Roland Albertson is all about the music

So you just won Best Male Artist in the 7th annual International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA). Congrats. That must have been pretty awesome? Where were you when you heard this and what was your initial reaction?

Thanks! It was so cool, such an awesome feeling winning an award for my music for the first time - and an international one at that. I am honoured that I am the first South African to win an award in this IAMA competition, out of 10 000 entries!

I was chilling on the couch with my brother and his fiance after a long day when I got the email on my phone, and I nearly choked on my wine. High-fives and hoots all round!

I've been writing songs since I first picked up a guitar at 16 and working at my music seriously for the last seven years. I won this award for a song called Broken, which I wrote back in 2004. It really feels like all the hard work is finally paying off! I've been concentrating on getting my music out there and it's an amazing feeling to be well received and get recognition like this. It's all coming together now.

What will are doing with your USD900 prize money?

They're actually sending me merchandise to that value, so I'm not sure I'll get any cash to blow. They said they're going to send me recording software, D'Addario strings and put me on a compilation CD that will get sent to all their radio and industry contacts in the US.

Being part of the compilation CD will be great to help spread my music in the States. I've already got lots of fans there and I've recently been approached by some some surf and snowboard film companies to use my music in their films. I love surfing, snowboarding, rock climbing and most extreme sports, so it would be awesome for my music to be associated with that kind of stuff.

How did you get involved in Global Moguls and what was that experience like?

A cousin of mine told me about it before I moved back from London. I liked the concept of a management deal up for grabs rather than a record deal, as I manage myself on my own solo label. It was a great competition and helped me get a few things together (like a video) that I would otherwise not have had the urgency to make happen. It was a bummer moving back to SA in the middle of the comp because I didn't have time to rally enough votes - you had to be very proactive on the online marketing side, and their website didn't make it easy to vote. But, all in all, I thought it was excellent and I got to meet a lot of other amazing SA bands that I like (The La Els, Versus The Wolf) and industry contacts who liked what I am doing.

What was it like living and performing in London? What was the response like?

London is incredible for performing. There are thousands of small music clubs to play at. The level is very high in London and you really have to raise your game or you won't even get a decent slot. People in the UK love music and you can watch live music at a different place every night if you want. I think it helps a lot of people to put up with the shite weather! Haha. Music can always put you in a good mood and give you energy when there is no sun.

My favourite thing to do was go for a walk on the South Bank. It's such a cool little stretch of London. I used to start at Vauxhall, walk along the south bank promenade, see Big Ben and Westminster across the river, walk under the massive London Eye, past the Royal Festival Hall (they do free outdoor live music there in the summer) and Waterloo Bridge, past the Tate Modern (sometimes pop in, it's also free), past Millennium Bridge with St. Paul's Cathedral perfectly framed in the distance as you look down the bridge from the South Bank, past all the street performers (guys on stilts juggling, breakdancers, buskers) and the skate park, past London Bridge, past HMS Belfast (war ship, permanently docked), past City Hall (where the Mayor works), and finally arriving at Tower Bridge with the Tower of London across the river. Tower Bridge is my favourite London bridge. It's just epic. It didn't matter if it was summer or winter, that walk always made me feel good when I needed to get out the house :)

I lived in a pretty typical South African neighbourhood called Southfields, to be close to my sister and her little family while I was there. Southfields is full of South Africans and it was also always important to me to make sure I experience the true culture and surroundings in the UK. I was always doing my South Bank walk; or checking out other bands in pokey little clubs, or meeting up with friends for a jol somewhere in town. I've got friends from all over the world now and there was always someone passing through London wanting to meet up or go for a party. Let's just say that I officially hate the night buses in London. I've often found myself trying to navigate the night buses, completely pissed, usually stuffing it up and taking three-and-a-half hours to get home! Haha - I eventually realised the cab money was completely worth it!

We see you've had a couple of those crappy London jobs. Best and Worst?

Haha - yeah, the worst was probably being a park ranger for a few weeks. I had to cruise around all the little parks in an open van with my buddy, picking up rubbish and throwing dirty bin bags in the back. You get a different perspective on life and notice how people judge you. Meantime, I had a BCom degree in Information Systems from UCT. I could have designed the computer system that managed that whole waste-disposal process for the government! But IT and programming weren't my ultimate passion.

