‘Selling out doesn’t exist,” announces Van Coke Kartel’s bassist, Wynand Myburgh.

“It does exist in South Africa,” argues the band’s frontman, Francois van Coke, jokingly. “And we want to sell out CDs.”

This conversation took place around about the time their fourth album, Wie’s Bang?, was released. I had been invited to their practice room to experience their new music very up-close and very personal.

I settled in a corner on the manky carpet that characterises every practice room and let the music unfold.

I ask: “What’s the idea here?”

“We’re heading for 10 years in the music industry. Now we want to make music for the listener. Blondes must like our music,” says Myburgh.

He turns to me: “I remember when we first started with Fokofpolisiekar, my mother would ask me what the concept was behind our music. She would say: ‘Shouldn’t you make music for people? Isn’t that the concept of music?’ I would say: ‘No ways, Ma. We are are here to revolutionise music!’ But actually, in the real world, we should write music for the people.”

Intrigued, I wonder what VCK believe is music for the people. The four members, including drummer Jason Oosthuizen and guitarist Jed Kossew, start tuning their instruments.

Their is a cacophany of roaring, distorted guitars and it feels great.

Myburgh is clearly the director of the show. He starts playing with the click track.

“We wanted a more produced live sound with this album,” he explains.

They kick into Dis ’n Land, the second single off the album. It is probably the catchiest single they have written and it is already becoming an anthem among rock fans.

It is a play on Carike Keuzenkamp’s hit of the same title. Of course, it is performed with an irony and cynicism only Van Coke can muster.

He, too often perhaps, reflects a culture that is not too happy with the state of the nation. You just have to check out the powerful ending of the video to the song to note that.

Moenie Drink Nie is going to be another classic cult song for fans.

It is interesting to see how comfortable the four of them are with each other musically.

Myburgh is so comfortable with Oosthuizen he doesn’t bother interacting with him much when playing. Kossew’s lead breaks are excellent and it is clear he is a perfectionist. And then, of course, their is Meneer van Coke and no explanation is needed here.

Recently, when watching them perform live from the side of the stage, a much younger musician said: “I feel sorry for Francois. He has had to carry so many people and their issues for so long.”

The man has been psycho-analysed, prodded, poked, adored, hated and all this for just living his life and making music the way he truly believes he should.

Don’t Think comes with a strong, driving bass and is rock ’n’ roll old skool style. In fact, there is a marked departure back to the 1990s alternative rock ethos. However, they are also a bit more commercial. This is evident in the fact that RSG decided to playlist them for the first time. The song they’ll air is the ballad Tot die Son Uitkom which, of course wasn’t playlisted on 5FM or many other English stations.

“Hey, should we play the hip hop track?” asks Kossew. They all laugh. The song features Jack Parow and is going to be huge, huge, huge. Kossew leads with the guitar melody.

Of course it’s melancholic and anthemic at the same time and when all the instruments and vocals come together it’s bone- chilling.

Wie’s Bang? is VCK’s strongest album to date from a musical and technical point of view.

“We have added a lot less electronic affects on this album,” says Oosthuizen. “This is more straight-forward rock which fills the sound out a bit more.”

And this is truly helped by Kossew’s guitar skills.

“We got a serious rock god guitarist,” agrees Van Coke. “We were heading in the prog rock direction until we met with our producer, Theo Crous, who told us to drop the prog rock direction.

“Wie’s Bang? has a lot of punk and grunge and that is because we grew up on that,” says Myburgh who then pauses, “oh, and R&B and hip hop.”

Since that fantastic day of real music, the band has toured SA continuously.

They’ve released a new video and got the nod for three MK Awards. That they are one of SA’s most hard-working bands is indisputable.

“It’s got a lot to do with Wynand’s planning,” says Van Coke. “We do stuff every day. We’re applying the principles of everyday work. Like what our dads used to do.”