Christian Heath is no stranger to the South African music scene, although many may wonder where he has been hiding for the last few years. Best known for his role as lead singer of the Christian Heath Band, the East London born and bred singer songwriter is embarking on a fully fledged solo career and his new offering is nothing less than awe- inspiring.

Using his standard rock base, Christian has introduced a more modern pop sound, paying more attention to the vocal and lyrical content and allowing audiences to better connect with his songs. It’s reminiscent of many of his early influences, Def Leppard, Journey, 30 Second to Mars, Richard Marx and Michael Bolton and his first single as a solo artist, I’m Yours, follows this formula. It pulls at the heartstrings.

In this spotlight feature, we chat with Christian about his music, motivations, and more.

Q&A, links, and streams can be found below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

I currently live in Johannesburg South Africa and enjoy writing music that people can relate to and touch them on an emotional level. If I can get that right its a job well done.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?

I started singing at the age of 7 and performed around small venues and festivals  and the reaction of the crowd at these venues sold it to me, its that crazy moment when you are able to connect with the people in the audience and every word that you sing is something they latch on and connect with. I think that moment is something that drives me to always stay on course and of course with out a doubt my family who support me 100% .

Who or what are your biggest influences when it comes to your creativity?

I suppose Richard Marx, Enrique Iglesias, Joe Eliot from Def Leppard and Jared Leto from 30 Seconds to Mars are the guys I look up to for delivery of songs ,creativity,emotion and of course life experiences.

How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?

I have been working on “I’m Yours” for the the past 6 years and finally I am happy at where it sits lyrically and musically compared to the old sounding rock songs that I use to write and I think the choice of lyrics has played a important role with the new compositions which people can definitely relate to.” I’m Your” was released in August 2016 and was written about a commitment between people and although  there might be times where things go and tough and person could possibly feel distance from one another,that commitment will always be there.

The music video shows a different view to the track,it was directed by Brandon Auret “Elisium,Chappie,District9” and the video shows a struggling musician really trying to get a perfect song to get that big deal in the music industry. Brandon appears as this “dark cloaked person/angel” that hints to a young lady who knows people in the industry and gets her to pay attention in the one scene to hear this musician working on this track.The card as seen in the video which is slipped under the door is a business card for a studio and so the opportunity/lucky break happens where he gets to record the track and perform live.In the last scene they finally meet as she recognizes his voice and he finally realizes that she was the opportunity that he got. Hence the commitment to music.

Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?

I think any indie artist starting out or even rebranding themselves, faces the challenges of the new digital age and the reason is for that is yes we can reach a wider audience all over the world however you still need marketing to make people aware of who you are…digital can only take a artist so far…we still need finances to create a great product that appeals to the audience and to tour thats where musicians make there money.Also the vast amount of great music  been released there is so much now that the chance of getting noticed is also challenging. The digital however still allows us to connect with fans on a personal level which is great,allows people to see shows that they have missed on youtube…buy songs before released and really get to the honest on a personal level.

How do you feel about streaming services? Any romantic attachments to the physical formats: vinyl, 8-track, cassettes, CDs?

I think each platform has its pro’s and cons..personally I would still prefer the hard copy just to say that I got it.Physical for me is a lot more rewarding then streaming services and downloading,also the amount of work that has gone into presenting the physical copy from musicians takes a lot of work.

Where can we follow you online and hear more music?

• You can checkout my website: www.christianheath.co.za
• Facebook:@christianheathmusic
• Youtube:@christianhth
• Instagram:@christianhth
• Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHF0jsa8bpA

Right now I will only be releasing singles ..expect more music to be released later  this year.

Anything else before we sign off?

Just thank you for the opportunity that you guys have given me with this interview.