Julian Sun, guitarist and backing vocalist for Henry Ate, clearly remembers the first time he saw singer Karma-Ann Swanepoel: "She was wearing a pair of oversized dungarees and a white shirt. She was bouncing up and down on a trampoline on the first day of Orientation at Wits University.

"I noticed her shoulderblades of all things. I never got to speak to her.

"A few days later I was driving on Corlett Drive when a little blue Renault 5 drove past me with Sinead O'Connor’s 'Red Football' blaring out of the speakers. I noticed the shoulderblades and thought: 'That must be the same girl'. A few weeks later I was introduced to Karma at University and I said: 'You’re the girl with the shoulderblades'."

But there was more to Swanepoel than her shoulderblades.

"The day I first went to Karma’s house she played a song called ‘Into The Open’ to me. I was blown away," recalls Sun.

"Afterward I gave her a tape of about three or four songs that I’d recorded that included ‘Postcards’. She told me she’d listen to it that night. The next day she ran up to me at Varsity and told me that she loved the song because of the line: 'Thank you for the ringing of the telephone'. It made me very proud."

"I've always loved that song," adds Swanepoel. "It's because of that song that Jules and I even started playing together so it will always be special to me."

And so began a band that, along with Just Jinger, provided the singalong soundtrack to mid-'90s South Africa with hits like 'Just' and 'Hey Mister'.

Now she's carving out a career in the US, he's a TV producer. But after five years apart they've joined up for a Henry Ate reunion tour to coincide with a new hits album.

"I'm looking forward to it," says Swanepoel. "Not many people get to do what I do for a living and I tend to cherish every moment – so this is another good one to add to the list."

Sun too is optimistic: "Karma and I have known each other for over 10 years and as she told me the other day, we’ve gone through about three 'divorces' but when all is said and done, there’s a love that exists for each other that transcends the bad times.

"I love playing with Karma and when she asked me to do the tour, it wasn’t even a hard decision to make. We make special music together and who could resist the opportunity to do it all over again?"

The personal connection between the two is obvious.

"I’d describe Karma as my musical soul mate. From the moment we first started playing together, there was an intuition into what the other was going to do that can’t be rehearsed. There’s a musical understanding that has always come naturally and without effort," elaborates Sun.

"We clearly have a wonderful musical connection in that I can just be jamming a song - singing whatever comes into my head and Jules will just start singing along – sometimes even anticipating the lyric I am just freestyling," Swanepoel agrees.

Sun puts it more directly: "Nothing comes close the sound of Karma and I singing together.

"I think our voices were made for each other. I’ve had great musical relationships with others… but as much as I try to deny it, it was always best when it was Karma and Julian."

SIX QUICK QUESTIONS FOR HENRY ATE

What's the other person's most annoying trait?

Karma: His driving!

Julian: There are so many, where do I begin?! Of course I’m joking. To tell you the truth I’ve not seen much of Karma for almost five years. Since then we’ve both hopefully grown up and become more rounded individuals. I guess her worst traits back then were my worst traits too. We were both a little insecure and that manifests itself in many different ways. But if you press me, I’d say Karma’s worst trait is her inability to listen to a song from beginning to end. Whilst on the road, we’d be listening to music in the car. She’d play a song, and even before we’d get to the chorus, she’d skip to the next song. Did I mention that I do that too?

What's the other person's best trait?

Karma: He has many but what stands out for me is his sense of humour – you are never short of laughter when around him.

Julian: Karma’s a very honest songwriter and it’s her ability to wear her heart on her sleeve in her songs that people respond to. I remember Willem Moller — producer of 'Slap in The Face' — telling us that Karma sounds best when it’s just her and a guitar and it sounds like she’s singing just to you. He was so right because even though we were able to record later albums with big production and loads of overdubs, Karma never sounded as good as when we stripped down the arrangements to guitar and vocal. There aren’t many singer songwriters who have that ability and Karma is most certainly one of them.

What do you like most about each other?

Karma: I like singing with him – and the challenge he presents to me as writer.

Julian: Apart from her songwriting and her voice, I’d have to say her cooking.

Could you pick a highlight from your time as Henry Ate?

Karma: Touring South Africa – I loved getting to travel and play all over the place.

Julian: There are quite a few logged in the memory banks. Opening for Skunk Anansie was a dream come true as I’d always wanted to play at Standard Bank Arena. There’s was a brilliant gig at Oppikoppi which I’d rate as the best gig we every played. But from a personal point of view it was the time we were invited to meet Dave Matthews in a flat in Yeoville. We got to hang out and play a bit with him. It’s hard to top that. Dave rocks!

What do you remember from your first gig as Henry Ate?

Karma: Julian wasn’t there! It’s a long story.

Julian: I was playing a gig with my first band Mind Astray along with Urban Creep, who were also on the bill. We called Karma on stage to sing ‘So He Says’. We hit the first harmony together and the crowd broke into spontaneous applause. A little light went off in my head and I thought: 'That’s never happened to me before'.

What’s the weirdest gig you played as Henry Ate?

Karma: Probably the one at the blood bank in Braamfontein. It was weird because I only reaslised where we were once we were set up and about to start playing.

Julian: We were once booked to play at a Jewish holiday camp in Hermanus. What was weird about it? Well for a start you’re surrounded by a whole bunch of high school kids — who were all big fans — at a Zionist camp who spent the night trying to hide from the camp councillors and get laid.