Sons of Settlers

Sons of Settlers are an up-beat, energetic duo from South Africa, comprising of Le-Roi Nel and Gerdus Oosthuizen. When they play as a duo you can expect a massive high-energy sound, containing tasty and cheeky dual guitar riffs bouncing off a beating drum, on top of which you will find their signature soaring vocals in a wholly positive and organic sound. Calling them a folk duo would be selling them short, as there are hints of all kinds of influences, from the playful South African kwaito sound to the more techno-inspired repetition that Berlin is famous for. Regardless of your preference, you are in for a good time! For bigger shows and festival bookings the duo joins forces with drummer Frank Mertens of Adolar fame to perform as a trio. With this beautiful man behind the drums everything gets a little louder, a little dirtier, and a little cheekier. Both versions of this outfit are mesmerising and exciting, so be sure not to miss a single note.


2017 sees Sons of Settlers release their EP Daily Rituals, which captures their sound as a duo. This process took many twist and turns and led them down a road of musical rediscovery. This has mainly been a bedroom production, being recorded in bedrooms and living rooms in South Africa and Germany, wholly self-recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Le-Roi Nel and Gerdus Oosthuizen. The duo collaborated with many artists, featuring the talents of Riku Lätti on Accordian, Julia and Tessa Johnson on Violin and Cello respectively, and their newly found part-time member Frank Mertens on the drums. The album is a collage of sounds from the original Sons of Settlers sound and adds a new, more experimental sound experience, which incorporates found-sounds, snippets of audio from cellular phones, and even the album recordings of close friends. On this album, you can hear the influence that Berlin has had on the duo’s sound. Both have committed themselves to learning much more about the music production process, incorporating sampling, synthesis and sequencing into their new sound, which is also something they are looking to incorporate more into their live performances. The Daily Rituals EP has a couple of surprises and hidden gems up its sleeve, so be sure to listen to it all the way from start to finish! The album will also be released in an unconventional way. refer to the long-form of the press text for more information on this.