Do you know WhatsTheBandsNVME?

The South African alternative music scene is a scene with consistent growth. We have acts constantly breaking boundaries, whether it is by adding their own interpretations to already existing music traditions or experimenting to a point of obscurity, making it difficult to box them into just one genre, or any genre at all. There is always something special that one can expect from our alternative scene.

Adding to this ever-evolving landscape is a nine-piece ensemble called WhatsTheBandsNVME. Bordering on mystique, the name itself does not give much away about what one can possibly expect from them. The band itself is an animated concept fueled by music, with illustrations done by Melinda Maziya. The entire band is based on fictionalized personas that are not exactly connected to the artists behind the band. The members have an interesting backstory that helps us understand what contributions they make to the group.

For starters, we have RandomGuy, who not only has his bass guitar skills to offer, but is credited as the silent architect behind what we know as WhatsTheBandsNVME. Next is Boo, who is now pursuing music and visual arts after living life as a trained assassin. Honoring an invite from RandomGuy, she makes up one of the members of this band.

Juke Sehamamollo is another interesting member; he got his eyes taken for stealing a bass guitar. He offers his lyrical prowess to the band in the hopes of getting his eyes returned to him, given that he fulfills his side of the deal, which is to write 604,800 songs for the band.

Aziza, who, much like Boo (her older sister), lived a life as a trained assassin. With her sister having been exiled, she set off to South Africa to look for her, and during that journey, she bumped into her friend Coco. It is through looking for her sister that she was able to also find herself and discover something that makes her happy: singing.

Akani M is the band’s percussionist, whose talent caught the eye of RandomGuy. His skills have helped sharpen their approach to making music.

NezzRoe joins the band as a vocalist, however, she is also a brilliant engineer who created an android by the name of B.L.U. This android was developed with a blank AI so that he can develop his own understanding of the world. He is on the production side of operations, with Akani M showing him the ropes. He hopes to create something that will be seen as true mastery of the art.

Then we have Jerry Catnip, a talking cat that can play the guitar. Taking on the role of the lead guitarist, he is very happy to be a part of the band.

Coco is another addition to the band who is described as a mystery. I have no doubt that the music will help us unravel the mystery behind this persona.

Their debut single is titled To God Take Me With You. This is a beautiful piece that serves as a great introduction to what this band has to offer. With vocal performances from Juke Sehamamollo and Boo, we are gently asked to let go of our fears. The song feels like a sincere expression of devotion. There’s a tenderness to it, one that is also expressed sonically by B.L.U on production and Akani M on percussion. This song makes me excited for what’s more to come from this incredible group of artists. You too can get to experience the beauty of To God Take Me With You.