This South African Band Just Went Viral

CANTREL – Bio - 2025

June 2025: With one million views (and counting) of their track Walls on TikTok and an inspiring, driving sound that is catching on like wildfire with global audiences, South African father-and-son rock duo Cantrel are making waves with their new EP, Jump.

Hot off the European tour circuit with performances in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as in South Africa, the momentum is firmly with Cantrel – featuring Neil Breytenbach, who is also the keyboardist/co-songwriter with iconic local rock band Prime Circle, and his equally musically gifted son Jesse Breytenbach on vocals and guitar.

With Jump, their fourth EP/album release, Cantrel has successfully forged a genre-blending sound that is unmistakably their own, bringing a fresh new flavour to the South African music scene.

Neil tries to pin down why the duo’s music is resonating with their growing “Cantrel Army” of fans around the world. “Our up-tempo sound is energetic, positive, feel-good and makes you want to move. We also have chilled songs that are lyrically deep, emotionaland very real and raw.”

He adds, jokingly, “Cantrel’s sound is what happens if Nirvana and Limp Bizkit had a baby, while also including beautiful, broken-down acoustic songs.” Jesse also cites fellow South African band Seether as a songwriting inspiration, “particularly for their ability to blend catchy and memorable lyrics with heavy, high-energy riffs”.

This uplifting emotionally charged sound is most evident on the viral track Walls, which powerfully highlights the i… Read More