Plush deliver their second album as a full band with great production. Grammy nominated Cedric Samson produces with Nic Els engineering. The album was mastered in New York at Sterling Sound by Grammy winner George Marino. The album retains the essence of Plush, yet explores new avenues with the addition of sounds and instruments that previously have not been heard from the band.
Biography
“The future is coming / picking up speed” implores Rory Eliot, lead singer of Plush. It is a line in the middle of the fifth song off the band’s third and latest studio album, Rage On. It would be easy to miss, but for the resonating relevance. It explodes from the very heart of the album, an inspired eleven-track reflection on self-discovery, and succinctly sums up the state of one of South Africa’s most celebrated bands.
Destiny is a theme so pronounced that it is the very spirit of the album, and destiny is where the compelling journey now seems sure to take the quartet of Eliot, bassist Emelio Gassibe, lead guitarist Carl Wegelin and drummer Ben Peters. Through both remarkable success and numbing tragedy, the road has been anything but easy, but the release of their comeback album to widespread acclaim, sold-out shows and growing international interest indicates that their time is now.
Plush first flickered on the South African music map back in 2003. Alongside lead guitarist Chas Smit’s creative flair, Eliot’s songwriting ability and natural charisma merged seamlessly to produce songs such as Tainted, which hit No.1 on TuksFM, and Today and My Baby which received regular radio play, the latter getting airtime on MTV. Described as “so unbelievably tight that they sound as though they are one masterful musician, playing two guitars, with four arms and one almighty voice”, Plush were known for their masterful live gigs, exhibitions of incredible musicianship, as well as a message that was simple, heartfelt and uplifting. Then the unthinkable, as their initial rocket ride ended tragically when Smit was killed by an alleged drunk driver when attempting to cross a street in Pietermaritzburg in September 2005.
Engulfed by grief, Eliot took a six month sabbatical before returning as a solo artist, determined to fulfill a promise he’d made to Smit that they would make it. His journey was one not meant to be undertaken alone, however, and soon Peters and Gassibe and then Wegelin pledged their future to ensuring that the promise and potential of Plush did not end in tragedy.
The group released their first single in two years, When Grace Grew Tall, in early 2007 and received an immediate response. In addition to charting and receiving high rotation on a number of radio stations, the song shot to No 1 on 5fm’s Hi5@5, where it remained for four weeks and was downloaded thousands of times.
An increasing repertoire of new tracks saw sell-out crowds and packed venues all over Cape Town as word of Plush’s return spread. Not content with their Mother City conquest, the band’s comprehensive touring schedule saw them earn major followings in Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
The national effort went global in August of 2007 when the band embarked on a historic and highly successful tour of the United Kingdom in August of 2007. Focusing primarily on London, the band played nine shows in 10 days to sold-out venues of crowds comprising nostalgic South African expatriates as well as a whole new British audience. Reviews were gushing and interest in the band was sustained, to the extent that a follow-up tour was demanded and scheduled for later this year.
Commercial interest has also been kindled. Partnerships with brands as diverse as Vertigo clothing and Apple computers have been notably successful, with the band’s significant and growing appeal amongst young South Africans emerging from tertiary institutions ensuring a platform into a vital, multi-racial and economically mobile sector.
With countrywide launches of the new album to conclude the year, including a sold-out Summer Series gig at Kirstenbosch Gardens that drew 5000 people, Plush are the band to watch in 2008. Follow-up singles to When Grace Grew Tall, international tours to the UK, Europe and Australia, and the widespread availability of a brand new album are what beckon in the year ahead.
The combination of emotion, passion and determination have fueled Plush’s musical rebirth. The same combination has also meant it’s always been more than just songs. For many, it is the soundtrack to their lives.
And that is why this is a band that does not have fans. This is a band that inspires a movement.
Are you in?
[April 2008]
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