Evicted

The people of Zimbabwe have little to crow about these days- their country lies in ruins, its economy bled dry by a ruthless dictator. But in the empty wake of tragedy the voice of hope always resounds more clearly, and three talented young Zimbabwean musos have pulled themselves out of the rubble and formed a band whose music taps into a fundamental part of the modern Zimbabwean pysche: Unity.

Singer/guitarist Derek Bailey, drummer Nick Newbery and bassist Adam Francis enjoyed a happy childhood in the remoter parts of one of Africa’s most beautiful countries, however the sweetness of youth took on a sour tinge as the political and humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe worsened. High school graduation brought about the formation of Evicted and the birth of a rock and roll dream – a dream all three members realised would never see fruition if they remained in Zimbabwe. Yet they persevered, putting incredible faith in their catchy punk rock sound, which thanks to some relentless gigging and a self titled demo (recorded in the bush on cheap plastic toy microphones) began to build up a fan base throughout Southern Africa. Adam Francis left the band to pursue a finance careeer, and was replaced by accomplished music teacher Dominic Benson, who plays his own unique style of ‘African bass’. The pieces of the puzzle where in place, and the whole band knew they were onto something special. They had developed a distinct sound which can best be described as “Afro Rock”, or Chimurenga Punk” - a fusion of hard hitting melodic rock and traditional Zimbabwean music styles, a true blend of ethnic and western sounds. Cultural unity at its catchiest, and a musical formula that seemed destined for mass appeal.

But when Derek moved to Australia to undertake a degree in Popular Music the members of the band found themselves on three different continents with three different passports. An unavoidable hiatus was entered into, one that was only broken on occasion when immigration, travel and cost issues could be overcome. It was during these moments that the 11 track album “Place Called Home” came into being- the result of five years of meeting up and recording wherever and whenever they could, and taking their pulsating live shows to various venues in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique and Australia.

The resulting album, “Place Called Home” offers a sonic and lyrical perspective on corruption, poverty, racism, love and the mass displacement of a people and a nation. Hard rock drumming and higher pitched African guitar styles complement each other perfectly in the upbeat remake of the Zimbabwean classic “Mapurisa”, a song which has crept its way onto radio airwaves in South Africa and become something of a cult hit in Southern Afica and beyond. One of the newest songs, “Mental”, joins it as an instant party classic, while the dark, sombre tones of “Misled” are an outlet for the bands frustration at the downfall of their home country. The plaintive notes and the heartfelt appeals to “renew all that was gone, show me how to fly” in the ballad “Place Called Home” plant seeds of hope and irrigate them with a mix of anger and despair. What grows out of it are fruits of emotion that unite all who listen with a desire for positive change.

The band arent pretending to be politicians, but they believe awareness is a vital cog in the quest for truth and justice. And as the sun is setting on a long and hard road for Zimbabwe, one characterised by thirty years of tyranny, the voice of the people is starting to resound around the world – ZVAKWANA: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Evicted are helping to make that voice a whole lot louder. Its time to open your ears..