HOT CD! Prime Circle - Evidence

Very few rock groups hang around long enough to record a fifth album, but that’s ironically how long it often takes for a band to hit its straps and mature into its sound. Nowhere is this more the case than with Prime Circle who, not content with being South Africa’s top rock act, are now determined to set the quality bar even higher with the release of their hotly anticipated new album, Evidence. Explains singer and principle songwriter Ross Learmonth: “This time we went into Theo [Crous]’s studio with a different approach – there had to be a unanimous vote. We all come from very different backgrounds and listen to different – and also similar – types of music. I always want to move on to the next thing, Marco holds on to things for longer and can appreciate them over time, Dale’s this crazy dude who just loves playing, Neil likes the colours of the music and the way it moves. And for Dirk, as an axeman, it’s all about tone for him. Everyone looks at the music differently, so it’s always been hard to get a unanimous vote.” But with EVIDENCE, their consensual approach meant Learmonth’s songwriting was painted with every band member’s complementary textures, tones and arrangements. The album began taking shape at Schnettler’s Bat Mountain Audio studios before the band headed to Cape Town to work with Crous on the fine-tuning." Prime Circle is often perceived as a soft-rock or contemporary-rock band, primarily due to the album cuts generally favoured by radio stations. They hope this will change with Evidence, which does feature contemplative numbers but is also more guitar-driven, with Learmonth and Bisschoff pinching, riffing and having fun playing around with different patterns. Listened to in its entirety, the album displays the multiple variations and shades of which the band is capable.