From the small mining town of Carletonville to the cosmopolitan mother city of Cape Town, Ntsika Bungane and his three-man indie rock band, Internet Girl, are beginning to make a name for themselves. Lead singer Bungane, also known as TK, reflects on his first few chapters in what promises to be a long and momentous story.
Ntsika Bungane, also known as TK, is the lead singer and one of three members of the Cape Town-based band, Internet Girl. PHOTO: Supplied/InternetGirl
Carletonville is a small town where everybody knows each other. Among the tight-knit community, is a young Ntstika Bungane – a kid who, at the age of five, can only speak isiZulu and is able to herd cows, a skill his father taught him.
But Ntsika’s mother was scared that life in such a small town would hinder his ability to dream big.
“She was scared that we [Ntsika and his sister] wouldn’t go dream big. She said ‘you should move to the West Rand’,” says Ntsika.
This is how Ntsika recalls his youth in the small mining town of Carletonville.
And so the small-town five-year-old, Zulu-speaking kid headed into the bigger West Rand area of Johannesburg to attend private school.
“I could only speak Zulu and herd my dad’s cows. My mom was like: ‘No way! No way that’s going to happen’,” he recalled.
Moving into the big city and beginning his new schooling journey was a big adjustment for Ntsika. Yet, it proved to be a life-changing one as it allowed him to dream big and helped him to discover music.
“When I went to West Rand, I don’t know how to explain it… It felt like I was supposed to be there,” he says. “The West Rand is who I am. It’s what I am,” he adds.
Finding music
Music currently consumes Ntsika’s life. But that wasn’t always the case.
“It was never a big part of my life,” Ntsika explains. “I would watch High School Musical, Hannah Montana and TRACE with my sister, but it was never a big part until I met Matty ‘Neese’.”
Ntsika ‘TK’ Bungane (left), Matty ‘Neese’ Burgess (middle), and James ‘Griggs’ Smith (right) performing in their latest music video called “be my guest”. PHOTO: Supplied/InternetGirl
Neese is Internet Girl’s producer and co-manager. Ntsika and Neese have known each other since Grade 5 and have been making music together since Grade 11. They initially produced trap and hip hop music. Although their sound now is totally different to what it was, that was the beginning of Ntsika’s musical journey.
“Funnily enough, music is how me and Neese became friends. That’s when I actually started having an opinion about what good music is. Music was the main exchange of our relationship,” he explains.
With his initial trap music, Ntsika tried to replicate artists such as XXXTentacion, Lil Peep and J Molly. Not too long after that, he and Neese decided to curate a new sound. They were aiming for something refreshing and unique; something Indie.
“We needed a new sound, a new brand completely. None of that SoundCloud rapper stuff,” says Ntsika. “I wanted an outlet to just make something bigger than myself. So I moved into something more Indie. More… I don’t know… commercial,” he adds.
Getting the band together
In 2019, Internet Girl didn’t exist. Ntsika and Neese were a duo making music on SoundCloud, but were missing the one thing that makes them the trio that they are now: A lead guitarist.
Fittingly, they connected with Internet Girl’s current third member through the internet. James ‘Griggs’ Smith, formerly a hip hop producer, was a fan of the duo’s work and was wanting to collaborate. He contacted the duo via Instagram. After a few online conversations and exchanges of music, Ntsika and Neese invited Griggs to Johannesburg in September of 2019.
One of Internet Girl’s first photos together as a band in Camps Bay. James ‘Griggs’ Smith, guitarist (left), Ntsika ‘TK’ Bungane, lead singer (middle), and Matty ‘Neese’ Burgess, producer (right). PHOTO: Supplied/InternetGirl
“After he shouted us out, we asked him to send us some stuff. And it was fly,” recalls Ntsika. “We spoke with him on the phone and eventually invited him to stay with us for a week. It immediately felt like we knew him. At first, he looked crazy… kind of scary. But after we met him, we were like, ‘What a sweetheart’. Literally, four days later we asked if he wanted to be a part of the band.”
According to Griggs, it was clear, “even after the first hour of chilling together”, that the three of them we’re getting along really well. “It was pretty emotional when they asked if I wanted to be a part of the band,” says Griggs.
Griggs has nothing but admiration for his friend, Ntsika.
