This Cape Town-based foursome is tackling the South African music industry with full force and they’re playing to win. Indeed, with their debut EP set for mid-year release, Howard Roark has everything to play for.

What started as merely a pipe dream for front man Nigel Moore in 2006, would inevitably lead to the launch of Howard Roark as we know it. Nigel established a music project entitled The Body Corporate, a venture that would be weighed down by the endless struggles well known to all South African musicians. Where as many would have simply given up and returned to their everyday lives, Nigel’s desire to start a band would inevitably lead him to guitarist James Boonzaier and drummer Chris Slabber, who together would make up the foundations of Howard Roark. Patrick Skuce was a late addition to the present make-up of the band, after the departure of bassist Ruan Vermeulen.

Howard Roark only played their first show less than a year ago in August 2007, which highlights just how overwhelming their immediate success has actually been. Since then, their fan base has grown significantly and continues to do so after each performance. They have opened up for some of the country’s most renowned music acts, including Taxi Violence, Lark, the Dirty Skirts and Desmond and the Tutus. Judging from their performances alone, it is without a doubt that this band is developing into one of South Africa’s premier indie rock outfits.

Howard Roark is a band that believes in changing people’s perceptions. They are a not just a pair of skinny jeans and an outfit of good looks. As their maxim goes, they are the ‘Owners of first-hand souls, lovers of creation.’ They believe that being a band is about creating good things and following your dreams. SL calls them “one of our new favourite things,” a sentiment that seems to be spreading swiftly across South Africa’s music scene. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.