Complete list of winners at the 81st annual Academy Awards, presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:

A special band doesn't belong to its members. It belongs to the listeners, the fans, the nutters who inhale the music and exhale the lyrics. Dear Reader is a special band.

Since getting together in 2006, they've won over media, industry bigwigs and, most importantly, the fans with rapturous live shows and a solid debut album called The Younger.

They met while Cheri MacNeil was studying languages and politics and Darryl Torr was working as a sound engineer and producer. Recognising her potential, Torr, smoothie that he is, convinced MacNeil to form a group and focus on music full-time. Christened Harris Tweed, their dulcet folk/pop stylings were soon wafting across the airwaves while they played big festivals like Oppikoppi and opened for international stars like Jose Gonzales. A trip to Austin's South By Southwest festival in 2007 opened their eyes to new ways of creating and performing music. In this dusty armpit of Texas, the pair discovered a new drive to make it as a world-class band.

Around this time, the name game blame started. MacNeil had found the name Harris Tweed in a children's encyclopedia and liked it immediately. While recording The Younger in 2006, Torr contacted the Scottish clothing company that shared the name and secured permission to use it. Alas and alack, two years later, Torr and Macneil received a lawyer's letter from the company demanding that they change their name.

"Unfortunately, the laptop that had the e-mail with their initial approval was stolen, so we had no proof," Torr says. "It's unfortunate because we could have established a mutually beneficial relationship. Still, I can understand their need to protect a brand that's been around for 100 years."

They take their new name from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. "I love the way it's written in the first person," MacNeil explains, "and every once in a while she addresses you with a 'dear reader'. I like that sense of connection between reader, writer and plot. That's what we're interested in when we're making music: connecting with the people who are listening, commiserating with one another. We were bummed at first about the name change but we're ok with it now. It's just business stuff. It won't affect the music we make and that's what we care most about. It's obviously not an ideal situation, but it did come at a weirdly appropriate time. We're releasing a new album with a new sound, so maybe it's the right time for a new identity."

Entitled Replace Why With Funny, the album really got rolling while MacNeil and Torr were touring Europe late in 2007, when some friends took them to see musical mad-scientists Menomena. "The place was packed with people singing along to the strangest music I had ever heard," MacNeil says. "After that I listened to their album every single day solidly for three months, so when we were looking for a producer I sent a myspace message to the Menomena guys, something along the lines of 'I think you guys are geniuses and I love your music and is there any way you'd consider coming out to South Africa to produce our new record?' and they replied! I was jumping around and screaming like a banshee!"

And so it happened that Menomena's Brent Knopf stepped off the plane in Johannesburg to produce their new album. Knopf immediately challenged MacNeil and Torr's usual recording methods.

"We only had two and a half weeks together, so we had to get things done quickly. Brent and I hit it off immediately, but he and Darryl hated each other," MacNeil laughs.

"We didn't hate each other," Torr disagrees. "We just had different methods and that caused friction. I was focussed on recording the parts as beautifully as possible while Brent was more concerned about capturing the rawness of the emotion. But I admit that he brought out the best in us and I'd love to work together again at some point."

Replace Why With Funny is a departure from the pretty, but rather unadventurous songs on The Younger. It's a heavenly rumpus of off-kilter rhythms, idiosyncratic arrangements and choral explosions. It's got a nutty, but sweet flavour, much like Dear Reader, themselves. The songs are filled with a tentative, bruised optimism and crystalline melancholy, proving both ethereal and accessible at the same time. MacNeil's voice is at its most beautiful, sounding more like exhalation than a conscious effort.

The glorious centerpiece The Same starts out as a plaintive lament on the difficulties of fitting in SA ("no, I don't listen to kwaito/ wasn't born in Soweto") before kicking into a rapturous choral cacophony. Live favourite Great White Bear's startling imagery is buoyed by a propulsive climax, as is the poignant What We Wanted. Elsewhere, the rollicking Dearheart delights with its jangly glam-stomp while The Way of the World sings about the universal struggle of making it through one of those days. The songs are steeped in high drama and panoramic sonic scope but hit the heart through brutally frank lyrics and MacNeil's disarming voice.

