Zebraman: New song, sound, and sandwich
Potchefstroom band Zebraman boasts a new sound with the release of their latest single, ‘Hate Love’. The band is as local as it gets – they even have a sandwich named after them.
Threestreamsmedia spoke to lead singer and guitarist Johan Viljoen, to learn more about the release of the band’s new single, their new sound, prospects for the future, and to uncover the story behind the local sandwich bearing their name.
‘Hate Love’ was released on 24 March 2023 and offers light-hearted commentary on the phenomenon of romantic encounters that only last one night. Viljoen and the band’s keyboard player, Jan-Meyer Verhoef, wrote the single in December 2022 while sitting on Viljoen’s balcony overlooking a street bustling with student nightlife in Potchefstroom.
According to the band’s press statement on the release date, the duo was inspired to write about the “hook-up culture” in Potchefstroom. In the song, the band refers to a person looking for a one-night stand as a “sunset lover”.
“Such a person hates love because they are afraid of being vulnerable,” Viljoen said. Viljoen explained that the band focuses on their own experiences when writing new songs. “One theme the band is exploring is urgency in love and how if you don’t cherish it, it can slip away right before your eyes.”
Another theme the band is delving into is self-deprecation: According to Viljoen, this means that the band is focused on themes surrounding “the fact that it is okay to be vulnerable and that it is okay to admit that you don’t have all the answers”.
The new single sounds quite different from their previous songs, which had a more indie sound. Viljoen said many people asked whether they are now moving to pop. “As a person evolves, so does their art [music], and we want to be true to who we are.”
According to the band’s press release, the track was an ambitious attempt to redefine and explore elements of their sound. “We wanted to create a more accessible sound, to connect with more people,” Viljoen added.
He also said that through direct messages the band received on social media they can see how — as their sound has evolved with their new single — they have connected with a broader range of people.
For the first time, the band entrusted the production process to someone else. They worked with the legendary Potchefstroom producer Ewald Jansen van Rensburg to produce ‘Hate Love’. Viljoen said how honoured the band was to work with Jansen van Rensburg and explained that not having to worry about production allowed them to focus more on the creative process.
The band is not planning to release a music video for ‘Hate Love’. However, they are focused on a live streamed show that will be released on YouTube soon.
Fans can look forward to the band’s performance at Snowflake on 20 May 2023.
The legend of the sandwich
At the local restaurant and bar, Mystic Boer, there is a sandwich on the menu called the Zebraman. The sandwich’s backstory was first heard from bartender Angelica Josipovic, and later confirmed by Viljoen.
The band was formed during lockdown in 2020. At that time, they rented a house – that used to be a hotel – outside of town, known to them as “Die Stam”. In what used to be the hotel’s dining hall, the band created their own makeshift studio.
According to Viljoen, Mystic Boer has been a “watering hole” to the band for a long time. Just after lockdown, when the band members wanted to order a sandwich, they were told that the Mystic Boer had been robbed and did not have the necessary equipment to make sandwiches.
This led to the band, who was living at “Die Stam” at the time, to donate an extra toaster and their own snackwich maker. In the snackwich maker, the band left a note containing the ingredients of the sandwich that is now known as the Zebraman.