Steve Umculo's debut album's full of spirit. Picture Supplied.
Music can be like a badly blended cup of coffee. It’s either too bitter or too bland, missing a balance of flavours and textures. But Steve Umculo has mastered the art of blending a brew with his debut album, Elements. Like a solid roast of coffee, his fusion of Afro-based rhythms with folk melodies strikes just the right note, creating an album that’s both fresh and familiar, alive with flavour and a great aftertaste.
Umculo’s Elements took five years to make, shaped by the physical world, human emotions, and the sounds that have influenced his life. “The album celebrates the physical elements of the earth, the emotional elements that make us human, and the musical elements that have influenced my journey,” Umculo said. From uplifting anthems to introspective ballads, each track takes listeners on a sonic adventure that mirrors life itself, he said. Raw, rhythmic, and connected.
Blending Afro-based rhythms and folk was not a happenstance. It was a deliberate labour of love that saw its genesis in 2016 when Umculo moved to Spain. It was there, missing home, that his sound began to take shape. “Sometimes it takes leaving a place to really appreciate it,” he said. “I found myself listening to a lot of South African music styles, and that, combined with my love for folk, shaped the beginnings of Elements.”
But before heading to Spain the Johannesburg native said South Africa’s melting pot of music, became the foundation for his sound. “Joburg is such a vibrant place. The 100s of genres we experience every day all blended in my brain and help influence my writing style,” he shared.
On the track We’re Alright he collaborated with the Soweto Gospel Choir. Their harmonies bring an added depth to the song, he said. “We’re Alright is about love despite adversity, whether that’s race, religion, or sexual orientation,” Umculo said. “The choir embodied the harmony and togetherness we aimed for.” The choir’s rendition of ‘Kulungile’ (it’s alright in isiZulu) brings warmth and power to his music.
Umculo also worked with Stelth Ulvang from The Lumineers. “Meeting Stelth was incredible. The Lumineers have shaped how I understand music, and working with him was a bit of a fangirl moment,” Umculo said. And much of the album is thanks to fans, but in a different way altogether.
During The Look Up Sessions, an acoustic online series where he sought feedback from his audience, they shared what music resonated with them the most. “A major goal in my career is to connect with people,” Umculo said. “The process of including such a special group of people allowed me to understand what elements different people from different walks of life connect with.”
Umculo wanted the music to be “easily digestible but still authentically, me.” The album is full of simple four-chord structures, rooted in his love for folk, yet it’s also driven by complex grooves that loop to his passion for rhythm. He said that his musical evolution from the Fall From Grace period through to Elements is tangible. “Fall From Grace was a steppingstone to Elements,” he explained. “It’s my folky side that needed a bit of Afro-influence to get to where we are today.”
With over ten million views on social media, Umculo’s performances have reached a global audience. While social media has helped him connect with fans worldwide, Umculo remains careful not to let it consume him. “Social media is great for connecting with people, but it’s important to disconnect sometimes too,” he said. “An unhealthy obsession can do more harm than good, but it’s been the backbone of building the audience I have today.”
Despite the collaborations and inputs from fans across platforms, recording Elements wasn’t a smooth ride. The pandemic slowed it all down and nearly derailed production entirely. “COVID was a major challenge,” Umculo said. “But I also found it difficult to let go. I wanted to communicate the messages on this album in the best possible way. Things didn’t feel perfect until the songs became the perfectly imperfect product they are today,” he said. “You know that feeling you get when you’re singing the national anthem? It starts with excitement, and by the end, you’ve got tears in your eyes. That’s the journey I want to take people on.”
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