Basson Laas has swiftly emerged as an enthralling figure in South Africa’s music scene, blending indie folk, pop, and alternative influences into his distinct sound. After releasing his debut EP ‘Good Morning Dreamer’ in 2023 and capturing attention with singles like ‘Tightly Bound’ he returns with ‘Worth Loving’, a new release accompanied by a visually captivating music video.
Q: Could you share with us your journey into music, from growing up on a farm to becoming a performing artist?
Basson Laas: It’s been a long road of self-discovery. I’ve done a whole range of other things from training to become a pilot, working at a bakery and exploring my ability to teach. Music on the other hand has been a hobby throughout most of the last decade and it evolved into me wondering how it could be to do this full-time. I suppose I’m taking a gamble, but so far it has been going well I’d say.
Q: How has your background influenced your musical style and lyrical themes, particularly evident in your latest single ‘Worth Loving’?
Basson Laas: Like most people in the world, I also wonder about my place in the world and what the reasons are for difficult situations that cross our paths. I just penned some of those questions and realisation down on paper and rearranged them to create something more cohesive. I mostly like folk music because it’s easy listening, but I’m open to exploring many avenues of styles as I grow. Worth Loving is a mix of many folk and pop influences. But future songs could perhaps take on a different tone.
Q: Your debut EP ‘Good Morning Dreamer’ received positive feedback. How do you feel you’ve evolved as an artist since then?
Basson Laas: This is a good question. GMD opened many doors to me in the last year and serves as a good cornerstone to my career, especially in the more serious opportunities to perform live. But from its release, I’ve learned a lot about the business side of things in the industry, like marketing and trying my best to build a brand and how conduct myself during live interviews. I’ve not been very good at those. But I have become less self-conscious whether an audience might like me and my music or not. I’m just chuffed at being able to sing original songs at live performances and seeing how people enjoy them and add them to their libraries on streaming platforms.
Q: ‘Worth Loving’ has a joyful and uplifting vibe. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the song and its music video concept?
Basson Laas: I suppose the song originated from a lack of self-love in a relationship that then transpired into a cathartic realisation that I and others are ‘’worth loving’’ if you just give them a chance to get to know them deeper. Instead of going the typical boy meets girl story in the music video, Jannes de Villiers from Moving North Media had the idea of featuring a relationship between a dog (Galadriel) and her human (Marius Schoombie) because we argued that, not only the cuteness factor but also the bond between man and dog would be something many animal lovers can relate to.
Q: Touring and live performances are a big part of your career. How has performing live influenced your approach to creating music?
Basson Laas: Well, first, performing live builds confidence in my performances and I learn to read the audience. When I sometimes perform at birthdays, corporate events and weddings it’s good to have a fast repertoire of songs to play and to know what a nice next song in that moment could be. Second, aiming to be an original artist, it’s valuable to be able to perform newly written songs that are not yet recorded to see how the audience responds to them. In time, I guess I learned writing more upbeat and happy songs gets a better response depending on the venue and intimacy of the performance. But I don’t always play what people want to hear. I mostly play what I like anyway. Thirdly, having performed a few shows with the band, I know that my approach to writing will change as I learn to understand the role each sound has in a song.
Q: In today’s music industry, visuals are increasingly important. How do you approach creating visuals that complement your music?
Basson Laas: My wife Louise, is an incredible graphic designer with lots of experience and solely my main reference and advisor to what anything visual needs to entail. I am very lucky to have her support in this endeavour and trust her opinions and why they matter.
Q: You’ve been described as blending genres seamlessly. How do you maintain this balance between indie folk, pop, and alternative influences?
Basson Laas: The truth is I’m enjoying the whole, not-being-bound-by-anything-genre-specific moment. It’s all part of trying to do what you like and what comes naturally, I guess. I’ve loved folk and alternative music for a long time so I recon it would always come as the strongest initial influence in my songs. But I’m not thinking of maintaining any specific balance. I’m sure that I’ve got much more to learn, especially from the session musicians I perform with from time to time. That might change some of the things, I think I know about music, anyway.
Q: What’s next for Basson Laas after ‘Worth Loving’ and what can fans expect in the future?
Basson Laas: Well, except for another single that can be expected before the end of the year, in the short term I would love it if I could expand my horizons to perform for people in every single town, city and music venue South Africa has to offer and would love it to release my first album soon. In the long term, I’d like to try and keep the consistency and perhaps perform in multiple other countries and enjoy it as far as its possible. That, and my hope that my will to write new songs never dies.
Basson Laas continues to carve his path with authenticity and creativity, captivating audiences with his introspective lyrics and melodic compositions. As he looks forward, his commitment to crafting meaningful music remains unwavering. Stay tuned for more from Basson Laas and be sure to experience his latest single ‘Worth Loving’ and its accompanying music video, now available across all platforms https://linktr.ee/bassonlaasmusic
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Basson Laas Bio
Growing up on a farm in South Africa, Basson had a playful and happy childhood that fuelled his imagination. Teaching himself how to play the guitar, he started writing his first songs at just 17 years old. However, after spending his 20s mainly pursuing other interests, he decided to take a leap of faith and try his luck as an independent musician, without the backing of a label, to see if it could bear fruit.
After his first year performing full-time in bars and restaurants, he had the opportunity to record his debut EP, ‘Good Morning Dreamer,’ which was released in August 2023 and featured his first single, ‘Tightly Bound.’
This year, he has two singles lined up. The first, ‘Worth Loving,’ is set to be released on Friday, July 19th, and the second, ‘Smile,’ is planned for release in November.
“I’ve learned a lot from the release of ‘Good Morning Dreamer,’ and I hope to push the boundaries a little more with the next releases,” he says. “I realise how difficult it can be to get music heard in this day and age, but if that’s the case, my only wish is that it remains fun to work with like-minded creatives and that my songs somehow reach and touch just the right audience.”
So far, his music style can be described as an adult contemporary mix of folk and pop with a dash of alternative. He has shared the stage as an opening act for many well-known names in the industry and recently started putting a band together, featuring drummer Jannie Labuschagne (Mantra, Ruiter Piet) and bassist/pianist Callie van der Merwe (Wolfgang Marrow, Kirkland). They aim to showcase his songs at many South African festivals in the coming years.
All Links https://linktr.ee/bassonlaasmusic
@bassonlaasmusic #bassonlaasmusic
