Interview: Mark Haze

So, the millionth season of South African Idols is over. Despite not winning the competition, Mark Haze did put a smile on our faces by headbanging and screeching his way to the final; ultimately, sticking it to the Man and frightening the tighty whities off of Randall Abrahams and co like a true rock star. Mark drops by the MusicReview empire (cue ‘The Imperial March’ theme) to answer our ludicrous questions.

MusicReview: First off, congrats on reaching the Top 2 of Idols. I think it’s safe to say that you’re the new rock idol of SA music. How does this sit with you?

Mark Haze: Thanks very much! I really wouldn’t say that, though – the higher one makes oneself, the further you may fall. I like to think that I did my bit in the time that I had available to showcase rock (smiles).     

MusicReview: We have a bone to pick with you. Really now, why didn’t you sing Slayer’s ‘Angel of Death’ or Slipknot’s ‘People = Sh*t’ on the show? It would’ve gone down well with the judges…

Mark Haze: Haha! Well, singing ‘The Pretender’ by the Foo Fighters already scared the pants off of them, so I figured I’d take it slow. 

MusicReview: Also, why did you not powerslide across the stage? Didn’t Jack Black teach you anything on Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny?

Mark Haze: First of all, I don’t need to do the powerslide, cause I am Jack Black (smiles).  Second of all, I already pushed the limits by headbanging on SA Idols, so I feel I’ve accomplished a great deal (smiles).

MusicReview: Some people say that it’s actually better that you don’t win the competition, so you won’t be forced to sing the crap music that winners are normally forced to. So, what’s the plan now? Are you going to record a solo album or hit the studio with 12^th Avenue again?

Mark Haze: I’m gonna do both. 12^th Avenue will be performing under my name going forward – we will be taking advantage of the exposure received from Idols. We’ve been together for over 10 years now –both Bjorn [Faree, guitarist] and myself are getting 12A tattoos to celebrate – we are looking forward to the next chapter in our musical journey. I am currently in discussions with a few labels, agents and management regarding the next step. I am definitely releasing an album, as soon as possible, with the 12A boys right beside me.  I will also keep everyone posted regarding my progress and upcoming gigs via my Facebook and Twitter pages.

MusicReview: Speaking of 12A, your band members were extremely supportive of your stint in Idols and had your back throughout the competition. Do you feel an even stronger bond with the guys after this?

Mark Haze: Most definitely! I really missed them over these last 3 and a half months. I am so grateful to have such accomplished musicians to call brothers. I really am blessed to be able to work with them all.

MusicReview: Before the Idols finale, you got a special tweet from Theory of a Deadman wishing you luck. What was your first reaction when you saw the tweet?

Mark Haze: At first, I didn’t quite register, haha! I was quite impressed that they took the time to congratulate me. I was also quite mesmerised as to how they found out about me using the same songwriter. They used ‘Out of My Head’ as a filler on one of their albums, which is now my debut single [it can be downloaded from www.omusic.com]. 

MusicReview: Final thing, what has been the one thing that this experience on Idols has taught you?

Mark Haze: That music is not a competition. Throughout the show, I simply treated each performance as if it were my last – I believe that is why the fans voted, because I was real and I believed what I was singing. Even though I didn’t win, it doesn’t matter – the point was to show that rock ‘n’ roll will save the world! Thanks very much to the fans who believed and voted all the way. I love you all!

MusicReview: Thanks for your time, Mark. Keep it real, yo!

- Sergio Pereira