Shameless, the groundbreaking trio from the heart of Soweto (South Africa), introduce their debut album, “Nkabi Rock,” blending the raw energy of rock with the vibrant spirit of the township.

In a music scene dominated by hip-hop and house-derived genres, Shameless stands out as pioneers of a new genre that they proudly call Nkabi Rock / I Rock Yase Kasi (Assassin Rock / Rock from The Township, in isiZulu). Drawing inspiration from their upbringing and the rich musical tapestry of South Africa, Shameless’ sound is a captivating fusion of metal, blues, kwaito, mbaqanga, isigxaxa, and a dash of jazz.

The dynamic trio consists of Musa Zwane, Thabang Khonje, and Thabo Masina. They are at the forefront of a growing movement of rock and alternative bands emerging from Soweto. “Our music is an extension of rock” Zwane explains. “It’s a fusion of our diverse influences, reflecting the soul of the township”.

At the heart of “Nkabi Rock” lies the single, “Mission Impossible” which is a collaboration with the heavy Portuguese band “Scúru Fitchádu”. It’s a powerful anthem tackling the pervasive issues of rampant drug addiction and the resultant theft within their community – specifically the scourge of nyaope addiction in Soweto. “The song is very deep and from the heart,” Zwane shares. “It shows how angry and tired we are of addicts who steal from people.”

Recorded live, “Nkabi Rock” captures the raw intensity and authenticity of Shameless’ electrifying performances.
“We wanted to emerge with something powerful in our hands, The album is a testament to our resilience and passion for our craft.” Zwane reflects.

With “Nkabi Rock,” Shameless is not only redefining the sound of rock but also amplifying the voices of the township. As they prepare to embark on their journey to conquer hearts and minds around the globe, Shameless invites listeners to join them on a musical odyssey unlike any other.

Thabang Khonje, reflecting on the band’s journey and future aspirations, adds, “We’re pretty much at the peak of our career so far. We’ve somewhat smashed our short-term goal, which was to tour around the country, spread the word, and let the people be awakened. But now we want to cross over and engage with new international audiences, be relevant to the world’s greatest hitmakers in the space we are in.”

With “Nkabi Rock,” Shameless is not only redefining the sound of rock but also amplifying the voices of the township.

Buy and stream the album here.

ABOUT SHAMELESS:
The band members (Thabang Khonje, Musa Zwane & Thabo Masina aka Rock Ruler Live) met on stage at a local, community jam session called Sawubona Music Jam where they instantly “knew they had fire and a musical connection like the holy trinity”.

They played their first shows without a name, but with their first batch of original songs. As the need for a name grew they looked at themselves and their surroundings; rock music is very rare
in South Africa, especially in the so-called eKasi (townships) – segregated neighbourhoods where black people were forced to live under apartheid.

Full of the energy of their music they realised how shameless they are to be mixing two cultures – western rock music and African eKasi street culture.

Now in 2024, their 7th year as a band, they have achieved more than most rock bands could expect to in South Africa. From a Converse advert to the main stage at AfroPunk Festival and most notable stages & festivals in-between. They released their first EP “Impicabadala” in December 2021 with the lead single “4 x 4” that has since become something of a cult anthem in South African alternative communities.

Their electrifying live show has seen them play all over the country to audiences that never quite seem to get their fill, despite the encores, the fans want more. This has made shameless a darling of local promoters – who all know how to fill a room: simply book Shameless.

The band have come a long way since their very DIY beginnings; recording their debut EP “Impicabadala” and playing every small stage or room that they could find. They have now signed an exclusive deal with von Plato’s DiscovrMe (DiscovrTV’s indie label) which is underwritten by Tic Tic Bang.

The combination of these two organisations and the producer means that three big fans of the band – Hugh Davison, Finn MacKinnon and Julian von Plato – have stepped into management, production and label roles with the combined goal of growing Shameless’ audience both in South Africa and in international territories.

More information at https://www.facebook.com/ShamelessBandSA

Pictured: Rock, Thabang & Musa. Photo by: Frank Marshall

SHAMELESS are a trio from Soweto, South Africa, where they are one of a small but growing number of rock/alternative bands. Their music is influenced by the music they grew up with, they have dubbed their sound Nkabi Rock / I Rock Yase Kasi (Assassin Rock / Rock from The Township, in isiZulu).

They describe their sound as “an extension of rock” which fuses metal, blues, kwaito, mbaqanga, isigxaxa and a smattering of jazz. On the 27th of October they released the second single from their upcoming album “Nkabi Rock” (to be officially announced soon).

Buy and stream the album at https://shamelessband.ffm.to/nakhusesfika

Their new single “Nakhu Ses’Fika” begins with a marching pattern on the snare & kick, broken by a short fill and the entrance of the thundering bass & distorted guitar – it sits somewhere between doom & punk. The driving riffs are broken from time to time by clever little melodic pieces that the whole band play together and which give the listener a second to catch their breath before diving in again.

The opening lines “Nakhu Ses’Fika Kau, Siyajika Lento Kau” (which mean “we’ve arrived and are going to change things/turn them on their head”). In some ways this sentiment is an introduction to Shameless, a warning to anyone not paying attention, they’re coming in hot.

Listen to ‘Nakhu Ses’Fika’ below.

About Shameless
The band members (Thabang Khonje, Musa Zwane & Thabo Masina aka Rock Ruler Live) met on stage at a local, community jam session called Sawubona Music Jam where they instantly “knew they had fire and a musical connection like the holy trinity”.
 