“To be able to work with someone where… every idea they come up with is something you like, and is something you enjoy… it’s a rare phenomenon I’ve had,” says Griggs. “He’s just a really amazing artist to work with.”
Internet Girl’s first music video for their song ‘Fuzz Boy!’ released on 30 March 2020. VIDEO: Supplied/InternetGirl
The band became official on 21 February 2020, with the release of their song Follow Me Around. Since then, they’ve been able to dodge the “Why Internet Girl”-question. At least, that was until Ntsika spoke with MatieMedia.
“Internet Girl. First of all, it’s just a dope name. It’s a dope name for a band,” says Ntsika. “Secondly, with the new songs we were making, it was like I’m serenading this girl… This girl that you see online, the girl where you ask ‘Where are you in real life?’ Yeah, that’s Internet Girl.”
The Internet for Internet Girl
They would also never have met Griggs, had he not sent them direct messages on Instagram.
“We would never have met him if it weren’t for the Internet. [In 2019], we all lived in different places. Griggs was in Cape Town, Neese was in Pretoria, and I was in Johannesburg. We worked by constantly sending work back and forth,” he says.
No wonder Ntsika believes that the Internet was crucial in his career so far.
“If it weren’t for the Internet, Internet Girl wouldn’t exist.”
The Internet did more than just connect the band. It also introduced them to international audiences. The Internet Girl’s 2020 Spotify Wrapped, an annual stats announcement, showed that the band recorded over 2 million streams across 92 countries around the globe, with their main audience residing in the United States.
“We kind of knew it was going to be around a million, but when it hit 2 million, it was crazy! Like, crazy! It was nice to show the family. It was kind of like evidence that we’re not fucking around every weekend,” he exclaims.
Internet Girl band on the set for the ‘Next Summer’ music video. Neese (left), Ntsika (middle), and Griggs (right) performing around one of the music videos key visuals, a flipped car. PHOTO: Supplied/InternetGirl
Starting in South Africa and trying to grow from here, is difficult, says Ntsika. Having an international audience was therefore always the plan for Internet Girl. They particularly hoped to make it into the US market, where the music industry thrives.
“Our main audience is in the US. It’s dope and it’s whack at the same time, because I’m in South Africa. It’s one thing to just see like 2 million streams, but it’s another to go outside and hear people say ‘I love this song’ or ‘I love these guys’,” says Ntsika. “[W]e don’t get that a lot. It feels like nobody here is with our music. Obviously, people are listening. It just kinda sucks when your fanbase is far away.”
Despite coming from a small town, Ntsika never fails to dream big. He is ambitious, and he continues to aspire to goals that go beyond the obstacles that stand between South African artists and the global stage.
“Going international and conquering the world; that was always the goal. It was always the standard. I just want to go overseas and get onto billboards.”
“The goal was never South Africa, to be honest. Going international and conquering the world; that was always the goal. It was always the standard. I just want to go overseas and get onto billboards,” he says.
It comes with responsibilities
There are many pressures that come with being a part of an up-and-coming band, but being the lead singer of a newly-established band, seem to top them all.
“There definitely are pressures. You have to show your face and you have to represent the band,” says Ntsika. He always wants to be himself, and at times finds it overwhelming to be in the public eye. “Cause you’re the one who’s representing the band, in a sense. I’m not even gonna cap [lie], I do feel the pressure,” he explains.
Ntsika says he sometimes struggles with the pressure of being a lead singer and is at times affected by negative comments online. PHOTO: Supplied/InternetGirl
Producing music, growing an audience, and dealing with the effects of social media engagement, is a different beast entirely. Ntsika admits that some online comments do get to him.
“[Y]ou get one or two odd comments that would say something like, ‘your songs are weird’, and that affects me. Even if it’s the one comment out of millions.” explains Ntsika. “Our music is ourselves, our soul, you know? When someone criticises it, it’s like they’re criticizing me… attacking me, in a way.”
As one of the founding members of Internet Girl, Ntsika has experienced a rollercoaster ride in his music career. Internet Girl is something that he has created and poured his soul into.
“It’s always been like my baby. I’ve always wanted to see this thing succeed from the get-go. Without Internet Girl, I wouldn’t be in the music industry.”
Internet Girl’s most recent music video for their song ‘be my guest’ released on 11 June 2021. This song is apart of their new EP ‘the world i love‘. VIDEO: Supplied/InternetGirl