Ballistic Blues is a young, dynamic four-piece rock band consisting of Tyan Odendal (Lead guitar and backup vocals), JP Le Roux (Bass), Nicholas Forbes (Lead vocals and rhythm guitar) and Francois Keyser (Drums).

 

Ballistic Blues are based in Bellville, Cape Town and are creating huge waves with their unique sound. Ballistic Blues released their five-track debut EP in April 2013 and are in the process of recording their full-length debut album at VH Music & Publishing studios.

 

Lead guitarist and back-up singer, Tyan Odendal, talks about Ballistic Blues’ incredible journey thus far.

 

How did it all start?

 

Well, it all started in 2009. Keyser and I were in the same high school and one day during recess I said to him, “Listen dude, I wanna start a band.” So it started out with myself, Keyser and his buddy Jacques de Villiers… just jamming in the garage for fun. We then realised how much passion we had for making music and started thinking about our future. However, Jacques decided to leave the band at the end of the year.

 

A friend introduced us to JP and said, “He plays bass, he’s groovy and looking for a band.” Then we got Nick, who is an awesome guitarist and (more importantly) he sings. My voice isn’t strong enough to sing lead so we invited him to come watch us play at Die Boer in Durbanville and after that performance, he decided to join us. Over the period of one weekend, he learned the sound and songs.

 

How was exposure to the music industry in the first couple of gigs?

 

We started playing gigs at Open Mic sessions, pubs and venues like ‘Plaas Theatre’. I was extremely nervous because I had to sing and play guitar. We also had cheap, shit gear (scrunches his face) but we got better gigs mid-2011, such as small blues festivals. At that time, everything was strictly blues.  It was our genre, it is in the name. However, now we play various genres and not just blues.

 

 

What was the reaction when you first started out?

 

I remember we did a radio interview with MFM Stellenbosch and the people were blown away. They freaked out and wanted to know who we are and where we’re from. We were like, “What? Were we actually doing something right?” I mean we can’t help that we’re making music, we have to and it’s a part of us.

 

 

It takes a lot to make it in the music industry, how did you manage that?

 

Jean Jordaan wanted to manage us, with Landi and Monica Ressouw. We were four amateurs who just loved jamming and were hungry for success. But we knew nothing about the music industry so they helped us with marketing: Media networking, Twitter and connecting us. And then suddenly we had a gig with Pretty Blue Guns. It was their last gig and our first official one as a four-piece outfit. Pretty Blue Guns made a great mark, especially on the local scene, and a lot of people were bummed that they ended, but now Ballistic Blues was taking their place. In that way their legacy lives on.

 

You carry the Pretty Blue Guns legacy, but what makes your sound unique?

 

We’re not just another ‘shuffle’ like Muddy Waters or a standard blues band. It’s nice to hear that we’re different. We strive for originality. Our sound has evolved and grown from classic blues to a mixture of rock and roll, funk, jazz, grunge, a little pop. However, there is a distinctive element of blues underneath, especially in my guitar solos.

 

What is your song-writing process?

 

Nick is a genius. People always ask, “Dude, what is that guy smoking?” He looks odd and silent but with his songs, everything just comes alive. Nick comes up with a basic idea for a song, I write a guitar solo, Keyser brings in the drums and together we build on that in order to make Nick’s idea come to life. We colour in the rest of the instruments until we’re satisfied with the results.

 

Has music always been your passion?

 

(Nods enthusiastically) I have this indescribable ambition and passion, a bottomless pit for my music. It doesn’t stop. I’m constantly brainstorming for something that could push the band to the next level. The people you get to meet, the music scene, it gives you a rush. The energy pulses through you and this amazing culture is right here and people don’t realise it. So many people are amped for our music and that motivates me even more. I think I can speak for the whole band when I say that there could be about twenty people in the crowd and only two could be jiving… but that’s enough to keep us going.