After abandoning a childhood dream of professional rugby, Brendan Peyper carved out a niche of rustic, hook-laden pop-rock. Debuting with the country-inflected Stop Wag Bly Nog 'n Bietjie in 2015, the Free State native offers a combination of heartfelt sentiments such as "Beautiful in Bloemfontein" and the jangling acoustics and foot-stomping percussion of "Die Perfekte Een Vir My". On 2017's Hy Loop Oop, Peyper embraces classic rock, with chugging guitar riffs and rattling drum machines underlining epic, lovelorn melodies.