I recently had a chat with Matt and Ryno - who write, record and produce their own music - to find out what they're up to this year and why 2011 is the year of the Fu...
What has been going on in the world of Sergeant Fu since your album launch last year?
There has been some incredible news already this year - our debut album has been licensed in New Zealand! That means the Kiwis will be receiving the feel-good vibes of Sergeant Fu on their radios, TVs and in their stores! Another big project we are working on at the moment is a musical called The Wizard Of Fu - it will be a collaboration between Sergeant Fu and Stageworx Performing Arts School. We don't want to give too much awesome information away right now but you can catch this production at the Pro Musica Theatre in July. 2011 is also seeing the growth of the band from 2 members to 4; we have had the privilege of playing with Rudo (bass) and Herman (drums) the last few months and they are totally part of the new vibe!
Where do you draw your influences from?
Matt: When I was a kid I had a mad obsession with Weird Al Yankovic. I begged my dad every time he went overseas to please pick up his albums that weren't available in SA at that time - I knew all the words! And then when I was about 13-years-old I discovered Hanson... or did they discover me? I dunno but I was totally mesmerised by the catchy melody of Mmmbop and I remember that music making me feel so damn good for days on end! So you could say that Sergeant Fu is a clever mixture between Weird Al Yankovic and Hanson in a very old-school way - although in the same breath we feel that the music is still very current.
Ryno: I've always listened to a very vast selection of music; from jazz to metal... I was generally just influenced by all styles of music while growing up. These days it's stuff like Snow Patrol, The Temper Trap, One Republic - with the odd boogie to Beyonce in those "stuck-in-traffic" moments!
Who inspires you personally as a vocalist/guitarist?
Matt: As a vocalist I tend to get inspired by all those rockers who made it big despite people telling them that they couldn't sing. Bono is one of them!
Ryno: I guess guys like John Mayer and The Edge played a big part for me.
What is your favourite Sergeant Fu song?
Matt: Wow, hard to pick but if I had to I'd say Social Paraplegic! The song is pretty special to me as it was written about Ryno and myself's attempt at picking up chicks at Casablanca one night!
Ryno: I think it's Best Song In The World... We had a lot of fun when we wrote and recorded that one!
What does a typical day in the life of Sergeant Fu look like?
Well, a really good day in the life of Sergeant Fu would start out with a Sergeant Fu-drink; Tropika with a single shot of Jagermeister - trust me, it's nice! And when we are writing and recording our new tunes, we are chilling by the pool with a hubbly and our guitars and a piece of paper. We often collab with The Godfather; he is a brilliant bouncing board for all of our ideas!
What role does social media play in your success?
A huge role! Sergeant Fu has been mostly a viral message. When we posted our Vuvuzela music video on YouTube we had no idea what was to come! We've had over 300 000 collective views on that video. Our video was reposted with Portuguese subtitles and we started receiving fan mail in Portuguese! Our video was also featured on the home page of YouTube in Brazil! So yeah, the social media platforms are intensely valuable for us as a band. It makes our work a lot easier - the fans tell other people about us and we don't need to spend as much money on marketing... Hooray!
What do you think of downloading music online?
I think it's cool. I'm really glad about it, actually! That means people from all over the world can have access to the music we write. Otherwise they would never have been able to hear it or listen to it. We have had downloads on our album from New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, USA, Europe and even Zimbabwe! Boom! Lovin' it!
What makes Sergeant Fu different from any other band currently on the scene?
We went o a quest to create a new music genre called "feel-good" and I feel that we successfully pulled it out of the hat! Oh yes, and I really feel that our mascot, Super Duck, sets us apart! He has recently acquired a life partner in Mrs Duck; she is keeping him in line and soon after they have kids we should hypothetically have all our ducks in a row...
Has anyone ever mistaken you for a member of another band?
Ryno: The drummer from The Parlotones! I think I'm just gonna start faking his signature and ride that wave a bit. Nobody will even know! Ha ha!
What's the best and worst thing about playing in clubs?
Best thing; Jagermeister. Worst thing; Canilla (Cane and Tequila).
Do you have day jobs and how do they compare with what you wanted to be when you grew up?
Matt: I teach songwriting and drums during the day and they support my dream of making music and building incredible projects. So I am living my dream, but I'm no Richard Branson just yet!
Ryno: I run my recording studio full-time which is exactly what I wanted to do when I was younger!
Do you ever embarrass each other in public?
Matt: Every time I dance I embarrass whoever is around me!
Ryno: Me too... it's bad, hey!
Would you rather have superpowers or access to Oprah's bank account?
Matt: I would go with Oprah's bank account! Show me the long dollar!
Ryno: I probably have to say Oprah, but how awesome would it be to be able to fly...?
Who did you get your last sms from and what did it say?
Matt: My one drum student and it reads, "10:15 till 11:00?" - yip, life-changing stuff!
Ryno: Ha ha, it's from Rudo (the bassist) saying that a fly got stuck inside his vegetable steamer... general chit-chat stuff.
Your favourite one-liner?
Matt: "What do you call a girl who falls face-first onto the stove? Patty." Don't be jealous and don't judge!
Ryno: "What do you call a coloured werewolf? Aweh-wolf." It's lame. I know.
What do you have planned for the rest of 2011?
We are looking at doing some more high school shows this year. The kids out there are digging the tunes so we want to go to them so they don't have to try fake IDs to get into clubs. We will obviously still do club gigs here and there and we would love to play Joburg Day... just putting it out there!
Come on, push the awesome button... I know you want to!
Izzy
xxx
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