Mystic Diaries Volume 4…
Pieter de Jager - Die Tuindwergies - in the moment; Danya Botha.
Two sets of brothers – the Swiegers , Jean and Emile – and the De Jagers – Pieter and Dawie, make up the band that is –
Die Tuindwergies.
With their Folksy/pop-rock sound they have captured the attention and imagination of the diverse following they enjoy.
After their performance a while back in The Mystic Boer Bloemfontein, I caught up with them to talk the business to band ratio, a matured band mentality and what their Dwerg vibe is all about.
Two sets of brothers stemming from musical backgrounds – tell us a bit about that.
Dawie de Jager: “Well Jean and Emile are the children of Andre Swiegers, so they have basically been playing in concerts with him, and the likes of Anton Goosen and Lukas Maree from a very young age. My brother, Pieter, played in a Band with Karlien van Jaarsveld called Revolusie, and I am a part of the band Klopjag.”
With all four band members already exposed to the workings of the music industry – how did it affect the birth and rise of Die Tuindwergies?
The Swiegers Bothers in full swing.
Dawie De Jager: To run a band in South – Africa is very difficult, seeing as though you initially have to do everything by yourself. With the culminated experience we had behind us, we took the correct approach, and immediately started running it as a business. We could skip the initial first step of trying to figure out how we would approach the onset of this new music venture.
Pieter De Jager: We knew that in order to keep the show on the road, we would need money. A lot of bands starting out, make the initial mistake of taking all the money made from a show, splitting it, and splurging it on whatever. We immediately started saving up the money made from shows, with the goal in mind, to get more shows, so that the band could grow.
Dawie De Jager: That’s how we paid of our first CD. We had to get the money from somewhere. So we decided to make a standing rule, where every member in the band got a standard amount per show. This way, you knew what money you could expect coming in, and we saved up enough to pay our CD off and run the band.
The Dwergies are under management now. Hows that working out?
Pieter dde Jager; Die Tuindwergies; Danya Botha
Dawie de Jager: “Yes we are, and it’s working out great. We got Hannes – The Agent – in. We met him through Southern Pulse – he has his own agency; Extravaganza. He handles everything now, and its working out really well. We can now focus on our music and it’s a lot less worries on our side. When we started out, we would get a lot of people phoning and asking how much we asked for a gig. A lot of the times, they couldn’t comply with it, and we gave in a lot of time, saying that we would accept what they had to offer. Now we don’t have to handle calls like that, where people could make misuse of us, and maybe guilt us into playing gigs. Hannes can now professionally handle all of that. What is amazing about working with Hannes is the fact that he is on board with us 100%. He isn’t just a manager, but also someone with a major passion for music, and the path the dwergies are on. You can get instances, where managers are purely business orientated, where the focus is on making money and selling records. Hannes supports the cause of this project, which is great.
Your music is known for its well written lyrics. Who is responsible for the writing of the lyrics, and what is the approach you take?
Pieter de Jager: Emile and I do the writing. In the beginning I did the lyrics, and Emile – being brilliant on guitar – did the riffs. Now it’s a more of an interlinked effort.
Emile Swiegers: We write about everyday things, and how they affect us. We don’t write about farfetched things like planets and aliens etc.
Pieter de Jager: We are regular Joe’s. We are not trying to speak on somebody else’s behalf. We are just saying what presses on our hearts, and how it makes us feel. I think that’s why so many people can relate to our music. To us that’s what music is all about. Making a connection with the listeners, who can relate to what you are singing…music that transcends barriers. I’m always astounded by how many jocks love – and sing along to – Kopskudkinders. Its so ironic…but its pretty cool.
Die Tuindwergies rocking Mystic Boer Bloemfontein; Danya Botha
Die Tuindwergies, has quite a diverse following, and it’s difficult to pin point a specific pool following your dwerg trend. Comments regarding this?
Dawie De Jager: From the beginning we wanted to make sure that that our music had a positive spin. I think that’s maybe why old and young can relate to it. When it comes to other more hard core type bands, that sing about specific issues they struggle with, it makes it difficult for older people or people maybe not sharing the same type of mind-set, to understand and appreciate where they are coming from. We saw on Avontoer, end of last year, the whole diverse crowd feel, came into play.The one day we could play a show with Van Coke Kartel, and the next day with a guy like Elvis Blue. There was difference in the response of the crowd. That pretty special to take in.
Hannes The Agent : You know im always standing in the crowd, so I experience the repsonses of the crowd first hand. What you’re saying about the music catering for no specific group is spot on. Everyone sings with. My opinion regarding this phenomena – have a look at the band. They are a bunch of old souls with a deep connection to the music. The rich music backgrounds they descend from – I think – also has a part to play in it.
Pieter De jager: You know, from the beginning, it’s always been important for me, to get into the crowd and mingle after our shows. It helps you stay grounded, and it helps me see first-hand how people experienced our show. It’s so important for me as a musician to know who the people are, I’m talking to through my music. Their response motivates me, and their stories, inspire me. It keeps you level on the ground, with your focus on the music.
Taking what you said into consideration – I can take that as a musician, it can at times be difficult to keep your focus on the music?
Emile Swiegers: It is so easy to get pulled into another world, and put upon a pedestal – because people start treating you differently. It’s extremely important to stay true to whom you are, and the way in which you were brought up. Otherwise, you’ll lose your footing…and it’s all a slippery slope from there and on.
Two sets of brothers in a band – the makings of an interesting band dynamic. How do you handle conflict?
Emile Swiegers: The sets of brothers definitely handle conflict differently. The De Jager brothers are much more verbal, than us Swiegers brothers. They talk things out, quickly handling the situation. Us Swiegers brothers…we tend to brood for about a week…and we can get physical haha.
Jean Swiegers: Yeah – at times they just have to hold me back, otherwise there would be problems.
Dawie de Jager: Conflict is something you need to learn how to handle quickly in a band situation. We are up in each other’s faces almost 24/7. And this band is a family. We didn’t sign this thing on, on a contract basis. We are friends…we are family. The paperwork is done in blood.
Being in a band – it’s not only for the love and passion of it. It’s a job – your chosen career path. Do you agree with that?
Jean Swiegers: O definitely. People only always see the show, and the great party following it. They don’t see the stuff happening before or after the show. For example; they aren’t there at three in the afternoon, when you have to sound check, and carry everything in, and do the set – up etc.
Any before show rituals?
Dawie De Jager: Yeah, we make a little circle, do the “dwerg prayer”, and then we throw in a Dwerg Power sign (mimics the sign with his hands) – we have no clue what it means, but it works.
Tags: Danya Botha, Dawie de Jager, Die Tuindwergies, Emile Swiegers, Hannes The Agent, Jean Swiegers, Mystic Boer Bloemfontein, Pieter de Jager, Sune Lotter
Music Moves SA 