainstream fans may be well acquainted with this band via the bassist, Eric Michot (Mr. Kito), who has been featured for his solo expedition in an earlier STSBM piece (which can be viewed here). Michot and drummer Ross Campbell accompany Van Gend to create seamless compilations of original and distinctive music. 'Am I the Worm?' encapsulates the quirky niche of indie-folk that the band has naturally created for themselves, while simultaneously appealing to a broad and diverse audience across the globe.

Simon and The Bande A Part - Am I The Worm

Working with established Australian producer Ian Pritchett, who is best known for his work with folk sensations 'Angus and Julia Stone' and Australian roots music band 'The Beautiful Girls', Simon and The Bande A Part is shaping up to follow in the footsteps of these indie greats, rapidly rising to first place on the Reverbnation Folk charts for ZA in Cape Town earlier this year. Furthermore, with almost 30,000 fans on Facebook, the band is gaining a significant online following to support their upcoming releases.

It's no wonder Simon and The Bande A Part have received such positive attention from their fans. Each release from the band is well-crafted, displaying ingenuity and thoughtfulness in each track of the album. Am I The Worm? is particularly thought-provoking as it details the struggles of a man riddled with misfortune, searching for 'sunlight' within his life. The notion of life experiences expressed through song is indicative of the folk music genre that the band pertains to.

What results is a hybrid mix of rustic folk renditions entwined within a jovial and upbeat tune consistent with more modern stylistic forms of the 'folk' practice. Simon and the Bande A Part have created a balance within their music that both traditional and contemporary folk enthusiasts can enjoy.

Taking their music to the next level, the band have been known to include unique and unusual instruments in the compilation of their music. Including a vast range of instrumental accompaniments within their music, Blinking and Breathing in particular has increased the band's musical threshold. Including a french horn, mandolin, banjo, harmonica and bandoneon within their music, Simon and the Bande A Part are exploring new territories and expanding their minds to a new range of possibilities previously unconsidered by other folk-rock bands of today.

With such unique avenues explored within Am I The Worm and the album overall, it is gripping to imagine the potential for Simon and The Bande A Part to explore within their future releases. With such an overwhelmingly expanding fan-base, the band can only look towards bigger ventures within the years to come.

You can find more information on Simon and The Bande A Part on the official webpage, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

To buy a copy of Am I The Worm (single), or Blinking and Breathing (album), click <<here>>.

By Lily Pavlovic posted 5 November 2013, for STSBM