They played their first shows without a name, but with their first batch of original songs. As the need for a name grew they looked at themselves and their surroundings; rock music is very rare in South Africa, especially in the so-called eKasi (townships) – segregated neighbourhoods where black people were forced to live under apartheid.
 
Full with the energy of their music they realised how shameless they are to be mixing two cultures – western rock music and African eKasi street culture. They are called Shameless Band on DSPs and Shameless Band SA on socials, you can call them Shameless.

Now in 2023, their 6^th year as a band, they have achieved more than most rock bands could expect to in South Africa. From a Converse advert to the main stage at AfroPunk Festival and most notable stages & festivals in-between. They released their first EP “Impicabadala” in December 2021 with the lead single “4 x 4” that has since become something of a cult anthem in South African alternative communities.
 
Their electrifying live show has seen them play all over the country to audiences that never quite seem to get their fill, despite the encores, the fans want more. This has made shameless a darling of local promoters – who all know how to fill a room: simply book Shameless.
 
The band have come a long way since their very DIY beginnings; recording their debut EP “Impicabadala” and playing every small stage or room that they could find. They have now signed an exclusive deal with von Plato’s DiscovrMe (DiscovrTV’s indie label) which is underwritten by Tic Tic Bang.

The combination of these two organisations and the producer means that three big fans of the band – Hugh Davison, Finn MacKinnon and Julian von Plato – have stepped into management, production and label roles with the combined goal of growing Shameless’ audience both in South Africa and in international territories.
 
According to Musa “This year was a year of getting our shit together. We’re slowly getting there and looking forward to getting back on stage to celebrate the release of the new music.”

More information at https://www.facebook.com/ShamelessBandSA

SHAMELESS are a trio from Soweto, South Africa, where they are one of a few rock/alternative bands. Their music is influenced by the music they grew up with, they have dubbed their sound Nkabi Rock / I Rock Yase Kasi (Assassin Rock / Rock from The Township, in isiZulu).

They describe their sound as “an extension of rock” which fuses metal, blues, kwaito, mbaqanga, isigxaxa and a smattering of jazz. On the first of September they will release the first single from their upcoming album (to be officially announced soon).
 
Victim of Data begins with the hook & chorus line “I am a Victim of Data!” as the band explode into action at full tempo. The song is characterised by Musa’s screeching guitars, Thabang’s intricate and groove-filled bass, and Rock’s thundering drums.

It is a multi-genre song with its roots in punk & heavy-rock, complimented by a controlled breakdown in the middle of the song which acts as a mood-setter for a manic guitar. All this is made more impressive by the fact that the band recorded the song live in a single take.

The inspiration for Victim of Data came during the pandemic’s extended lockdowns in South Africa. When the world moved online, it became very clear that lower income communities were excluded because of the cost of data which results in low internet access rates.
 
According to Musa “We have the most expensive data plans in the whole of Africa so when we wrote the song, we really felt victimised by the cost of information.” The result is an undeniably political statement and song; to which Musa adds “Just like when the Sex Pistols sang “God Save the Queen”.

Similarly to their sound, the recording process was far from conventional. It was done at DiscovrTV’s studios in Johannesburg with owner Julian von Plato and his team filming the sessions, and producer Hugh Davidson recording the audio. All instrument were recorded together, live, which gives the song their massive energy.
 
While the band felt some pressure with the cameras in and the sweat from the South African summer pouring down their faces. The band thought they were doing a warm-up take – little did they know Hugh and Julian were rolling. And just like that, in one take the song was recorded. One and done, as they say.
 
At the end of the recording you can hear some laughter from the band as they found out that the practice take was not for practicing, and that the song was done. The footage (of this recording session and all others for the album) will be released in various projects, music videos and BTS clips as the release-cycle continues.

“We have come a long way as a band – from not believing one bit that what we
do is unique or even good, to playing 78 shows in one year” – Musa Zwane
 
The single is accompanied by a music video, directed by Julian von Plato and shot at DiscovrTV’s studios, it is a frantic play-through styled video with visual glitches and spasms. These visual tropes make the viewer feel like they can’t quite see the full picture – not dissimilar to the feeling many South Africans get when they are excluded from the online world because of the price of data.

Stream Victim of Data at https://shamelessband.ffm.to/victimofdata

The band members (Thabang Khonje, Musa Zwane & Thabo Masina aka Rock Ruler Live) met on stage at a local, community jam session called Sawubona Music Jam where they instantly “knew they had fire and a musical connection like the holy trinity”.
 
They played their first shows without a name, but with their first batch of original songs. As the need for a name grew they looked at themselves and their surroundings; rock music is very rare in South Africa, especially in the so-called eKasi (townships) – segregated neighbourhoods where black people were forced to live under apartheid.
 
Full with the energy of their music they realised how shameless they are to be mixing two cultures – western rock music and African eKasi street culture. They are called Shameless Band on DSPs and Shameless Band SA on socials, you can call them Shameless.

Now in 2023, their 6^th year as a band, they have achieved more than most rock bands could expect to in South Africa. From a Converse advert to the main stage at AfroPunk Festival and most notable stages & festivals in-between. They released their first EP “Impicabadala” in December 2021 with the lead single “4 x 4” that has since become something of a cult anthem in South African alternative communities.
 
Their electrifying live show has seen them play all over the country to audiences that never quite seem to get their fill, despite the encores, the fans want more. This has made shameless a darling of local promoters – who all know how to fill a room: simply book Shameless.

More information at https://www.facebook.com/ShamelessBandSA