ABOUT

“Work hard, play hard. Get up and make it happen…”

Robyn Ferguson is a passionate musician from South Africa, who knows how to work hard and play hard! She is known for her dynamic live performances and adept guitar skills (with acts like Adorned in Ash and Sistas of Metal). The past 2 years Robyn has been super productive and flying solo, using her immense talent as a healing-and-driving force on her spiritual journey to rise above health challenges.
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Robyn states that “there were many personal challenges faced, and some that are still being faced. I am happy to say that, despite these battles (and still having some nerve damage and paralysis in parts of my body), the creation of my solo work has been extremely liberating and exciting. These past 2 years completely kicked me into a different frame of mind, and I’ve found myself looking at the world through a different lens.”
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Robyn emphasises that “this period pushed and pulled me like no other, driving me to chase new ambitious goals, creating 5 EPs in 24 months … a purpose I am extremely happy to achieve with my ambitious new release The Waking World (a parallel release to my conversant guitar driven repertoire, offering a unique perspective of my creativity and talent that continues my journey forward through the void from my previous releases (Alizarin, Falling Forward, Harbinger and Triptych), and represents a parallel dimension in my Multiverse I call The Alizarin Chronicles”.
 
“This composition is stripped emotions, inspired by insomniac dreams and my own experiences around life and death. I sat down in a room and much like the songs from Harbinger, just laid it all down, but this time the creative craving tool in front of me was a piano. I am an artist after all, one should be ready for surprise. One could say I may have been colouring with various musical pencils and markers up till now, but that’s never meant I don’t know about or how to paint. So let’s paint! “
 
Despite her physical challenges as well as the global physical restrictions of Covid the past 14 plus months, Robyn masterfully tuned every opportunity into a distinct advantage, representing South Africa at numerous online festivals, including opening for iconic artists like Venom, Anvil, Rotting Christ and Iron Saviour at the World Of Metal Online Festival in Portugal. Serval more online festivals are planned for 2021, so watch this space!


More about Robyn’s solo projects and albums:


The Waking World: 2 July 2021

The last 24 months have been a rollercoaster ride for Robyn Ferguson, and despite personal-and-global challenges, the quality and quantity of extraordinary music she crafted and released has seen no abating! Her latest release, The Waking World (her 5th EP in 24 months), ingeniously augments the sounds and genre fans got familiar with to date.

Poised piano-driven ambient arrangements adeptly demonstrate a whole new dimension of her talent and creativity, proving she is as accomplished in front of her piano, as shredding her Ibanez axe! These tracks evolved parallel to her guitar-driven compositions and take up a laudable space in her Multiverse called The Alizarin Chronicles.

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I am … The two single most powerful words known to humankind, for what follows them brings rise and fall to many an empire. This composition is stripped emotions, inspired by insomniac dreams and my own experiences around life and death. I sat down in a room and much like the songs from Harbinger, just laid it all down, but this time the creative craving tool in front of me was a piano.

I am an artist after all, one should be ready for surprise. One could say I may have been colouring with various musical pencils and markers up till now, but that’s never meant I don’t know about or how to paint. So let’s paint! This is the fifth book of The Alizarin Chronicles, its pages tell a different story. Follow me on this journey as we wake to the new, a new frame of mind, a new world.

Triptych: 26 February 2021

The astonishingly talented South African Prog Prodigy ROBYN FERGUSON is back with a bang! Despite the sundry adversities of the past year, Robyn set an ambitious goal for herself … to release 3 EPs in 12 months; a purpose she is extremely happy to achieve with her new upcoming single “Grey” and EP “Triptych” (a collection of new tracks that include collaborations with astonishing artists like Latino American guitar virtuoso ADAM ALVARADO and chief creative driving force behind the Pyjama Planet Empire, MARK PYJAMA).

With “Grey”, Robyn continues her journey forward through the void from the previous Satellite EP “Harbinger” (released August 2020), and represents the struggles of our mind. It is about discovery, becoming … the very thread of life, time and connection. The unknown and coming of clarity and the limbo between …

“Triptych” embodies the succeeding step in Robyn’s journey, referred to as the “Alizarin Chronicles”. Her journey departed with her first solo EP “Alizarin” (released in April 2019). From here, her voyage ascended and fragmented with “Falling Forward” (released May 2020) and laid the foundation of her new creation to come, epitomised by her satellite EP “Harbinger” (released in August 2020). This juncture represented the past, present and future connected lines, the grounded substance for the evolved stage of her journey. Now “Triptych” as the subsequent step in her journey addresses the struggles of the mind, of thought and the conclusion of I. With each step, she forges her world, the chronicles … now anew and void of old mind.

