When Things Get A Bit More Real

Musician Werner Bekker’s quarter life crisis led to new EP ‘Wrong Side of Twenty’

Everyone has moments in their life where they feel cheated or stuck. For singer-songwriter, Werner Bekker, 2021 was a year of major soul-searching. The artist turned 26, putting him on the ‘Wrong Side of Twenty‘, which is the name of his newly released EP.

“After your mid-twenties things get a bit more real,” he says. “Your responsibilities become more, you start worrying about your health, hangovers last more than one day, your friends start marrying and getting kids and it’s all just a bit overwhelming.”

All this anxiety over the direction his life was taking, Werner felt inadequate in many areas. It is through this emotional turmoil that the singer wrote the fourth and final single off the EP, titled ‘Quarter Life Crisis.’

He explains,

“I had to deal with a lot of feelings of comparison. I soon came to realise that there were certain things in my life that I had no control over and I had to roll with the punches. I realise now that I am not alone. I had to change my mindset and recognize and appreciate that I have my own personal journey to walk, even if it differs from that of my peers.”

When asked what he wants to achieve through this EP, the singer jokes, “World domination.”

He proceeds to answer more sincerely, stating

“I just hope that people can connect with these songs and have a fun, introspective and uplifting experience when coming to a show or listening to it online.”

The EP is a lot more pop-centric than the singer’s previous material in that a number of the tracks are a lot more upbeat than before. This was not a conscious effort, but rather one of personal growth.

The singer explains,

“I’ve been listening to a lot more pop-centric music lately. I am also growing up and maturing and realising that there is a balance within everything. In order to be truly happy I have to keep yearning, and striving for innovation and balance within myself and my writing.”

Looking back on his career, Werner says that it’s the people and places that have most inspired him. Privileged to have learnt something from every single person he has met, Werner believes that all things, people and places, play a part in his story.

He says,

“Inspiration comes in all shapes and forms, from beautiful scenery to experiences, to conversations, the more you start looking for it, the easier it is to find.”

Werner wants to thank his wife, family and friends for giving him reason to live everyday to the full. They inspire him to write and to improve himself daily.

The formerly Johannesburg based singer recently moved to Cape Town, which also inspired a lot of the songs on the EP.

He says,

“The move was hard at first, but it really helped me to grow. I love the city and its surroundings. The people are warm, kind and inviting.”

On the musical front, his influences and inspirations have evolved over his lifetime. The singer grew up listening to Damien Rice and Jack Johnson. As a teenager he was captivated by Ben Howard and, in his early twenties, he listened to artists such as Dan Mangan, Radiohead and Aliocha. Currently he is very intrigued by Still Woozy, Madison Cunningham and Harry Styles. All of these sounds have shaped him as an artist and are cause for his diverse sound.

“As an artist, I have grown a lot,” Werner explains. “I have grown older and wiser (I’m still pretty stupid at times), but I’m getting closer to my ideal self. Making music is a constant discovery of the self. You delve into your deepest fears, wishes and emotions and try to put them into song. With practice you hone your skills and through that you get better at portraying what is inside your heart and mind. With every release, I feel like I am moving a step closer to expressing myself truly and effectively and I am able to share my experiences with a renewed sincerity.”

Reflecting on the EP, Werner specifies ‘Drunk ‘n Irate‘ is his favourite track. The song was written for one of his favourite people, in a time when she felt useless and broken. “I just wanted her to know that I see her and that I know how she is feeling.”

With such deep messages in some of the songs, Werner hopes that his fans and listeners will be able to relate.

He concludes,

“I hope that by hearing my stories, people can find some solace within themselves. I also hope, on the other hand, that people will be able to embrace my more playful side and have fun with it.”

Please join Werner Bekker and his band in celebrating this collection of songs at his upcoming EP launch: