From South Africa, Pieter Rischmuller spent years fronting DJ Ossewa as Piet Pompies, brown bulbous hat and all, turning rooms into parties.

In 2014 he went solo and brought the same energy with him: foot-stomping songs and a stage presence that doesn't sit still.

His first solo album, SOLO, came out in October 2014 and landed on radio across South Africa. Then came the surprise: "3 Words," his first country song, made waves in the USA, and his 2018 VONK Musiek album put four songs at No. 1.

The awards followed. In 2021 he won three South African Country Music Awards for "Rodeo," "Jag op Tulbach," and "Country Girl."

In 2022 "Anything" swept the Afri-Indie Southern Rock honors and won SA Country best male single, while "Boshoff Afrikaners" spent seven weeks at No. 1 on Rosestad Stereo.

He's more than the party songs, too — "Cry on My Shoulder" goes straight for the soul. Thirty years in, with new songs like "Oh Yes" still coming, the move from Piet Pompies to Pieter Rischmuller is complete, and South Africa calls him one of its music legends. Earned, not hype.

Thirty years in and Piet Rischmuller still has more gears than most. Party songs, country songs, soul songs — the man just writes. Turn it up.

- Rob | The INDIE Musician