The Tribe

Vaughn Ahrens - Not Your Average Musician

Like many musicians, singer/songwriter and guitarist Vaughn Ahrens has always been surrounded by music. He has learnt so much over the years that he simply won’t make mediocre music. For him, sub-standard is not an option. “Music has always been part of my house growing up because we’re a very musical household. I’m the only one that plays an instrument but I’ve probably got the worst voice in my house,” he jokes. As a child and teenager he was surrounded by many different genres and that influenced the type of music he makes today, which he refuses to pin down into one category.

“I wouldn’t classify my music as a certain genre because I don’t only listen to one genre - therefore I don’t just emanate one genre,” he says.

Vaughn is one of the few Namibian musicians who pursues his passion fulltime, spending his days in the studio and performing live at the growing number of venues he is getting booked for.

And when he’s not mesmerising crowds he shares his talent by teaching music in his home town of Walvis Bay.

“I teach guitar to a few people in my hometown as a way of giving back. I want to give back to people who have the kind of passion for music that I have,” he says.

When penning songs, he is not only inspired by things that he has witnessed and experienced, but also things that other people go through.

Songwriting is another part of his music that he treasures as a way of expressing himself. When penning songs, he is not only inspired by things that he has witnessed and experienced, but also things that other people go through.

“Challenging the status quo of things, it’s not always easy if you’re always questioning everything. Just writing about the same old things is going to kill me inside so I’m also inspired by other people’s stories and life in general,” he says.

Sharing his thoughts on the Namibian music industry, Vaughn commends artists for the work they are putting out and encourages people to change their perceptions of Namibian music. “A lot of people think that if music is from Namibia it’s not good quality, but there are so many musicians putting out great work here and I don’t think they get the props they deserve because of that view of Namibian artists being substandard.”

With his star continuously rising as more and more people get to know his musical talents, Ahrens is steadily becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Namibian music scene, and he is no doubt one of the musicians who puts out quality work.

After releasing his EP in 2017, he followed up with his debut album titled ‘Music for Wednesdays’ in November 2018. This year his hard work paid off when he was awarded the Namibia Music Awards (NAMAs) for ‘Best Afrikaans’.

He has also cast his net beyond the world of music by lending his talents to the creation of the official soundtrack for the #LandOfTheBrave movie.

Check out his music on YouTube or follow him on Facebook @VaughnAhrens.

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