Join Jesse Clegg whilst filming the new video for the latest single Life on Mars!

In the space of two short years, Jesse Clegg has streaked into the top of the radio charts and into the hearts of music fans throughout South Africa.The vehicle for this has been the 22-year-old’s debut album, ‘When I Wake Up’ which was released in 2008 and has, so far, produced an enviable five radio singles. It’s also sold gold (20 000) and is heading for platinum status –a not inconsiderable feat for an out-and-out pop-rock album in a market where these genres have to fight for media attention and airtime space.The success of ‘When I Wake Up’ is also no small achievement for a singer and songwriter who only revealed his work to close friends and family when the album was virtually done.“I was very tentative in those early days,” the Johannesburg born-and-raised artist now reveals.Listening to Jesse’s debut, however, there is no trace of that initial hesitation when the Wits University law student first pushed his creative work out into the public.The first single - the elegant ballad “Today” - rapidly established Jesse as a fan’s favourite: on its release to radio mid-August 2008 it debuted at number one on Joburg radio station, Highveld’s "Homebrew" Chart, a considerable feat for a debut artist with a debut single and an historical first for this popular, public-voted chart.From there on in, Jesse’s initial strong showing on radio proved no fluke and three more chart-topping singles - “Girl Lost In The City”; “Heartbreak Street” and “End of the Rainbow” - followed.Between them, these self-penned songs more than showcased Jesse’s ability to move with ease between more rockorientated material to pop, as well as his innate feel for a memorable hook. Against this background, it was no surprise when Jesse earned two prestigious South African Music Award nominations in 2009 –for Record Of The Year and Music Video Of The Year, both for his supercharged debut single, “Today”.This was followed by another Record of the Year nomination in 2010 – this time for “Heartbreak Street”.

The new material is everything you would expect from someone whose debut made a mark right out of the gate –confident, and increasingly sure-footed. With his second solo record, platinum-selling artist Jesse Clegg takes a bold step forward to create a rock ‘n roll record that is as true to the genre’s roots as it is visionary.Titled ‘Life On Mars’, the album sees Clegg make a pretty astonishing leap from his 2008 debut, “When I Wake Up” – which, in spite of the substantial sales, radioplay and nominations it earned, was now clearly only a first step into an exciting music career for the 22-year-old. “If I can point to one thing that has changed in-between ‘When I Wake Up’ to ‘Life On Mars’ is that I now know that, no matter how hard or challenging the journey may be, my life lies in music,” confides Clegg.The second album has been released and the first single, titled Clarity, charted in all the major South African radio stations. It’s understandable that Clegg’s initial foray into music may have been tentative: a deep thinker, Clegg left school, with the idea of immersing himself in law.He’s still intent on completing his LLB at the University of Witswatersrand in Joburg, but over the past year he has poured his heart and soul into recording “Life On Mars”.Still, one listen to the track ‘Life On Mars’ and it’s clear that Clegg’s talent is genuine.The leaps he’s made in songwriting, singing and performing are nothing short of huge – and the album displays a remarkable confidence and vision.For Clegg, the heart and soul he’s poured into ‘Life On Mars’ is about creating something unprecedented; something that rolls back the barriers we take for granted – like exploring Mars and finding life there. “I wanted to make a real statement about where I am in my musical life – and the contribution I feel I can make to the rock ‘n roll canon,” Clegg says. “From the moment we started work on the record and all through the recording process,I was fully aware of wanting to be able to add something to this amazing plethora of music that’s been produced over the decades.” In ‘Life On Mars’, Clegg has done just that by staking a dark-edged, complex yet intrinsically organic and, yes heartfelt, claim in the musical expanse that is rock ‘n roll.

In addition to his valuable societal contribution within the music industry, Clegg is more than just about the music.His charitable work and support of various initiatives across South Africa show he is a man about making a difference across various platforms.The winning bidder of this lot has the opportunity to join Clegg at the studio as they record the video to the next single release, the title track, Life on Mars.This unique opportunity to not only spend time in the presence of this great talent but also engage in the behind the scenes aspects of this industry is one not to be missed.Taking place in the next months, this is surely a must-bid for all the Jesse Clegg fans out there.In addition to this unforgettable experience, the lucky winning bidder will take home various memorabilia from the day and Clegg’s work thus far.