My best job was selling braais and outdoor gas heaters at home and garden exhibitions. That was a cool job. The pay was great and we used to work in small teams of two or three. Imagine a stand at the Rand Easter Show, but just cooler. People used to come up to me, asking for advice on which BBQ (braai) to get for the summer (because, of course, the English are always optimistic about the next summer. They're always holding thumbs for a good one!). They all thought I was this pro-BBQ dude who could cook anything on a braai. Some people didn't even know where to make the fire or how the whole contraption worked. They didn't know what to burn - wood, charcoal, old shoes? It was hilarious. I also had a cool relationship with my bosses and we'd often have a a few jugs of Pimms in the last hours of the day. They went down really well in the summer shows out in the English countryside.

Happy to be home? How do the different environments (London vs SA) affect your song writing?

It's so good being back in SA. I really missed the sun, open spaces, nature, smiling faces. Now that you mention the song writing, I have actually written a few tunes since I got back and they're definitely a lot more upbeat and positive. I'm positive about SA and I hope we manage to minimise crime and political instability. This is the most beautiful country I've seen and it has such a cool effect on me.

When are you coming sunny Cape Town side? Must be hard to be a surfer in Jozi.

Ah, I'm working on it. I hope to move there soon. I miss surfing with buddies and chilling out with the incredible views. They're so plentiful there. But, I'm very lucky to be supported by my family in Jozi, otherwise I wouldn't be able to commit to my music fully yet. As for the surfing in Jozi, I've been watching the swell forecast and I keep telling my buddy Mark at TheBombSurf that we'll get some waves eventually, but he reckons it's going to be flat for the next 1000 years. Sucks.

How much does surfing and the aquatic life influence your music?

I think it has a big impact. More so than I used to think while in London. I kind of blocked it out while I was over there because I never had money for surf trips; I always put everything back into my music. I've always loved water and the sea. Surfing is almost a philosophy for most surfers and I often relate a lot of situations in life to surfing. For example, one of my songs, No Place Like Home, is about being homesick in London, but still having to work and carry on until you've achieved your goals. When you surf, you can't just give up when you're in a tight situation, you have to keep on paddling until you reach calm waters.

What would you be doing if you weren't a musician, is this your full-time career now?

I'm not really sure to be honest. I'm completely committed to my music and I believe in it so much that I don't really consider what else I would or could be doing. This is my year to share my music with South Africa and the world. It really feels like the start of big things for me. I know this must seem supremely confident, or even arrogant, but whatever it is I'm incredibly driven to succeed at sharing my music. To have your songs listened to by people around the world is like having the biggest conversation ever. It's a privilege to experience something like that. I've already got fans all over the world so I'm just focusing on delivering the best music I can to as many people who are prepared to listen to it. It's all about good music for me at the end of the day. That's the goal I suppose. Just for the music!

So are you really all "just for the music"? What else puts a spring in your step and sparkle in your eye?

Yeah, I'm fully committed to the music. My brother always rags me about not having a girlfriend because I just want to focus on getting my music out there. Haha - I guess I should find time, hey? For now, music and surfing are keeping me going. And Iove taking photos to use for my website too.

If you could be any animal what would it be and why?

I reckon a rhino would be cool. Nothing f**ks with a rhino. Sorry, that's the first thing that came into my mind! Lol.

Most rock-star moment?

Uh, is this interview allowed to have explicit content? Haha - I'll keep some moments private, which only the old London crew will know, but I'd probably say just after I finished a set at one of my first gigs at The Troubadour in London, and three girls came straight onto the stage and asked to have photos taken with me and the band. It felt pretty rock star for a first-ever live full-band gig, but also blind seeing as this was a fairly small club and we hadn't even unplugged our guitars yet.

Oh yes, and I almost forgot about my last gig! We put on a farewell gig with my London band at a place called The Half Moon in Putney. It's also pretty famous, like The Troubadour. Rock legends like The Rolling Stones, U2, Van Morrison, The Who, Kasabian have played there. All the top SA bands also play there when they visit London. We packed the place out for the final gig and everyone was singing along to the songs. There was an incredible vibe that night. I felt like we had created our own little world and nothing else mattered. That was the best feeling ever.

Future plans?

I'm bringing out new songs (in the form of a rough demos) about once a month online. It's called "Natural Selection". All my fans tell me which ones they like and which ones they don't. You can find it from my website by clicking on the YouTube link or download them for free when you become a fan (www.justforthemusic.com) I'll choose the most popular ones for final recording and another EP at the end of the year. Can't wait! Oh yes, and I'm going to start putting a band together for gigs. It's going to be incredible to play here for the first time with a full band. I can't wait for that. You might also see some cool sexy little projects in the near future. I can't say much yet but it's going to be fun that's for sure!

www.justforthemusic.com