Arno Carstens

Articles, Stories, Reports, from the web:

Last updated 27 07 11

Arno Carstens Bio:

Singer Songwriter: 

Arno Carstens is an award-winning South African singer-songwriter and guitarist currently based between Cape Town and London. 

During his career as the lead singer of South Africa’s favourite rock band The Springbok Nude Girls, and subsequently as a solo artist, Arno has released 7 studio albums and had 18 top ten singles. He has won 5 South African Music Awards and shared the stage with legends of the music world. 

Arno has performed on the main stage at the Isle of Wight Festival, has appeared at Glastonbury, V Festival, T in the Park and Hard Rock Calling and has supported the likes of The Rolling Stones, Paul Weller, The Police, Simple Minds and Meat Loaf on European tours.

Wonderful Wild 2010: 

Arno Carstens’ UK debut album Wonderful Wild (release date 26 April 2010) was written, recorded and mixed in London & Spain with co-songwriting contributions from Giles Martin, James Walsh, Jim Duguid and Youth. The album was produced by legendary British producer Youth (The Verve’s Urban Hymns) and Jim Duguid (Paulo Nutini’s These Streets). Final mix on the album is by Tim Bran (The Verve’s recent UK#1 album).

The Hello Goodbye Boys 2005: 

Arno’s 2nd solo album, The Hello Goodbye Boys was released in 2005. Produced by well-known South African studio maestro Brian O’ Shea (USA’s Seether), The Hello Goodbye Boys went gold and won a SAMA award in 2006.

Another Universe 2003: 

Another Universe, Arno’s debut solo album, was released in 2003 and as one of the most anticipated solo projects in South African music history, did not disappoint, becoming the biggest selling South African English rock album this side of the millennium. The platinum selling album won a SAMA Award for Best Rock Album in 2004.

Arno Carstens Cover Story: 

I conic South African guitarist, singer and songwriter, Arno Carstens, is a man with a mission.Whereas the spotlight had fallen on the 36-year-old during his years with the Springbok Nude Girls, his solo offering unmasked his ability to craft songs that are both memorable and instantly accessible. There is no denying the fact that Carstens – who joined SAMRO as a member about a decade ago – has taken the rock tradition with an innovative, albeit loud and fast beat, to new heights.

This is hardly surprising - after all, he is blessed with a powerful voice, even though initially not everyone was excited about his music. I put it to him that not many parents would approve of the suggestive dancing and naughty lyrics, let alone the phrase ‘… Nude Girls’ as these are always bound to set tongues wagging: “We thought it was a good name for a rock band.

Granted, it is a bit off the wall, which I think represents the music well!” he asserts. At the time when mainstream traditional African radio stations were “reluctant to play pop music”, Carstens and his peers have allegedly lost out on considerable airplay, sales and income potential. But he is undeterred, and he readily admits that his inspiration for music comes from an external source: “I find emotion and television to be the greatest sources.” Carstens’ subsequent artistic and commercial success speaks for itself. His career swung into high gear, and this is vindicated by Another Universe, which has garnered an award-winning television commercial credit, wherein Carstens provided the perfect soundtrack to the “father and son bonding” storyline.

Moreover, he has definitely raised the bar in the rock world’s commercial sweepstakes, as well as critical expectations internationally. Who would have guessed that this difficult, demanding music genre would storm the charts with a number of hits? His 2005 The Hello Goodbye Boys album has unravelled an individual determined to hone the craft of songwriting. “With a new take on religion, new technologies, new moral standards, my  artistic topics remain the same, but the stories and how they have been told have changed," writes Carstens in the album's notes. "I decided to go back to the guitar for good solid songwriting." I probe into what prompted the nickname ‘Farnswor th’? “My real name sounds like a job, so my wife star ted to call me Farnsworth; it brings relief and makes me feel like a ‘butler’, in other words a good husband.” Carstens espouses family values, and one of the most precious moments in his life was when he tied the knot with Melanie: “Getting married, finishing the army and waking up every morning knowing that I’m doing what I love most in life,” he says confidently.

He is also a religious man and says that he is filled with admiration every time all the men belt out " Our Father..." loudly together in church. He thinks of himself as a team-player and confesses to being directly inspired by the specific vocal qualities of the artists he works with, as that brings about the synergies needed: “It’s all about listening to sounds,” he enthuses. Given the darker days of apartheid in the country, Carstens is not ashamed to declare that passing his matriculation examinations was his “greatest accomplishment” and “everything else is a blessing and good luck”.

Lyrically speaking, Carstens is a storyteller of note and he openly credits his influences, both musical and literary, at every given opportunity. As luck would have it, he has shared the stage with such internationally acclaimed and legendary acts as the Rolling Stones, who he supported in Spain in June 2007, as well as other stars with great marquee value – The Mission, Skunk Anansie, The Spin Doctors, Youssou N'Dour, Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan. One of his recent accolades include being voted number 74 in Heat magazine’s “Hot 100” for 2007.

Carstens also is only too aware of how other artists’ contributions can help to inform his songwriting craft overall. “Fresh ideas and the necessity to create are the most important impulses for me when it comes to songwriting and composing." At the moment, Carstens is working on an experimental electronic album, under name Belltower. He sounds cautious and cynical at the prospect of people performing his musical works 50 years from now. Would he prefer them to sample the score or his recording in its entirety? I enquire. “They can do whatever they want as long as they don’t change the lyrics!” He has this parting shot for the current and aspiring songwriters alike: “It would be important to get yourselves a good music lawyer and a publisher you can trust; these people are responsible for managing a large portion of your income, and how it is structured, so you need to get yourself good advice.” Rock artists typically peak early, but Arno Carstens is only now hitting his groove.