Finding salvation in song: Ayrton van Wyngaardt takes off with ‘I Will Go Far’

Some people have a calling to the cloth. Others, well, elsewhere. For twenty-year-old Ayrton van Wyngaardt, his music has been his salvation. He’s just debuted his first single and, if it’s a foreshadowing of his future – it’s bright lights and billboards on the cards. Even the track is called I Will Go Far.

Ayrton, how he wants to be known as, might have dropped out of school early, but his passion for music quickly became his compass in life. For this young artist, music wasn’t just an escape and a never-ending pursuit, never mind when the going might have gotten tough.

“Seventh grade came, and I decided I’m done. I’m not going to go back to school again. I’ve got no interest for that,” he said. “Almost instantly after that, I discovered up my love for music,” he added.

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He didn’t have access to a professional recording setup at first, so he did what many aspiring artists do – he got creative. “I downloaded these apps on my phone that allowed me to import an instrumental or a backing track and record my vocals over it,” he shared.

“It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.” Ayrton’s resourcefulness did not amount to nought. His dad recognised his potential and bought him his first microphone, allowing him to take his hobby to the next level. “It wasn’t the best, but it got me into mixing and self-recording at home,” he said.

No access to pro-gear at first

Ayrton’s passion and commitment to his music grew stronger with time, and he began investing in better equipment and refining his sound. “It was still only a modest improvement, but the five hundred Rand mic I bought made a huge difference to me,” he laughed.

In the background, his dad kept on sending out demos to the music industry. Patrick Meyer, a South African music industry legend, signed Ayrton earlier this year and shipped him into studio. “The leap into a professional recording studio environment was incredible,” he said. “It was like a dream coming true,” he said.

He worked with seasoned producer Matthew Fink. The pair clicked immediately, he said and credited Fink for helping him bring his vision to life. “Matthew is brilliant at what he does,” he said. “I felt like this was where I had to be, like I was and am manifesting my future,” he said.

Watch Ayrton’s debut music video I Will Go Far

Ayrton’s first single, I Will Go Far, is a cocktail of emotion and country pop. “It started out as one of those corny love songs, but I figured the vibe was too uplifting for that,” he said. Instead, the song evolved into a lyrically sharp anthem about resilience and determination, themes that resonate deeply with Ayrton’s own life.

“I think it just focuses on the fact that no matter how much goes on around you, if you dream hard enough and work hard enough, you will make it,” he shared. Ayrton didn’t just write the song for himself; he wrote it for anyone who’s ever faced challenges but kept pushing forward.

Against the odds he forged ahead

Penning songs demand introspection. He’s had to push forward much of his life. Ayrton was never able to set down roots as his family moved around a lot, and at times this made forming interpersonal relationships challenging. It also shaped his own, constant introspection. He’s a contemplator, a thinker.

“I don’t just write about anything. I’ve got to have a certain emotion or a certain feeling, and I try to project that into my music,” he said. Influenced by a range of artists, from Post Malone to Noah Kahan, he blends emotional depth with catchy, uplifting tunes. It just seems to come naturally to him.

“It’s really exciting. Everything is just coming together,” he said. There’s also no lack of self-belief. “I really do believe my music has the appeal,” he said, reflecting on the possibilities ahead. But while his ambitions are substantial, he said that he will never lose sight of his roots. That, and telling stories of resilience, struggle, and ultimately triumph through music.

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