Page 133 - ION Indie Magazine SeptOct 2023

Tim Board: What got you interested in music?

Ross Harding: It was an intense passion for rock &
roll music. When I was really young, I remember
hearing bands and artists ranging from Eric Clapton
to Metallica, and just being absolutely obsessed
with it. I think that has grown into a general
obsession with music today -- all kinds -- from blues
to classical and lots of music in-between.

TB: At what point did you decide to pursue
music as something more than a hobby?

RH: From the first time I started playing the guitar,
really. I never thought of it as a hobby. It was
something really f***** serious for me from the
beginning and has been ever since. I was 11 years
old when I started playing and I knew pretty much
immediately that I wanted it to be a career. I was
going to be a rock star! Little did I know I was
choosing one of the most difficult, but yet rewarding
paths of life. It’s taken me on a crazy journey…and
I love it!

TB: What attracted you to the blues/rock genre?

RH: The blues itself is full of mysticism, magic,
folklore, and so much rich history. I loved the
darkness of the blues…elements of the occult,
Faustian mythology…it’s all so fascinating! That
was the hook for me. Learning the blues,
understanding the music, that was like going to
musical college for me. I taught myself blues and
blues theory, more or less, and am still obsessing
over it. Rock music in general, whether classic rock,
metal, and those variations, spoke to me like it
speaks to any rock fan. There is just something
about the energy; the feeling of the experience that
is unlike anything else. Once a rocker, always a
rocker!

TB: How is the blues scene in South Africa?

RH: Honestly, I don’t know if there is a ‘scene,’
There are artists, yeah, and so-called ‘societies’ but
I really haven’t ever been aware of an actual vibrant
blues scene. There are also blues lovers and
diehard blues fans, but I do feel it’s kind of stretched
out. Bear in mind the blues in South Africa is quite
a niche thing. With that being said, we have some
killer talent coming out of SA with the likes of The
Black Cat Bones, Albert Frost, and our most high-
profile blues cat, Dan Patlansky (who also happens
to be extremely highly rated internationally).

TB: In 2017, you formed the group Black
Harbour Blues. What happened to the group?