William Welfare

 

William Welfare is a songwriter and guitarist. He’s also a writer, photographer and podcast host for Rolling Stone South Africa. He's also currently the lead guitarist in Long Time Citizen.

 

He started out as Willim Welsyn when he recorded his first self-titled solo EP in 2002 at the age of 17. In 2004 he recorded his first solo album, Feromoon Rose. In the same year Welsyn met up with Panna Dekker (bass guitar) and Etienne Nel (drums) during a SABC 2 television interview where Welsyn asked Dekker and Nel to pose as his backing band for a promotional music video clip that would air with the interview. After the interview they formed Willim Welsyn en die Sunrise Toffies and recorded their first album, Buikspraak in 2005. Panna left the band after a few months.

 

For three months Welsyn and Nel performed as a two-piece band, when Welsyn approached a bass guitar player from Jeffreys Bay, Gerhard Grobler, to join the band. In 2007 they recorded their second album, Kompos en Kraai. Shortly after the Kompos en Kraai recording they signed a record deal with Next Music, an independent local record company.

 

In 2008 Welsyn recorded his second full length solo album, Maanplaas, with Schalk van der Merwe on bass guitar and Tim Rankin on drums.

 

In 2009 Welsyn enrolled at Stellenbosch University, Grobler enrolled at the Cape Audio College and Nel started working fulltime. Willim Welsyn en die Sunrise Toffies still kept performing occasional live shows, while Welsyn also pursued his solo career.

 

In 2010 Welsyn recorded his third solo album, Smeer die Weerlig, with Nel on drums, Jo Ellis on organ and piano and Welsyn on guitar, vocals and bass guitar.

 

Kompos en Kraai and Maanplaas were both nominated for South African Music Awards. Maanplaas was also nominated for a Rapport Afrikaans Vonk Award for best Afrikaans Alternative album and won the Huisgenoot Tempo Award for best Kopskuif album. Smeer Die Weerlig was also nominated for a Huisgenoot Tempo Award for best Rock album. 

 

Kyle Gray

 

Kyle Gray was born into a successful musical family were he toured in and around South Africa till the age of 6 years. He started playing the drums at the ripe age of 3 and received my first drum kit at the age of 13.

 

He is a proud endorsee of Mapex Drums , Zildjian Cymbals in South Africa.

 

Bands he have played with and still play with:

 

-Hunter : Acoustic piece with Julia Jacobsen and Louise Day

-Witness 2 Wolves : Acoustic piece with Natalie Lucia

-Fox Comet : Funk / Party / Rock band which is making huge waves in the local scene

-Legatos : Experimental / Instrumental group that created the band to feed musicians ears  because of its different sound

-Claudia Mohr Project: Soul / Jazz Fizzle with the great Claudia Mohr. She has been  labelled the South African Janice Joplin

-Rudimentals : Ska / Reggae / Funk , this group is South Africa’s Reggae band

-Kevin Floyd band : One of South Africa’s greatest Blues Guitarist

-And of course William Welfare

 

Gerhard Grobler

 

Gerhard Grobler is a very talented multi instrumentalist and sound enigeneer. We’re still waiting for his full bio, so be patient.