Multi-Grammy award-winning musician James Bay has performed in several countries but South Africa has not been one of them. That is about to change as he will be in Mzansi next year.
The UK artist will perform at Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on March 27 and at Marks Park Sports Club in Johannesburg on March 29.
“Coming to South Africa is long overdue,” the “Let It Go” hitmaker admitted.
“I’m not really sure why it has taken this long but I don't want to be too upset about because I am officially coming but it's simply because I haven't been yet and I was made aware that I have got a lot of wonderful fans in South Africa so it's time to come and say hi.”
The singer, who last month released his new LP, “Changes All The Time”, said that his local fans are in for a treat during his shows.
“My concerts are very live with some familiar songs and great choruses and lots of instrumental moments as well but I am getting this understanding that South African audiences love to sing along and I love that too,” he explained.
“I love creating those kinds of moments so I’m looking forward to creating that kind of thing, even more for my South African audiences, than I have ever before because people there like to do that and I want to lean into that.”
Apart from his performances, Bay also plans to enjoy his time in South Africa during his off time.
“I am very curious about South Africa’s fantastic wine selection and it looks like a very beautiful country so I’m looking forward to seeing the scenery and then meeting the people there.”
The musician, who broke into the industry with his single "Hold Back the River" which went on to be certified platinum, is renowned for fusing soulful storytelling with modern musicianship.
Bay then released his debut studio album “Chaos and the Calm”, which went to number one in the UK and number 15 in the US.
With a career spanning over a decade, Bay said that he’s never felt more proud than he does with his latest work.
On his latest musical offering, he explained: “When I was making this album, I got to this 10 year point and I looked back and asked myself what had happened and what I was feeling and the reason I called it ‘Changes All The Time’ is because change is inevitable.’
“It’s coming for us all and I reflected on my evolved and constantly developing relationship with the concept of life changes because when I was a small child, I felt quite anxious to keep things the same and I still carry an appetite for that and it's sort of becoming sort of unhealthy and it's also okay and I'm also grappling with what change means to me, given the type of person I am and the type of person I evolved to be over the past 10 to 15 years of making music professionally.”
“I’m maybe more at home with it than I realise and these things inspire the idea that everything changes all the time, that's the only sort of thing that we can sort of trust so I followed that instinct and it wasn't the easiest thing in the world but I think the great bits of art of any kind come from struggle and the struggles so I tried to follow that and to follow into that darkness to see what life is on the other side.”
And while Bay has several career highlights, such as touring with The Rolling Stones and opening for Bruce Springsteen, he insisted that his longevity in the musical industry is something that he is proud of.
“It’s tough to choose one (a career highlight), I have been very privileged but my big career highlight is that I am still wanted.”
“It’s one thing to achieve the sort of reactions that I have achieved for the music that I have made for 10-and-a-bit years now, but people can get tired, bored or lose interest and that’s completely reasonable.”
∎ Tickets for Bay’s Cape Town and Joburg concerts are currently on sale through breakoutevents.co.za.