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What happens when you mix country and rock roots from a father/daughter duo with an age gap
of more than 45 years, with sounds incorporating heavy guitar riffs, cello, flutes, keyboards and
trumpets along with a steady bass and drum rhythm section? You’ll get Then & Now- a group
from South Africa featuring Graham and Tori Ferreira, that is releasing an eclectic mix of music
on their new album titled Aces, Angels & Devils.
Graham, 77, and his daughter Tori, 31, both have dynamic backgrounds in the musical world.
While their styles were drastically different, with Graham singing and writing country tunes and
Tori deep into the punk and metal music world, the two share a common bond of being able to
put together unique, creative music. Then & Now released the album Tales of Long Street in 2022, which is mostly country and rock, but includes accordion to give it a bit of a Mediterranean feel. The newest album, Aces, Angels & Devils is a whole new ballgame. The opening track sets the tone, with an extended psychedelic sounding guitar intro that leads into Tori and Graham trading off on vocals. One song on the album titled “Angel or a Devil?”, is a gritty tale complete with mesmerizing flute with a catchy chorus led by Graham. He sings, “When she comes to me at midnight, I don’t care what you say. Angel or a devil, love her anyway.” It includes a blistering guitar solo by Fraser, before Graham repeats the chorus, driving it home to the listener.
Another track, “Year of the Dog,” is one that Then & Now is proud of, saying it is “creepy” in the
best of ways. The lyrics go: “It was the year of the dog when I was born, on the wings of an
eagle in the eye of the storm, flying high above the world, looking down from afar, so here I am
and there you are, we must follow our own star. Easy come and easy go, if you listen carefully
you’ll know, which way the wind is going to blow.” While Then & Now has generally played their own tunes, they do have one cover on the new album - the fun Bobby Bare sung drinking song “Tequila Sheila” that was a hit in 1980. The track has a Tex Mex feel, with trumpets and all.
The album has touches of classic rock, alternative rock, psychedelia, swing music, a latin flavor
and, of course, some country vibes. You can chill to it or dance to it, but one thing is for certain:
it is unique. Tori calls their sound “unpredictable,” with Graham agreeing, adding that they are
“different and creative.”