Sitting in the artist lounge at Yamaha Music London I’m a kid in a candy store. Surrounded by countless grand pianos I’ve got to fight the temptation to set my fingers across checkered keyboards since sitting before me is Stone Jets, the celebrated South African music outfit. Having seen the duo perform in both London and Cape Town, I revelled in the chance to hear a little of their story and journey to London.
Given was initially pursuing a solo career, but after meeting Manfred, the combined songwriting process was so dynamic, that it was evident this would be something: in the space of a week, they had already written 30 songs. “The songs were always in our heads – we just needed them out.” Given explains the normalcy of this: “Everything in life has a song that celebrates something.” A fitting cultural reference that continues to serve as the springboard for their music. In 2018 they toured Ireland and the UK, where they were “surprised by the incubation process that England’s music industry has – something we felt missing in South Africa. There was also greater access to opportunities for artists and agencies that assist the music dreaming process”.
A move to the UK meant taking advantage of these – and dedicating themselves to their music career full-time. Their recent selection to play at Glastonbury is a certain fruit of this incubation. From a hopeful 1 300 applicants who performed through several heats, Stone Jets made it to the final two acts, given slots at the prestigious festival. Their 2024 accolade of becoming a Yamaha ambassador is another musical feather in their rapidly expanding cap. They’re kept busy with around six performances a month – before leaving for their next rehearsal I was treated to an impromptu performance – as always Given’s voice and personality light up the room in seconds, along with Manfred’s supremely cool demeanour and rhythmic guitar backing.
London with Stone Jets
Your go-to breakfast/brunch spot? Given: Paul (Bakery) in Marylebone. Amazing coffee, bites and it is magical with the right company as well.
A memorable London first? Manfred: Doing one of our first gigs at The Gladstone Arms, in Borough and people started singing along to our songs, quite an unforgettable experience.
Your favourite weekend getaway spot? Manfred: Bristol feels like a home away from home, which funny enough has a lot of similarities with Cape Town culture. So always a treat going there for a weekend.
A hidden shopping gem? Given: Atika on Hanbury Street. A vintage clothing gem.
Your favourite park/green space in London? Manfred: Jubilee Park in Canary Wharf has stunning landscapes and being right in the middle of the banking district it is almost like walking into another world.
An unmissable London cultural experience? Manfred: Taking in all the food culture London has to offer from all over the world, you can go from Turkey to Thailand in a few minutes as well as having the greatest artists in the industry put on shows that one can attend.
What do you miss most from back in South Africa when you’re in London? Given: More drawing inspiration from rather than miss because we are reminded of how South Africans are such versatile and adaptive being.
