Neil Breytenbach Chats To Us About New Music From Cantrel, Prime Circle 21st Anniversary, And More
Intro
Multi-talented songwriter and internationally known keyboardist Neil Breytenbach is most known for his role in the South African award-winning band Prime Circle as Pianist and Co Songwriter, as well as for playing Solo Piano shows for Royalty. With many Platinum and Gold Albums under his belt, Neil and his son Jesse have been crafting their side music project called Cantrel. Their new release is called ‘My Time Has Come’, a powerful inspirational Hip Hop infused Pop Anthem featuring Velosity and Jacqueline Tolken. ‘My Time Has Come’ is available from 4 November as a 2-track EP with a Radio and an Acoustic versions.
Neil shares that “this song is about finding your new path in life in a positive way and not letting your past define your future. It doesn’t matter what people say about you, as every day you wake up is a new day to make a fresh start in life, so don’t let their negative words and ways get you down. You can make a positive start to your life. Stay Positive & Keep Your Head Up!”
Questions
Welcome to Fanbase Music Magazine. I am already a big fan. The band is made up of a father (Neil) and son (Jesse) line up; can you tell us when and how the band started, how you decided to jam together, and how the band name Cantrel came about?
Cantrel started as a Father & Son lineup during lockdown. Before this I had been writing songs and doing soft releases on the songs to see how they react in the world. My Son Jesse plays guitar and sings and with me playing bass, keys and doing some raps we thought is would be a cool combo to add the grunge rap together with some acoustic vibes too. Cantrel is a name I’ve always liked and it means to be strong, bold and know what you want and you won’t stop till you get it. So it’s a very strong and positive name.
Your previous track Without Love did quite well, can you tell us what that song is about, and who worked on that track?
Without Love, is a song I wrote after doing a Led Zeppelin tribute show one evening. I got home after the show and thought to myself that I’d like to write a dirty blues rock-type song like “Whole lot of love” by Led Zeppelin. So I sat down at my baby grand piano and started playing the main intro piano riff of the song. I wrote Without Love in 20 Minutes from top to bottom. The song has been playlisted on iHeart Radio in New York too which is amazing. So it was totally inspired by Led Zeppelin.
You just released your new track called My Time has come, can you tell us what that song is about and what was your thoughts when you wrote it?
My Time Has Come, has a positive message behind it. It’s basically there to inspire people and to make them realize that they have the power to wake up every day and make a new fresh positive start to their lives. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or experienced in the past, you can make a fresh start for the better and lead a more positive future life.
Your collaboration with an extraordinary lady named Jacqueline Tolken, can you tell us more about her and how it came that she appears on the track?
Jacqueline Tolken is an incredible singer and I met her in the industry. I’ve always loved her soulful vocals and when I wrote ‘My Time Has Come’ her voice was the first person I thought of. So I sent her the track and asked if she would be keen to feature on the song and thank goodness she said yes. I really Love the way the song has turned out.
Can you tell us where you record your music and what is recording process is like especially for this track?
I have a studio at home, so I do most of my writing and recording at home. I also produce, mix & master all my songs.
Can we expect an album soon or are you just releasing singles at the moment?
Cantrel is going to release a full-length album in early 2023. So we are very excited to get this album out into the world and start touring it and promoting it hard.
Can you tell us a bit about a typical Cantrel live gig, what could we expect if we were to attend one of our shows?
A Cantrel lives show is a mix of Rock, Rap, Grunge & Acoustic Music. We are very flexible and can mix up shows to suit the event. So you can book us for a solid Rock Show or a Broken down very intimate acoustic show or a blend of the two.
Do you have any gigs in December or in the new year you can tell us about?
Cantrel will be performing NYE at HillCrest Quarry Durbanville Cape Town with Prime Circle and we will also be live at the Music Kitchen in PE on the 27th of December with Prime Circle.
Neil you are also a part of the rock legendary band Prime Circle, the band is busy celebrating its 21st anniversary, how does it feel to still be going after so many years and being such a popular band?
Being in a band that’s been going for 21 Years is an incredible feeling and We’ve definitely ticked off some of our goals. Waking up every morning and still being able to pursue music and our dreams is an amazing feeling and honor.
What is happening in the Prime Circle camp, can we expect any new music or tours?
We are busy recording a new EP which will be released in 2023.
Thank you for doing this interview, do you have any last messages for our readers and your fans?
Cantrel Thanks You for all the support and Huge respect to our fans for allowing us to pursue our dreams and passion. Thank You and Big Love.
Online:
Contact email: info@cantrelmusic.com