Victor Fredericks strikes a chord with new single Blackberry Juice and Jin

Foto: Brendon Nicholls

"Sal ons op ons rugte lê en die Milky Way aanskou?" (“Shall we lie on our backs and watch the Milky Way?”)

So begins the chorus of Blackberry Juice and Jin, the latest single from ATKV-Crescendo mentorship participant Victor Fredericks – a gentle, yearning question that immediately transports the listener to simpler days of young love, wide-open Boland skies, and late-night conversations.

This Afrikaans blues ballad carries melancholy and longing in every note. Soft guitar work, jazzy undertones, and Victor’s honest voice create a sonic world that is both intimate and deeply moving.

The track was born from a personal memory: late-night messages, distance, yearning, and a love that lingers like a ghost.

“The words came between the tears and the paper”, Victor shares. “That's how I spoke to her – and to myself.”

Victor’s lyrics touch on universal themes – loss, hope, forgiveness – but his voice and style make them unmistakably his own. With references to emails, faxes, carrier pigeons, and handwritten notes, he tells the story of two people trying to stay connected as the space between them grows.

“Blackberry juice and a bit of gin — that’s what we had”, he remembers. “It’s a symbolic drink, but it’s also how we used to talk under the stars. The song is light and heavy at the same time, just like life.”

CRESCENDO: A TURNING POINT

In 2024, Victor was selected as one of the top ten finalists in the ATKV-Crescendo Mentorship Programme, a milestone that, in his words, transformed his entire approach to music.

“Before Crescendo, I wrote in my own small world”, he says. “But then I was introduced to new genres, new ways of thinking. I made friends, met mentors, and for the first time felt like I really belong somewhere.'

Crescendo gave Blackberry Juice and Jin the space to grow and gave Victor a platform to share his voice with the world.

RELEASE DETAILS

🎧 Blackberry Juice and Jin is available on all major streaming platforms from 28 April 2025.

🎤 Live launch performance on 16 May 2025 at the Daisy Jones Theatre outside Stellenbosch.