This week we return to Durban to speak with the passionate (and productive!) Mandy James. Any Durbanites who are into the alternative scene will know Mandy from the many stages upon which she performs, the musical videos on her Instagram page, and the incredible energy and enthusiasm she brings to any instrument she wields.

In the interview we discuss how her current bands, Saturn Return and Sons of Shem, are musical expressions of empowerment, both personally and socially. Given that Saturn Return have erupted to the fore of the Durban scene, we take the time to talk about their position as a female-fronted band championing women's empowerment, and their subsequent experiences both negative (in the form of sexist sound guys and patronising comments) and positive (the huge reception and resonance they have tapped into with their audience, whilst providing visibility of the LGBTQI community in rock and roll circles in South Africa).

We also chat about the current state of guitar-based music in Durban, which (forgive the horrendous cliché) is in the throes of rising like a phoenix from the ashes of its recent collapse (most significantly symbolised by the closure of the Winston Pub), and the emergence of new venues such as the Westville Warehouse, Ace's Pizza, and the semi-rogue Alive Events filling the long-stagnant void of Durban's once vibrant music scene. Mandy, and both her bands Saturn Return and Sons of Shem are currently key players this new wave of original Durban music, as many of the veteran artists, performers and bands have moved on to Cape Town and Gauteng in pursuit of new opportunities. 

The discussion also broaches more personal topics, such as Mandy's experience of falling into the misconception that in order to create "good" art, one must be in a place of suffering, at the expense of personal and mental health. While music may be an incredible way to work through emotional difficulties, this is certainly a darker narrative that I have seen all too many talented musicians fall into.

But the conversation covers all kinds of weird and wonderful other stuff too - parody folk, Backstreet Boys covers, unfortunate electrical capers with American-made guitars, house fires, slamming too many tequilas and falling on stage in Amanzimtoti... The joys of rock and roll, baby.

So take the time to give the episode a listen, and hear some six-stringed tales directly from one of Durban's most exciting players.