Wasting No Time: An Interview with Stefan Jansen
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Get ready to discover a South African musician who will make you laugh and remind you of the importance of being yourself. Stefan Jansen has been entertaining audiences for several years, and he’s now releasing his new single and EP, “Wasting Time,” which features country music. However, this is not a complete change for him, as he views this EP as a recording of a chapter of his life, where he learned four lessons about love, patience, honesty, and hope. Stefan is proudly Afrikaans, and his heritage and culture deeply influence his music. In an exclusive interview, he shared how he uses different guitars to inspire him in different ways and how he deals with creative blocks. He also gave some advice for aspiring musicians who want to break into the music industry.
Get ready to be captivated by his music, honesty, and inspiring message.
Let’s dive right into my Interview with Stefan Jansen:
You are no ‘new kid’ on the block as you have been entertaining audiences for various years in South Africa, but for anyone that might not have heard your name as yet… how would you describe who you are and what brings you joy? “I am an uncomplicated people person. Laughter and selflessness can really take you a long way. I believe that the gift of being able to be yourself truly and fully is the greatest gift of all. Music is a tool for me to get people to listen to what I think about the world we live in and my opinions on how to make it even better.”
Your new single and EP, “Waisting Time,” is refreshing because it’s country music. What inspired you to switch to this genre? “This release, and more specifically the title track “Wasting Time” is not really a switch to a new genre or era of music for me. It is a recording of an era of my life (more or less 2012-2020) during which I was confronted with many great challenges in life and love. The four songs captivate four lessons I learned; Love, Patience, Honesty and Hope.”
Can you tell us more about the message behind your new single, ‘Wasting Time’? “Wasting Time is a song about truth and fairness towards others, even if that means doing something uncomfortable and hard. I had to end a relationship because I felt that I had doubts and that my partner did not deserve to love someone who is only 99% sure. I felt like I was wasting her time, and that was unfair. We ran into each other many years later and had a beautiful conversation about the whole story. She was happily married and, for the first time, it was clear that I indeed made the right decision way back then. And I learned that honesty indeed always pays off.”
Your previous songs were mostly in Afrikaans. What made you decide to release an English EP this time? “The Wasting Time EP is a once-off English release. At this stage, I intend to pursue a career in traditional Afrikaans folk music, especially in Europe, but the songs on this release are so important to me personally, I wanted to make sure that I don’t leave them behind.”
The country music vibe in your new song is infectious. Was it a challenge to infuse that energy into your music? “Great question… I am always very focused on the kind of “energy” that my songs give off. As an artist, you truly do have the power to influence people’s feelings, and you should be responsible for that power. This release is inspired by Leonard Cohen, Chris Stapleton, James Bay, Xavier Rudd and the Foo Fighters, all of whom use words to engage their listeners’ trust and commitment. I do the same. You can win someone’s trust and therefore their time by being blatantly honest about things we all know cannot be denied, and yet no one wants to admit to. I think that, in that sense of community, lies the captivating energy of my songs. I truly hope so!”
As an acoustic guitar luthier, how does your expertise in guitars influence your songwriting and music-making process? “Even a better question! Yes!! I love guitars. I often use different guitars to inspire me in different ways to write different songs. When I wrote “Lost Bloodline”, a heavily electric guitar-driven song, guess what… I just built my first electric guitar and I could not put it down, so it inspired the song. At the moment I am writing an old-sounding Afrikaans song and I am using a 1949 Gibson L-48 acoustic guitar because it has that authentic old sound. It just feels right…”
You are proudly Afrikaans. How do your heritage and culture influence your music? “I always say that it took me 30 years, R30,000 and 30,000km to go realise in a country full of snow and mountains, that I am truly proud of being Afrikaans. In our beautiful country, there is a culture of apology for being Afrikaans, and a feeling that our culture is dying, neither of which I take part in these days. We are loved all over the world for being hard-working, intelligent, social, hospitable and extremely musical people. Of all those things I am seriously proud.”
You’ve released several songs in the past. Which one is the closest to your heart, and why? “Suikerbos has been a massive song for my career. Katryn is the most personal song. Lankal Gereed is the most fun to perform. As Ek Jou Onthou is the best singalong song. It’s hard to choose between them but, ironically, all four of them have reached No.1 positions on mainstream radio stations across the world. The Katryn EP has also won ALBUM OF THE YEAR in the Netherlands at Radio Spannenburg.”
As a musician and songwriter, how do you deal with creative blocks? “Let them pass. I don’t force myself to create, but you do have to practice every single day. Creativity is very much something you can get “fit” in. It is crucial that you do something creative EVERY SINGLE DAY.”
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are trying to break into the music industry? “Take what you have, do what you can, don’t ever stop. Most creatives struggle with patience. I think that is normal, especially when you are driven and ambitious. But, focus and work hard. There’s no romance behind it all. It is a career like anything else that will require sacrifice and compromise, but the reward is the greatest of it all…”
Lastly, what’s next for Stefan Jansen, and what can your fans look forward to in the future? “I am embarking on my second European tour in June 2023, after which we will release more new Afrikaans songs and take a theatre show on the road. It will definitely be something to look forward to… soon…”
I want to take a moment to thank Stefan Jansen for taking the time to chat with me about his music and career. From his insights on the power of honesty in songwriting to his love of guitars, Stefan’s passion for music shines through in everything he does. If you’re as captivated by his sound as I am, be sure to follow him on his social media channels and check out his latest EP “Wasting Time”. With his catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics, Stefan is an artist that you won’t want to miss.
How to follow Stefan Jansen Online:
Visit linktr.ee/stefanjansenmusic or email him directly at stefan@stefanjansenmusic.com
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