Episodes

Ep384: Dive into a chat with the winners of the Room 2 heat of the Wacken Metal Battle Sub-Saharren Africa. Find out how one conceptulizes a hillbilly slam band, How one makes a banjo guitar, and what their experiences have been within the scene. Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies, there’s something for every listener. Show your support and grab your favourite merch today! Help us continue making ...

EP383: Cape Towns Ill System is often described as Linkin Park with bongo's. Join in as they dive into their Origins, style of music, and the manyu injuries their vocalist hass sustained over the course of the bands career. Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies, there’s something for every listener. Show your support and grab your favourite merch today! Help us continue making great content for lis...

EP382: It's not often that we as South Africans get insight into our neighbours scenes. Join in as we chat with Namibia's longest standing metal band about their journey leading up to the Wacken Metal Battle Sub-Saharan Africa finals, their thoughts on the competion bands so far, and their view on the state of African metal Overall. #Asnightfades #wackenmetalbattle #NamibianHeat #JohannesburgFinals #SouthAfricanMetal #MetalMusic #bandinterview #musicjourney #wackenopenair Edited by Marcel Smut...

EP381: Join us as we dive into the world of Nine Refrain, the Durban-based band that just won their Durban Heat and is headed to the Wacken Metal Battle finals in Johannesburg! ️In this exclusive interview, we explore what sets Nine Refrain apart as a unique Durban band, their thoughts on the dominance of Johannesburg's previous winners and how they see their provincial difference as an edge. We also get their views on tough competitors, Walk These Skies, the first thing they plan to do if they ...

EP380: The 2025 Wacken Metal Battle South Africa is underway. Here Marcel catches up with the winners of the second heat Walk These Skies. They share their thoughts on their win, the show, and the prospects of potentially representing South African metal in Germany. Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies, there’s something for every listener. Show your support and grab your favourite merch today! He...

EP379: In this engaging interview, Qü shares his thoughts on whether Johannesburg remains the entertainment capital of South Africa and discusses the impact of social media on emerging artists. We look at the challenges faced by event promoters in supporting South African musicians and the decline of live shows. Qü also reflects on the albums having a long life span and considers this a dying art. We end off with Qü's plans for the rest of 2025. Get yourself a copy of Qü’s Vinyl here and chec...

Marcel had a chat with two members of one of South Africa's newest up and coming bands. Sam and Matt detail the origin of the band as well as their extensive history within the scene. From the days of Tempo's, Thornsfest, and woodstock to present day Emaylth fest Sam and Matt reminisce on days past but also share hope in the direction the scene is moving and growing. Share some of your thoughts about venues and fests you miss and new things you're excited about. Find Fading Grey here: ...

EP377: In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Cassandra, the founder of Emo Night South Africa, to look into the secrets behind the success of this thriving event. Find out how Emo Night has transformed into one of South Africa's safest and most anticipated gatherings. Held at the iconic Evol in Cape Town, Emo Night is not just a celebration of music but a vibrant community. Join us to learn more about the evolution of Emo Night over the past 9 years. With 11 massive events planned for 20...

EP376: What happens when a talented singer-songwriter decides to take the reins of their musical journey? Join us as we welcome Dawn Melanie, a gifted artist from KZN, who reveals her transformation from a hopeful musician to an empowered independent artist. Dawn's journey involves the release of two albums, an EP, and multiple singles, highlighting the trials and triumphs of marketing music independently. Her candid experiences shed light on the complex dance between creativity and the demands ...

EP375: Hop in as we take a look at Jay Reid's journey as a Techno/Minimal DJ, and thriving events organiser. In this episode, we examine Jay's remarkable transition from hosting house parties to becoming a professional DJ, alongside the critical role of selecting the right artists to create unforgettable events. We chat about the unique challenges of running music events in Durban versus Cape Town, and the power of collaborative efforts in strengthening the local music community. The importance ...

EP374: Ever wondered how a Hip-Hop artist transitions into the vibrant world of Hyperpop? Swoger from Durban shares his remarkable journey with us, revealing how his early experiments with FL Studio and a love for audio engineering led him to embrace the pioneering sounds of Hyperpop. Discover how Swoger crafts music that speaks to those who feel different, using auto-tuned and distorted vocals to create a unique resonance. He talks about convincing even his Hip-Hop friends to appreciate Hyperp...

EP373: Starting off 2025 with a bang Marcel dives into the age old question of is heavy music dying out in South Africa. Listen in as he shares his thoughts from being a part of the scene as well as interviewing dozens of local metal bands. Check out our merch here: https://sludgeunderground.store/ Intro track: ‪@facingthegallows‬ Intro Footage: ‪@notrussellcrow‬ Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies...

