“We must be crazy to produce a dance number during Covid,” they believe. But two Durban musicians have done just that.
Blues guitarist Matt Davies and saxophonist, DJ and music producer Tim Lewis teamed up to create Just Be Here, a dance hit that is making waves on radio, and is the duo’s first major song. And they can’t wait for a packed dance floor to open to give Durban a sound “it’s never heard before”.
The song was born in a day. The two met through fellow Durban musician Kyle Deutsch. The next day they met at the Bike and Bean, “had a swim and then hit the studio that afternoon,” said Lewis. “I had an old project and Matt had a set of lyrics from a few years ago.”
“I had seen Tim performing and he’s heard my music. I had the lyrics and he had the production experience. The rest is history,” said Davies. “It was crazy. For me it was all about the guitar, and I was moving in a blues direction. I never saw myself going this route.”
He said the lyrics were appropriate.
“They describe a more romantic love, but their meaning has changed with the pandemic. In a time where you’re not able to have physical touch, they take on a new meaning.”
Lewis has played at festivals like the Splashy Fen and was a radio host at Durban Youth Radio.
“My main instrument is the sax but production is the game. But this is the first production that’s been signed (by Universal Music),” he said.
Davies told of how he learnt the piano from the age of six and picked up the guitar as a teenager.
“I’m a big Hendrix fan, people like Jackson Brown and BB King. I’m heavily influenced by the 60s era.”
His singing is self taught. “I needed to compliment the guitar with my voice. It’s boring playing chords.”
Lewis praised Davies’s talent. “He’s a natural born singer.”
Davies said his songs draw inspiration from real life. “It makes them honest and authentic. Singing from a real life narrative affects your performance in a positive way,” he said.
Lewis admitted much of his inspiration came to him in the shower. He described high school afternoons where, instead of playing sport, he would spend the afternoons on the piano. He also developed a “deep love” for film music and film scoring.
A big fan of vinyl, Davies has a collection that takes in “all the classics” ‒ Nat King Cole, Elvis, Dolly Parton.
“I love the feel of putting the needle down and really appreciating the music. And then there’s the artwork and stories on the vinyl.”
He’s also a lover of the outdoors from hiking in the Berg to the “therapeutic inspiration of the sea”.
“Despite Covid, it’s been a big year. It’s difficult to promote new music without live events, but the song is doing well on radio,” said Lewis.
His parents bought him a saxophone as a Christmas present when he was 10. “My brother plays clarinet and he has a degree in classical music. I sort of followed in his footsteps.”
He has played with the KZN Youth Wind Band touring to places like China, New York, Switzerland and Mauritius.
“Music has been my whole life. I met Matt at the right time,” he said.
Davies points out that electronic music is often criticised for being repetitive, but they aim to bring back a sense of musicality ‒ to make it “listenable”.
“Something you can chill to as well as dance to,” said Lewis. “Something that's meaningful and tells a story,” added Davies
They have big plans for the future. A couple more numbers are in the pipeline.
“We’re waiting for live events to come out, but we’re working towards an album. We’re taking it as it comes. I have big ideas in my mind for a live set. DJing with live sax, keys, electronic guitar. Matt will sing. A big live DJ band so to speak,” said Lewis.
“We plan to be something Durban’s never heard before,” said Davies.
The Independent on Saturday