Intro

Meel Vignetting the band, started out as a solo project by lead vocalist and guitarist Meel Vignetting. From the age of 6, while messing around on guitar and being self-taught, she soon went into singing at the age of 8.

The next step for Meel was to start writing songs and she wrote her first serious song at age 13. Fast forward a few years, she decided to record an EP which was eventually called ‘The Journey’. Once the EP was recorded, Meel started to play with some band members: Rohan and Wesley on Guitar, Zadelhoff on Bass Guitar and Reino on Drums. The chemistry between them when they played together was so good that they eventually became full-time members of the band under the name of Meel Vignetting.

If I was to compare this band to another well known band , I would say, think The Cranberries mixed with a bit of Evanescence and then a love child is born and that ladies and gentlemen is Meel Vignetting, but having said that, this band has got their own sound and style and are ready to take on the world!

I caught up with Meel, to talk more about the band and their musical journey.

Enjoy the read.

Questions

Hi to you Meel and the band Meel Vignetting; welcome to Fanbase Music Magazine. How have you all been with Covid and lockdowns; have you and your families been safe?

Hey, Hey! Thank you 😊

Yes, luckily we’ve all been safe. Really tired of all the stuff that comes with this pandemic but things seem to be looking up and I’m just happy that we get to see friends and family again; and of course get to perform again!

Can you tell us who is in the band and what does each member do in the band?

We have Rohan and Wesley on Guitar, Zadelhoff on Bass Guitar, Reino on Drums and myself on Vocals and Guitar.

Tell our readers about your sound; what genre would you describe your band as being identified with?

I can’t really place us in a specific genre but 😊 most of our influences are from the 90’s Alternative Rock bands. We are still exploring our sound though. I’ve been a Solo performer for many years now but Meel Vignetting as a band is still fairly new. We’ve also had some member changes recently that have also changed our sound a little.

Who are some of the band’s musical influences?

Our influence is drawn from a broad spectrum of music; I can’t pinpoint it exactly, ha-ha, but to name a few: Foo Fighters, Wolf Alice, Cranberries, etc.

Where is the band from and what got each band member into music?

We’re all Pretoria-based and we all got into music from a young age. We just LOVE music and it’s as much a part of us as breathing is.

How long has the band been going?

We formed during hard lockdown so it’s been a super slow growing two years but the more time we spend together, the more refined our sound gets. I look forward to the future and what it holds.

Do you have any singles, EPs or album out?

Yes, we do. It’s called The Journey and can be found on all major streaming platforms. We also have two music videos out on YouTube that were produced by Not Russell Crow – He is amazing and we’re SO grateful to have worked with him.

When you are writing music, can you explain how a song comes together from the lyrics to the music?

Generally, I start by messing around on the guitar and when I have something that brings out an emotion, I put a story to it. Sometimes it flows naturally and I have a whole song within a day or so. Other times, not so much and some songs take years to complete. I tend to have an idea for the rest of the instruments, but I prefer to give the band free range on their parts. Once I have the basic song, we run through it and spit ball at practice and see what we come up with. I love the input I get from the guys! They are all such amazing musicians and what they bring to the table gives me goose-bumps! I hope our songs give our listeners goose-bumps. Ha-ha.

Do you have any upcoming music we should keep a look out for?

We’ll be recording a few new tracks from August, yes. We might also re-record some of the EP tracks, as we’ve added and changed a few things here and there. I also want to work on a few more music videos as well… putting visual to the songs is such an amazing part of the art.

Can you explain a typical band room experience when you having band practice?

Most of the time, Rohan and I are late ha-ha… One time, we set everything up, ran through one song, took a break and ended up having a braai for the rest of the day! But mostly, we work hard on polishing the songs and try breathing a unique ambience into them and our set/show.

Can you tell us a cool gig story from either this band or a past project you’ve been involved with?

Really funny and quite embarrassing: We played a gig at Jarr Bar once and when I greeted the crowd, I shouted Hello Railways! Hahahaha – so lame. But there is always something very funny happening at our gigs, so you’re in for a treat, ha-ha.

For people who are yet to see you play live, can you explain what we could expect at one of your gigs?

It’s hard to say… each gig has its own flavour. But, come check us out 😉 we aim to leave you mesmerised. Personally, I think we sound better live than on the EP, but we’ll leave that verdict up to the crowd.

One of my favourite songs of yours is called ‘Empty Forever’; can you explain the meaning behind that song?

It’s always a bit of a rough one to talk about. It’s about a past relationship that was made up of empty promises and a LOT of hurt. I think the realisation, every time, that it was just another empty promise, killed me slowly… I could never understand why anyone would be in a relationship and pretend to work on one if they clearly didn’t want to in the first place… but life is for learning and my broken heart has taught me many valuable lessons and thank goodness, not everyone is out to harm us. I always say’, “we’ve all been there… we’ve all had that sucky love relationship” and I think many can relate to this song. It is, however, imperative that we all realise that some things just don’t work out and hurting is part of our beautiful journey; but there comes a time when we need to grow emotionally and move on.

Thank you for doing this interview, do you have any last messages for your fans and our readers?

Yes, thank you for the support and following. We truly appreciate each and every one of you!

Always be kind to everyone around you and teach your kids to be respectful, mindful, have self-worth (not ego); and for the love of music, teach them to listen to GOOD music ha-ha.

Can you please give us your social media links?

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook

Instagram

Youtube