Werner Bekker set to release new music

Werner Bekker is a full-time musician with five years of experience in songwriting, composition, performance and teaching music.

Growing up with creative parents, Werner joined his father on the road at an early age. He went on to study music at the Campus of Performing arts and has since written music for various artists, as well as for film.

City Buzz had the opportunity to get a QnA with the folk-pop singer to find out more about him and his music.

Read: Q&A with Louise Carver

When was it that you first realised you wanted to be a musician? 

Ever since I can remember. My parents told me that I could sing before I could speak. Apparently, I used to cry on long journeys in the car and they would put music on for me to mumble along to.

If you weren’t a musician, what do you think you would be? 

I’d probably be a woodworker. I love building things with my hands. Alternatively, I’d probably be a hippie in an off the grid community somewhere in South America.

Read: Jazz singer releases debut album

Do you come from a musical family? 

Yes, I’d call it an artistic family. My dad was a musician for many years and my mum did all sorts of pretty things on canvas, furniture, with glass … you name it.

Is it tough earning a living from music alone? And what are some of the challenges you have faced? 

It is tough, yes, but it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I’ve had a pretty good run so far. The biggest challenge I’ve faced was probably a wedding where we stuffed up the playlists, our car broke down and I was towed back to Johannesburg with an open window and rain pouring in. Probably the worst 24 hours of my life thus far. The live performance was great though.

Read: Singer, songwriter, and dancer pursues music career

What is your debut single Alive again about? 

Alive again is about that clichéd feeling everyone gets when they have been in a bad relationship and get caught up in the throes of young love. Pretty corny but it’s real and everyone feels that way at one time or another.

What inspired you to write it? 

A new relationship that at the time I thought was going to change my life.

Your music is very niche, how do you think it will fare in the mainstream market? 

I don’t know, it’s always a bit of a balancing act when writing music to add a bit of contemporary flavour but keep to what you love. I feel that the people I worked with on this song really understood what I was going for and so I really like the end result of the song. What the mainstream market will do with it is a mystery …

Who is Werner Bekker? How would you describe yourself firstly, as a musician, secondly as a person? 

Werner Bekker is a singer-songwriter with a large repertoire of self-penned songs that range from divorce to cheesy love songs, songs about hurt, love, confusion, beauty, excitement – pretty much a rainbow of emotions swirled into an acoustic guitar and some vocal chords.

I am a pretty friendly guy, stuck in my ways. I can be very stubborn but people also tend to walk over me. I try to smile as much as I can and try to do the same for shedding a tear. I like animals and nature and people who are true to themselves.

You’ve been playing shows for a long time, why has it taken you so long to release a single? 

Perfectionism firstly, and being caught up in idyllic ways of thinking about how music should be recorded and released and listened to. My brain never stops thinking, I overthink a lot and that sometimes inhibits me from freely expressing myself. As an artist you constantly judge yourself, this can be both a positive and negative thing.

What is your songwriting process and what influences you? 

I generally come up with a melody that represents what I am feeling at that specific moment (or that is a juxtaposition to what I’m feeling) and then go on to write lyrics that represent these emotions truly.

What are your plans for 2018? 

I wanna play festivals, record songs, write some more songs, make memories with friends and family, see a bit more of our beautiful country and maybe even a bit of the rest of the world.

What is your dream festival stage to play on? 

All of the great South African festivals like Splashy Fen, Mieliepop, Oppikoppi, Lush and so many more. I’d also love to play ‘Barn on the farm’ in the UK one day.

Check out the teaser for Werner Bekker’s debut single: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ENVwwMSC4k&feature=youtu.be