1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,280 Speaker 1: Today we feature a band with a long history in 2 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: the South African music scene who's just released a new single. 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: The band's called Plum, and they were formed back in 4 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six, played together for nearly a decade before 5 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: they took a break in two thousand and five, and 6 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: it was a long break at lasting seventeen years, but 7 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: they reformed older hopefully wise, they're still very much passionate 8 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,639 Speaker 1: about making music together and last year came back with 9 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: their first new release in seventeen years, a track called 10 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,319 Speaker 1: Don't Stop Believing. They now have a second new single, 11 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: which we're going to play for you in a couple 12 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: of minutes. But first let's say hello to vocalist and 13 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 1: guitarist Kevin Leisher of the band Plum. Kevin, great to 14 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: have you on the show this afternoon. 15 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: Welcome, thanks very much for how are you doing. 16 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: I'm great? Thanks? 17 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 2: How are you yeah, I'm good great, Thank you. 18 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 1: So a band that formed in the nineteen nineties, played 19 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: together for nearly a decade and then broke up for 20 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: nearly two decades, that's quite a story, Kevin, do you 21 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: want to start at the beginning and tell us very 22 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: quickly how you guys met and what led to the 23 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: initial formation of the band. 24 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 2: So bass plans and co vocalist Warren is my first cousin. Yeah, 25 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: so we are at the same age. I think I 26 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 2: was actually taken to his house after I was born, 27 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 2: before I even made it back to my parents' house. 28 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,119 Speaker 2: And we started the band when we were in high school. 29 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: We went through a couple of different drummers. Plumb was formed. 30 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 2: We did Plumb when we when we kind of disbanded Plumb, 31 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 2: what happened was the drummer that we were working with 32 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 2: was tired of the music scene. Warren and I continued 33 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 2: as musicians. We ended up session playing for Anna Claston's, 34 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 2: Chris Camellia and Josie Field. So we continued working together, 35 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 2: just not doing our own music personally. And then I 36 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 2: think COVID hits and we were like, hey, you know, 37 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 2: why did we stop doing our own songs? So we 38 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 2: decided to reform Plumb. 39 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: Okay, and do you have a have you corrupted a 40 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: third member into the new the new. 41 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 2: Version of Plum, Yes, yes, so so actually what happened 42 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 2: was Warren was playing or is still playing with The 43 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 2: seats are from Varner Boom's Fart project called Blood Honey 44 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 2: and their drum Ryan Greenwood was said to me, look, 45 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 2: this guy is the perfect drama for Pluan, like we 46 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 2: have to try him out, and he was absolutely right. 47 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 2: Ryan is amazing. 48 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: Okay, so here you are a trio once again and 49 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: a new single that we're going to play for our 50 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: audience in just a moment. What's it like doing this 51 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: again after such a long I mean, it wasn't a break, 52 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: as you've said, both you and Warren. We're still making music, 53 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: just in other forms. But what's it like doing it 54 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: together again after all this time? 55 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 2: Looks it's amazing. We've we've always enjoyed playing together, but 56 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 2: there's something very special about actually playing your own music, 57 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 2: songs that you write and are really connected to. And 58 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 2: we're just having a lot of fun this time around. 59 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 2: I think when we did it the first time around, 60 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 2: we were really trying to make us full income, you know, 61 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 2: supporting ourselves and our families out of it, and there's 62 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 2: a lot of pressure, especially South African you know, music 63 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 2: scene the summer around. You know, we've established ourselves, we 64 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 2: have other sources of income, and this is purely just 65 00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 2: for the joy and love of it, and I. 66 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: Bet we can to hear that in the track. Now, 67 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: Kevin are were playing out with the new single called 68 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: How the West Was Lost? Tell us a little bit 69 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: about the song. 70 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 2: The song is a reflection on today's global kind of 71 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 2: political crisis that we're watching unfold. In fact, the you know, 72 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 2: the last week ten days have have made the song 73 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:21,799 Speaker 2: even more relevant than when we wrote it, which was 74 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:26,639 Speaker 2: a couple of weeks ago. And you know, we all 75 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 2: grew up looking at the West as the pinnacle of civilization, 76 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 2: especially in South Africa. I don't know about you, but 77 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 2: I felt like, you know, America and England was just 78 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 2: the peak and we wished we could be there. And 79 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: I think the global view on that has shifted and 80 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 2: is shifting, and we're seeing an eroding of that viewpoint 81 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: due to bad leadership. We no longer have leaders that unify. 82 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 2: The leaders seem to really try and divide people more 83 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 2: than anything else at this point in time. 84 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: Okay, Kevin, I'm really looking forward to listening to the 85 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: track that grew out of that thought process. I gather 86 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: you guys are doing some live performances. What have you 87 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: got lined up for for the near future? 88 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 2: So currently we've just come off a tour. We've just 89 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 2: returned from Cape Time, so we played last weekend two 90 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 2: gigs in Cape Time, which went great. So there's no 91 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 2: more bookings currently that I can announce. We are in studio. 92 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 2: We're working on the next single, which would come out 93 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 2: in about four weeks time, and then we'll do another 94 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 2: small tour and we'll just have to watch Socials and 95 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 2: see from there when our next gig gift. 96 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: Okay, Well, in the meantime, Kevin Great, I've had a 97 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: chance to catch up with you for a brief chat 98 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: this afternoon. Our best wishes to you and Ryan and 99 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: Warren for the success of the new version of Plum 100 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: and a pleasure to have you on the show as 101 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: we play out with the brand new single called How 102 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: the West Was Lost.