Sutherland

These three good looking blokes have gathered there musical super powers to bring us a fresh acoustic sound right to the door step of the Johannesburg entertainment scene.
With my heart pumping warm lumpy custard while listening to their first single “Keep on Pushing on” , let’s find out a little bit more about them.            

Firstly WHO are you and how did you guys join forces to create Sutherland?
Sutherland is Misty, Mika and Chris.. We’ve all been really great friends for a pretty long time now and have been in bands together before Sutherland..
I became the bridge between Mika and Chris by working on separate acoustic projects with each of them; We then decided to join forces.
We thought it would be a lot more fun and effective to work on the same project together rather than dividing our attention.

All three of you are from musical backgrounds. Was modern folk always your chosen genre?
We have all been and Chris and I still are involved in other bands/projects that are worlds apart from the ‘Modern folk’ genre.
I guess, as individuals, it was never really our chosen genre… But we have always dabbled in the acoustic side of things... Even if it was just for the fun of it .
It’s only recently that we’ve decided to make something of it.

Was there a specific influence?
We’re inspired by artists who have done things that stand out to us in the acoustic style.
Artists such as Shakey Graves, Mikhael Paskalev, Chet Faker and Jonas Alaska.
That doesn’t go to say we sound like them, but more to say that we are inspired to create our own unique sound.

                                       Watch Sutherland’s Live Session of their song Lost

How have you found the South African response?
So far, we’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received. Considering we’re such a new band, I think the response has been incredible. We’d like to say thank you to everyone for showing us the love!

You guys recently entered the Jagermeister -Back the artist competition - how important is it for brands to get behind artists such as yourselves and what exposure did you guys get from this competition? Sadly you didn’t win, but will you guys enter more of these competitions in the future?
Because we’re such a young band, big brands like Jagermeister are platforms for getting our name out there; they really help to promote bands in a short space of time. In that sense, this competition has really helped get the ball rolling for us.
While we’re in the spirit of competition, yes we probably would enter another one.

From a 2 piece to a 3 piece, what more dynamics will Chris bring to the band and how will this influence your writing style?
Chris fulfills the rhythmic-percussive element in the band and also helps with the writing and performance of various other instruments. He was a major influence before he officially came aboard in any case, so the dynamic of the band won’t really change all that much.

Is there a gap in the South African market for acoustic acts such as yourselves? 
Yes, we believe there is niche growing in the music industry. With so many live venues closing down, acoustic acts like us can play shows at smaller places where most other bands can’t. It’s something we see every weekend and we plan to get involved.

Where to from here?
Onwards!! We’re just going to keep doing what we do and have as much fun with it as we can.
Whatever happens, happens.


Written by: Rachel Steen-Stenersen
Photographer: Dominique Little