By Lebogang Mgiba
One of Joburg’s hottest live acts, The Sextons, has just released their long-awaited and highly anticipated debut album Welcome to Forever. Produced by Kevin Leicher, the album is a collection of new-age singer/songwriter-styled compositions, mixed with modern folk, funk, an undertone of jazz and a whole lot of soul. From the opening track, Inside, you’ll become engrossed in the rich storytelling and won’t want to stop until the end. There is definitely room for what The Sextons has to offer the music industry. We sat down with band frontwoman Jamie-Lee Sexton to get the back story.
- Congrats on your album! The first track Inside is so much fun and it really sets the mood for the rest of the album. How would you describe Welcome to Forever?
Thanks! Inside is definitely a favourite. Welcome to Forever is a combination of genres, stories, life experiences and an expression and interpretation of the way I view life and the way the songs were written. Each song has a life of its own, and the album shares a great amount of emotion and understanding of these life experiences… Welcome to Forever is just the beginning.
- Life is another one of our favourites; what inspired it?
This song is very close to my heart. Life was written for my aunt and my father who both passed away. “Hold onto life” is one of the key lines in the song; such a simple sentence but so poignant when it is lost… Every time I sing this song I am taken back to that point in my life when everything meant nothing, and life was but a tiny light at the end of a very dark tunnel. I truly hope this song reaches out and touches many people who have experienced loss in any way. Music is my therapy.
- The album is a collection of a whole lot of genres. How did that happen, and what was it like creating this album?
Welcome to Forever has taken many, many years! Inside was the first song I wrote, and that was written seven years ago. It is a collection of songs I have written over the years, and songs I have written in the last year and a half. The process has been an organic one, which I am so happy about. From our pre-production phase, which took a lot of time and hard work, to being in studio, which was the best, everything ran freely for us. The creativity was awe-inspiring, the understanding and patience from each person that was present, and our producer Kevin Leicher, who is such a boss… it was fantastic! We can’t wait to make the next one.
4. If you were to box Welcome to Forever into a genre, what would it be?
Our best and worst question… Welcome to Forever can’t really by subjected to a box because of its diverse nature and the various genres within the album, but, if we had to, it would be Singer/Songwriter.
5. How’s the writing process for you?
The writing process is always an interesting one. As I said before, this is a combination of life experiences, so when I’ve got something to say but don’t know how to say it, I write a song. When I experience or go through something in my life I always try remember how it feels, and when the time is right and the moon is light, I can remember every scratch, smell, taste and picture in my mind. I will, more often than not, start with the music first and then add the lyrics. Music is the canvas. Lyrics are my colours.
6. What inspired the album title and cover? It looks like you had a ball shooting it.
We had a blast! Photoshoots are always fun, especially when you have great ideas and a great team to work with. The album title was inspired by a few things. This is our debut album, so we’re using it as a welcoming and a presentation of our work… The album cover was inspired by the location we were on; we chose the most amazing hair salon in Linden, which has an entirely retro 70s vibe with all the right and beautifully wrong elements. That particular shot was my mom’s idea; she had a dream, woke up, called me and said I think this shot will be fabulous! So we tried it and, bam, it turned out wonderfully!
7. Which artists would you like to work with at the moment?
There are so many fantastic artists around. Locally would be Mango Groove, Micasa, Karen Zoid, Spoek Mathambo and Boo! Internationally, The Weeknd, Imagine Dragons, Erykah Badu and Muse.
8. What are some of the most memorable moments from making the album?
There are so many! A few that stand out:
- On our first day in studio we were recording drums (Mark van Djik), and everyone was really chilled and relaxed until we heard the drums start, then we realised, this is it! We have officially started our journey… A great feeling!
- Inviting a few friends over to come chill with us; that’s always cool. You get the vibe and energy going, which always helps whilst recording and creates a great ambiance.
- Writing songs in studio. Bee Bop wasn’t finished when we got to studio; I couldn’t find the right word to stick. So on the day we started recoding it, I went outside on the street for about two hours, drawing inspiration from my surroundings, then came back and recorded the whole track. That was cool!
