It all began as a series of jams at Southern Cross Studios in Observatory, Jo'burg. The first was with the late Gito Baloi (bass/vocals), Dave Reynolds (steelpan/additional instruments) and Chris Tokalon (flute/saxophone). From the jams, three tunes emerged - "Shimishweni", "Mpumalanga" and "Spirit's Dance" and a whole new sound. Enter some of the finest talents on the contemporary African scene: world-class guitarist/vocalist Louis Mhlanga, bassman/vocalist Concord and…

Claude says:A Phoenix solo project turned full band, The Grassroots Campaign started as Shawn Michael Severud's acoustic outlet after leaving his hardcore group Vera Lynne, built around earnest lyrics about love and loss on the poorly recorded but promising debut "I Lack Courage." You found them in late 2006, leaned on them heavily through 2007 and sporadic bursts in the years after, then let them sit quiet for over a decade before circling back in 2024 — "The Walk Out Crowd" still landing the same way it did when heartbreak acoustic made sense.