Singer- songwriter Casper Stone, who is also a practicing psychologist, started playing guitar and saxophone during his high school years and performed in various musical acts over the past two decades.
Casper Stone is well-known for being one part of Stones & Bones, an afro soul house duo that has had major success on SA Radio in 2020 with two tracks from their EP “In the Name of Love”: The single “Desire” reached no 1 on East Coast Radio Charts and the track “Uthando ft Halala Gumbi” made it to number 1 on Metro FM. Their songs have had more than 100 million impacts on SA Radio up to date.
During the worldwide lockdown in 2020 Stone became aware of an increasing need for a different form of musical expression that would capture the reflections of people`s daily lives and experiences. This eventually culminated into the venture as a solo artist and the birthing of his debut EP Raw Reflections.
Casper Stone comments on Raw Reflections
“As a musician, one is forever engaged in the challenge of balancing artistic expression versus financial stability. For 10 years I have been part of this ebb & flow act, consistently tailoring my music to current trends and fads. But then I felt something shift inside of me. I found myself searching for music that is more meaningful. I was drawn towards folk, indie and other underground voices, and the way in which it echoed my own multi-faceted inner dialogue.”
The Raw Reflections EP is about the intrinsic nature of passions; desires; obsessions and romantic relationships. It flirts with light and shadow and shines the light on Stones` memorable encounters of love and loss.
The first single “Freak” was conceptualized one evening many years ago, as Stone found himself scrolling through the social media profiles of a new romantic interest. The deeper he plunged into a rabbit hole of photos and posts, the more he found himself constructing a fantasy of what it would be like to fit into her life. “Freak” delivers social commentary about the warped romanticism that is surfacing in the age of technology.
Casper Stone explains
“We over-identify with avatars of each other online. The disturbing trend is to go beyond merely consuming content, to invading the privacy of the object of desire. For the obsessed person, “stalking” becomes an ordinary virtual activity. People thus find themselves the targets of unwanted attention. The latter half of the song reminds the listener that there are many other forms of intimacy that are becoming neglected in a society that seems to be continuously sex obsessed.”
The “Freak” video was shot on location and directed by Sean Mongie of Metronome Pictures.
Casper Stone comments on the video for “Freak”
“We wanted to do a video that is playful but still leaves the viewer with something to think about in terms of the social dilemma of virtual obsession.”
The song “100 Years” is an apocalyptic love song that Stones wrote for his other half. He says: “I am fortunate to have found my life partner. The song speaks of the fact that one lifetime is not enough to explore the true depths of connected love.”
The 5-track EP also contains one Afrikaans song. Stone explains: “Since the EP is a return to my inner voice and to my roots, it was also important to write in Afrikaans as it is still my mother tongue. I believe it is a very poetic language and wanted to show that to listeners.”
You can listen to the EP HERE.
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