In July, the South African music scene was introduced to Colour Faction with the release of their debut single, Marco Polo, and its music video.
Now, the indie pop band has officially released their debut self-titled EP.
The EP was produced by Jacques du Plessis and Adrian Erasmus at High Seas Studios in Johannesburg and mastered by Emily Lazar, who has worked with the likes of indie pop-rock band The Shins and Vampire Weekend, at The Lodge in New York.
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The band’s frontman, Joshua Ackerman writes the lyrics and uses characters such as 13th-century explorers on the Silk Road, exotic dancers moonlighting as World War I spies and iconic stars of the silver screen, to tell his story.
“Story is where we came from. Story is where we’re going,” he said.
“If our lives are like comic books or movies, we may find ourselves stuck between frames without a script. As a songwriter, I try to find meaning in those moments.”
Bassist Angelika Simone Ronge, referred to affectionately as Peach by her bandmates, made reference to artists such as Warren Zevon and Paul Westerberg of the Replacements as writers who excelled at storytelling through song.
“Their songs were so cinematic, so rich in detail,” she said. “Smart pop arrangements and catchy hooks that you couldn’t get out of your head.”
Colour Faction’s EP is a testament to the smart pop arrangements and catchy hooks Ronge is talking about.
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The EP is dedicated to Joshua’s dad Jon, a musician and teacher who passed away in 2014. Jon ran a very popular record store, Street, in the 80s and early 90s and was one of the very few people in South Africa importing the music of bands such as the Cure and the Pixies.
“He taught me how to play bass,” added Ronge.
“It’s sad that he never got to hear the EP. We know he would’ve been proud. He’d always tell us, ‘sing out, sing strong’.”
The EP shows off their best attributes as a band – sophisticated pop arrangements, intricate vocal harmonies, smart lyrics and catchy hooks – great ingredients for a debut offering. The band decided to self-title the EP because they want people to remember the name Colour Faction – bright, confident and catchy, like the music itself.