If everything goes according to plan, the world will soon be held captive by their charms. They've just signed with respected indie label City Slang who will be overseeing the European release of the album in February 2009. The label currently boasts the talents of Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Calexico, Nada Surf, Stars, Menomena and many more.

Knopf sent the album to the head of City Slang, Christof Ellinghaus, who fell in love with the new record and listened to it over and over. He flew to South Africa where he met with the band and they hit it off, deciding to work together. Ellighaus then sent the album to Charlie Myatt of 13 Artists who will serve as their booking agent in Europe and the UK.

"We've got an amazing team behind us," MacNeil says. "When we were over there in November, we were meeting all these people who work with bands we really admire and now they're all on our team and are excited about us. I have to pinch myself sometimes."

Dear Reader will be touring Europe all through February in support of their new release, and playing launch shows on home soil in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in March. Dates to follow.

The music:

Expect uncompromising, focused energy.  Sing-along alternative country-inspired songs and Classic Rock anthems are at the order of the day. The tongue-in-cheek and cynical, yet sometimes sentimental lyrics are mixed with an infectious, positive energy to accurately describe the strange contrast of their unique socio-political situation. aKING is a band with unlimited aspirations, but totally aware and in-tune with where they come from.

The Bandmembers:

Laudo Liebenberg – Vocals and Lead Guitar

Hunter Kennedy –  Rhythm Guitar and Backing Vocals

Hennie van Halen – Bass

Jaco Snake Venter – Drums

Being members of Fokofpolisiekar, Hunter Kennedy and Jaco Venter need no introduction to the South African Music scene. Fokofpolisiekar has revolutionized Afrikaans rock music by challenging and shifting rigid Afrikaans mindsets. Controversial as they are perceived to be, Fokofpolisiekar has written themselves into the history books of Afrikaans Music with their fiery reign of excellent musicianship, relevant intelligent lyrics and larger than life live performances. FPK has won numerous awards including a SAMA for Best Afrikaans Rock album for “Swanesang” and they have opened commercial doors for Afrikaans rock music by being the first Afrikaans band to have tracks play-listed on national commercial radio station 5fm.

Hunter, who wrote most of the lyrics for Fokofpolisiekar, co wrote 8 of the tracks on the aKING album with vocalist Laudo Liebenberg.

Bassist Hennie van Halen has known the rest of the band since high-school. He studied for two years after school and worked in the sound industry for a while before leaving to spend some time overseas  as an English teacher in China. On his return from abroad he lived in the Fokofpolisiekar house while the band was away on tour – and it was in this time that he started jamming and writing songs with Laudo.

Laudo Liebenberg studied Drama at the University of Stellenbosch and is best known for playing the lead role in Marthinus Basson`s acclaimed productions of Romeo and Juliet and Broers.

Release date and media:

aKING`s debut album “Dutch Courage” (all the bandmembers are Afrikaans) was released on 1 February 2008. The album was recorded at BSharp Studios in Boksburg and contains 11 original English rock tracks. 

Delivering three no 1 hit singles, “Dutch Courage” has been hailed as one of the best rock releases in SA in 2008.

The first single “The Dance” was play-listed on 5fm and reached the no 1 chart position on the 5fm Hi 5 at 5 Chart, as well as the no 1 position on the following campus radio stations: Tuks fm, UJ fm, RMR, MFM, and Kovsie fm.

A video of “The Dance” rotated on MK, SABC 2, MTV Base and MNET. The video reached and maintained the no 1 position on MK Top 10 for seven weeks in a row.

The second single “Safe as Houses” was submitted to radio stations nationwide in June 2008. The track was playlisted on 5fm, Highveld Stereo, Jacaranda fm and OFM.  “Safe as Houses” followed on the chart-topping footsteps of “The Dance” by also reaching the no 2 position on the 5fm Hi 5 at 5 chart, as well as the no 1 position on 5 campus radio stations.