Harbinger: 1 Aug 2020

HARBINGER is a two-track Satellite EP narrowly following the release of FALLING FORWARD (released in May’20). It’s a micro journey of a parallel timeline showing the complexities of choice and choosing.

Robyn states that “for every decision we make there’s another sheared off, launched to the parallel unknown. A consciousness lost and found in the siamese complexity of cause and effect. Inspired, written and recorded in isolation, Harbinger speaks of the alternative path, and calls to the “what if” in us all … I am, I am HARBINGER!”

Falling Forward: 1 May 2020

A mere year since her dynamic debut solo release “ALIZARIN”, South Africa-based Prog Rock extraordinaire Robyn Ferguson is back and ready to unleash her blistering sophomore release “FALLING FORWARD” on Friday 1 May 2020!

The last year has not been easy for Robyn and FALLING FORWARD follows her mental, emotional and spiritual journey to rise above health challenges.

Robyn states that “there were many challenges faced and some that are still being faced. I am happy to say that, despite all these battles and still having some nerve damage and paralysis in parts of my body, (like 3 of the 5 fingers on my left hand), the creation of this album has been so liberating and exciting. This past year has completely kicked me into a different frame of mind and I’ve found myself looking at the world through a different lens. This year has pushed and pulled me like no other and I hope that this record will bring hope to those who are facing their own battles and inner demons.”

Once again this sophomore album is a complete solo undertaking and Robyn is grateful to Clinton Watts for his time, his skills and the efforts behind the mix and mastering of these songs. 

Robyn also thanks each and every one for their support and affirms “this is just the beginning”!

Alizarin: 16 April 2019

For years you’ve seen her on stage performing in bands and projects headed up by some of the greats in the industry but now she’s putting all her energy into growing herself as a solo musician and is seriously a force to be reckoned with. Her solo EP album “Alizarin” was released globally in April 2019 and has spread like wildfire. Since then she has been writing and recording material for a second album which is still to be announced. Alizarin is a completely self composed, recorded and produced album. Every instrument and part was created and recorded by her and this 4 track powerhouse concept album is sure to blow your mind. She has been performing as a solo act since the release of Alizarin with shows ranging from live performances of the album to guitar clinics and workshops both locally and abroad. Follow her solo material on all major platforms and if you wish to support her, please become a Patreon supporter

More about Adorned in Ash:

Adorned in Ash (AiA) is a female fronted Extreme Metal band from Pretoria, South Africa. Robyn Ferguson is both the vocalist and the lead guitarist for the band with Mark Ivey on drums, Leon van Rensburg on lead guitar and Colin Deacon on bass.

AiA prides themselves on delivering a unique musical experience along with a powerful stage show. Influences include thrash, speed and groove metal as well as progressive and technical death & black metal. Winners of the South African Metal Music Awards (SAMMA) for Best Death Metal Band in 2015 and Best Black Metal Band in 2017, AiA combine elements of various musical styles whilst never compromising on their unique style.

Adorned in Ash with Robyn have shared the stage with legends including: Becoming The Archetype, Cannibal Corpse, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Belphegor, Epica, Skinned, Decapitated, Periphery, Norma Jean, Alestorm, Kataklysm, Hatebreed, Septicflesh, Aborted, Carnifex, Restock and more.

The band launched their debut album in 2014 titled: “The Dead Walk Among Us” and has since then roped in numerous global distribution deals with the album now available worldwide. The band is currently recording their long-awaited second album and hope to deliver a powerful, melodic, progressive album.

Adorned in Ash have announced the release of their second album “Apocalyptic Violence”. The concept album became available globally on the 20th of December 2019.

More about Sistas of Metal:

“The Sirens, the muses, the fates. We are the sisters bound together by our love for metal.”

Sistas of Metal is an all female project band from South Africa. The band consists of members from different high powered local metal bands who come together to perform in the project.

The band is a successful touring act and have graced the international stages with crowds of some 24 thousand fans. They only get together a few times a year for shows and when they do it’s huge.

The band currently consists of:

Vocals- Robyn Ferguson of Adorned in Ash and Robyn Ferguson Solo Projects
Guitar- Tamla McMahon of Tamla Kahn
Guitar- Callysta van Niekerk of Posthumous and Arx
Bass- Roushan van Niekerk of Riddlebreak
Drums- Session Musician

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