Jim Neversink

Neversink's lyrics have been the subject of special acclaim; the Mail & Guardian, upon the release of Shakey is Good, pronounced him "one of the finest songwriters in South Africa". The Star justified a no-1 placement on a best-albums list by referring to "the raw emotion, the intelligent songwriting which he has crafted beautifully"; and The Times remarked: "No one comes close to Jim Neversink in making observations about the small details of living in South African towns sound so cinematic (...) Neversink’s off-kilter way of looking at society’s damaged things stands alone." Channel24.co.za speaks of "moments of Sparklehorse brilliance, and (...) a Jim White feel to the strange tales of peri-urban paranoia and quixotic questing."

In 2015 he contributed a rendition of Afrikaans poet Ingrid Jonker's ‘Bitterbessie dagbreek’ to the compilation CD "Die kind is nog jonger".

In 2014 he became a founding member of Frederiksberg Country Club, a local scene for live experimental music of all genres.

Neversink's score, noted as 'hypnotic' by one reviewer, was given a special jury award in the "Long Narratives competition" at the 3rd Luxor African Film Festival in 2014.

In 2013, Neversink wrote the score for Durban Poison, a crime/love story by South African film director Andrew Worsdale, that won 'Best South African Feature Film' at the 34th Durban International Film Festival in July 2013.

2010 saw Neversink relocating to Copenhagen, Denmark and releasing his third album, Skinny Girls Are Trouble.

Released in September 2010, Skinny Girls Are Trouble has so far only been reviewed by the Mail & Guardian which called it "arguably Neversink's finest hour and easily one of the best South African albums released in 2010" and also included in a list of "10 South African songs that rocked my world in 2010".

He contributes slide-guitar on the song "Son" on Radio Kalahari Orkes's 2009 CD Heuningland.

A second album, with Fink, Hunt and now Warrick Poultney on drums, and produced by Fink, likewise earned critics' acclaim: it came in as No. 2 on The Times' international "Top 20 albums" of 2008; Billboard's South African correspondent placed it as no 6 on her international list of "2008 Billboard Critics Top 10s"; Isolation.tv placed it as no 1 on their top-10 "South African albums of the year". The Times and Mail & Guardian included it in its listings of "albums of the decade". Channel24.co.za awarded it five out of five stars.

Television actor and singer Emmanuel Castis performs one of Neversink's songs, "Stay", on South of Nowhere (Next Music (Pty) Ltd, 2008). The song "Mail Order Russian Bride" (off Jim Neversink) is included on Southern Gems – 18 Flawless Tracks from SA Stars (Sheer Sound, 2007). "Monkey" off Shakey Is Good is included in Beginner's Guide to South Africa (Nascente, 2010).

Neversink contributes backing vocal and slide guitar on the song "Stranger" by Laurie Levine (Unspoken: Beyond The Box Music, 2006) as well as backing vocal on her song "Scrambling" (Living Room: Beyond The Box Music, 2009).

Live appearances with the Fink/Hunt/Poultney line-up included performing at the London Forum as support act for Sixto Rodriguez (2005) and at the Oppikoppi festival (2006), the White Mountain Folk Festival (2006) and the Splashy Fen (2007).

For a while, Neversink formed part of the alternative country/lo-fi rock band Lilo. He appears on bass on the band's first album Light me up a Lucifer (2002). Other members were, at the time, Alexander Sudheim, Graeme Barnes and Dean Henning.

He appears on lap steel on "Calling" off Syd Kitchen's album Africa's not for sissies (2001).

In 2001, Neversink moved to Johannesburg and began using the artistic name Jim Neversink.

They released Famous Curtain Trick (EMI, 1995; produced by Neill Solomon) and Land of no Cadillacs (Universal, 1996; produced by Dave Birch, front man of Squeal, previously guitarist of The Camera Club), nominated for a South African Music Award in the category "Best Pop Album".

Live performances included the music festivals Splashy Fen (1995, 1997, 1999), Wingerdstok (1997), Oppikoppi (1997), Southern Cross Folk & Rock Festival (2000) as well as opening for Roxette in Durban (1995) and touring South Africa with Bryan Adams (1999). In 2000, the band split up.

Before he went solo, Neversink was the co-founder and lead guitarist of Famous Curtain Trick, a country/pop/rock band which rose to mainstream popularity in South Africa in the 1990s and was nominated for a SAMA Award.

Jim Neversink (born Michael James Whitehead; 16 June 1969) is a South African musician, singer and songwriter. His musical style spans over indie rock, country, americana and punk.

Neversink was born in Durban on 16 June 1969. Growing up in Durban, he would listen to jazz, blues and country at home; he took up the guitar at the age of eighteen.