Debut acoustic EP from ANVR

Emerging from the somewhat lesser-known South African music scene, this alt-rock duo is not to be overlooked. This double-act is formed of lead singer, Andreas Potgieter and drummer, Simon Orrey, and go by the title ANVR. The pair met in 2011 whilst studying at Stellenbosch University, originally channelling a grunge rock approach that morphed into the pop-rock and alternative sound they are today.

The pair are known for their high energy performances, having played a cluster of gigs around Cape Town in the years before COVID and have featured several times on local radio stations as ‘up and coming’ artists. Since lockdown, the pair have been co-producing their music, being responsible for recording, mixing, and mastering their tracks.

In early 2022, they release their debut acoustic EP, Live at Sunset Recording studios, featuring four stripped back tracks with just Potgieter on vocals and guitar recorded in one-take live play throughs. This was a novel method for the pair, straying away from the usual layering up of instrumental elements as distinct components.

This album is a delight, taking an intimate and reflective route into the stories being told. Each song exposes the raw vocals, leaving no place to hide, with an added vulnerability. The EP as a whole is ‘melancholic’, an ode to real-life events and the peaks and troughs of life. Simon comments, “..we have been holding them (the EP tracks) close to our hearts from the first day we played them live, and have never been able to do them justice, until now.”

Listen to Live at Sunset Recording Studios, below