EP372: We caught up with Cape Town band Lost//Youth on the Durban leg of their tour around South Africa. They give us the lowdown on how to prepare for a nationwide tour, their favourite shows in Durban, the bands they're looking forward to playing with, and more. Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies, there’s something for every listener. Show your support and grab your favourite merch today! Enjo...

EP371: Meagan chats to Gabbi and Ethan from Art Punk trio - Cistamatic. We talk about shifting gears after ‘Soft Side’, writing Punk with a Pop sensibility and sowing seeds in the scene. They take us through their magical beginnings, keeping the klap factor and spreading the sharing spirit. Gabbi and Ethan wax about getting present at the party, normalising deposits and collaboration in Cape Town. Take note; if it doesn’t klap, it’s not klapstamatic. Explore our exclusive merch store for uniq...

EP370: In today's episode Marcel has a chat with arguably one of the most influential people behind the South African music scene. From post-show videos to music videos NotRussellCrow has helped capture an era of the South African music scene. Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies, there’s something for every listener. Show your support and grab your favourite merch today! Enjoyed today’s episode? ...

EP369: South African singer-songwriter Gia Mckay reflects on her time signed under a label, why she guards her heart, what the best social media platform for South African artists is, and more. Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies, there’s something for every listener. Show your support and grab your favourite merch today! Enjoyed today’s episode? Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel! ...

EP368: Meagan chats to Pieter and Daniel from Cape Town’s relentless Death Metal band - The Fallen Prophets. They discuss a decade of happy accidents, surviving the scene and churning out the tjunes. The brutal besties give us epic insights on their band workflow, EP launch deets and what it took to make their first million. If it doesn’t itch, don’t scratch. Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies, the...

EP366: In today’s episode Marcel is exploring South Africa's music scene with two of the best Local creators around, Itsjouska and Keisha Du Toit. Join in as we chat about local artist, Our experiences within the scene, and ways to help content creators spread the word about your music. Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies, there’s something for every listener. Show your support and grab your favouri...

EP365: Sean and Zainab are two experienced media professionals who have started Midnight Eneregy to fill a gap in the South African scene. Join in as they chat about what they can do for artists, music videos in the making, as well as the upcoming Wacken 2024 mini documentary. Check them out here: @MidnightEnergyProductions Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies, there’s something for every listener....

EP364: Marcel had a chat with Joss and Rick of Cape Town band Face Jackson. Join in as they talk about their latest single, their thoughts on social media, and their plans to build up their music catalogue. Help us continue making great content for listeners everywhere by subscribing to Sludge Underground Podcast + Website https://www.sludgeunderground.com Merch https://sludgeunderground.store/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sludgeunderground TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@sludgeundergro...

EP363: Pure N' Black Ent, a Durban-based music administration powerhouse, has been instrumental in propelling some of South Africa's biggest names to stardom. In this exclusive interview, we sit down with @Vumanivee and @ubestworld to look into their journey and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into doing music admin for artists like Babes Wodumo, Holly Rey, Zee Nxumalo, and DJ Maphorisa. Discover their meticulous artist selection process, the intricacies of music administration, and the un...

EP362: Meagan chats to Indie Folk/Alternative artist Basson Laas. He gets into building sets to suit the stage, turning a hobby into a career and finding his feet in studio. Basson shares his thoughts on his influences and inspirations, writing over the years and making cinematic music videos. Remember kids; wat jy saai, sal jy maai. Help us continue making great content for listeners everywhere by subscribing to Sludge Underground Podcast + Website https://www.sludgeunderground.com Merch htt...

EP361: On this episode, South African singer-songwriter, Jade Garisch talks about the difference between the Cape Town music scene and the Eastern Cape music scene. We also look at how she manages her social media, and what challenges she has faced as someone who is also selling merch. Having spent some time in America, we look at the best practices from the states that South African artists could apply in their trade, for growth. Website https://www.sludgeunderground.com Merch https://sludgeu...

EP360: On this episode we get valuable insight from Wessel, the creative mind behind Dystopia, who opens up about the trials and triumphs of running a music blog in an ever-evolving digital age, and how SEO and historical archiving play a crucial role in preserving musical heritage. We also tackle the strategic balancing act that bands face between local gigs and festival appearances. Discover the pros and cons of each and learn why maintaining a strong local presence is as crucial as aiming fo...