A video of “Safe as Houses” was on rotation on MK and selected DSTV channels. The video reached no 1 on MK Top 10 Chart on Sat 12 July.

A third single from the album “Guilty as Sin”,  is currently playlisted on 5fm, Highveld Stereo and national campus radio stations.  The track reached no 1  positions on Pukfm, UJFM, Tuks FM and RMR.

Since the launch of “Dutch Courage”, aKING has been receiving rave reviews* and extensive coverage in national newspapers and magazines.  They have been  invited for guest appearances on various television shows including Pasella SABC 2, Nicky Greenwall`s Showbiz Report on ETV, Artcha SABC 2, KADA SABC 2, Glitterati, kykNET and Noted, SABC 3.

Media quotes:

“AKING is going to be big. Like really big. Dutch Courage has more hooks than Dennis Rodman`s face. “Guilty as Sin” is a brave chest-slapper that U2 wouldn`t have the cajones to write.” Zane Henry, Argus Tonight.

“It`s unlike anything local we`ve heard before: A highly addictive mix of pop-rock sensibilities, alternative catchy vibes and cynically sing-along lyrics. How many good tracks? All of them!” Donnay Torr, heat magazine (5/5 star review.)

“Their music is of international standard.” Bryone Mc Cormick, Saltwater Girl magazine.

“It may just take some Dutch Courage to change the face of the SA Music Industry. Outstanding!” Natalie Egling, People Magazine (5/5 star review)

“I would highly recommend that you add this to your CD collection, maybe even having it signed because if this isn’t their breakout album, the next one will be.” Heanel Oosthuizen, Jacarandafm.com

“aKING, through their intricately spun stories of suburban survivalism, give profundity to blue collar life in a South African context. It doesn't hurt that they're brilliant at it.” Xavier vd Sandt, Cape Town Independent Newspapers.

“aKING is a band that has single-handedly changed the way in which rock music is ingested, digested and ultimately celebrated.” – Jason Curtis, New Media Publishing.

Riding the charts in top gear for the past few months hasn’t stopped aKING from exploring new territory and writing new material. They are currently producing new songs in collaboration with Cape Town based groups Ghetto Vibritions, United Khayelitsha Mambaso and the Thokozani brothers.

Expect a fusion of Rock and African traditional sounds as you have never heard before. These 3 tracks will only be released as downloadable tracks in February 2009.

The band will then return to the studio on the 23 February to record the second full length album due for release April 2009.

aKING have been nominated for three MK awards : Best group, Best hit and best Video. Results will be out in February 2009.

Festivals and Tours up to date:

Ramfest, Worcester – March 2008

KKNK MK stage. – March 2008

Oppikoppi Easter, Northam – April 2008

Newlands Street Party, Newlands April 2008

Straight into Benoni Rock Show, Benoni May 2008

Live on 5fm – Sat 28 June 2008

Dutch Courage Launch tour – March 2008

Lawwebantoer ( with Van Coke Kartel ) – April 2008

Volume Rock Fest, Potchefstroom  - July 2008

Fees van die Sewe Skape, JHB – July 2008

Oppikoppi Wildcard – August 2008

Pretoria Skou – September 2008

Witchfest, Durban – September 2008

Rocking the Daisies, Darling – October 2008

Oppiaarde, Potcheftroom – October 2008

ES Rockfest, Pretoria – October 2008

Cuervo Nation Festival – November 2008

Tuks FM New Years party – December 2008

Festivals and Tours planned for 2009:

Bloemfontein Rag – January 2009

MTV Campus Tour: TUKS Rag P.T.A - January 2009

MTV Campus Tour: Emmarentia - January 2009

Potch Rag – February 2009

MTV Campus Rag: Cape Town - February 2009

RamFest - February 2009

Kirstenbosch Gardens – March 2009

Ratanga Junction Rock Fest – April 2009

CokeZero Fest -  April 2009

Album Launch Tour – May 2009

www.aking.co.za

www.myspace.com/akingband

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