“Funk You” is the debut album by singer, songwriter, and producer ndge (pronounced “nudge”). It was recorded in their Essex, England home studio. This multi-instrumentalist producer has a unique approach and style to music production. Not anticipated nor formulaic, but willing to delve into the past to inform the creation of something new. According to ndge, “Music can perform many functions, not just entertainment, but sometimes having a message people can empathize with or feel for themselves. ‘Funk You’ was an attempt to get back at the bullies out there and to have some fun while doing it.”
ndge has previously created music, but never like this. He/they was satisfied to leave music creation behind and immerse themselves in a vinyl record collection of over 3,000 records at home. “I delighted in losing myself in the sounds and brilliance of all those records over the previous seven decades. I had no plans of my own at this time.”
Then, a few years ago, enough songs for an album began to emerge, including both shorter “singles” and longer “album” pieces. Check out the song ‘Funk You’ and the exclusive interview below:
1. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
NDGE: I am self taught – At first! I started playing the guitar quite late – at 17, by playing along with the records of the time and with a bit of early help from my brother who was older and in a band. My sister had piano lessons but I wasn’t allowed to have them which annoyed me at the time. I did come back to the piano much later but prided myself on being self-taught on the guitar. Ironic because I ended up teaching guitar and bass for a living and realised some formal music training was actually a good idea. Now I have to forget all that again and just play and write without technical strictures. Having said that, I always believed there was more than one correct way to play the guitar.
2. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘NDGE’?
NDGE: ‘ndge’ is a handy short name. It could mean I want to get on with it! Or it could mean ‘Non Defined Gender Exploration’. It definitely doesn’t mean ‘Non-Denaturing Gel Electrophoresis!’.
3. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
NDGE: Billie Eilish says her and Finneas’s music is ‘Billie Eilish music’. I understand why she says that. I feel the same. I describe my sound as ‘ndge music’ or Alt Pop / Electronic Pop / Funk. I don’t want to sound like anyone else but want to be able to use any sound or style that I want to. Not in a pastiche way but as an authentic nod to that style but created in a new way. If you are not adding something new then why bother? I tend to mash up styles together and do things people think I shouldn’t like bend guitar strings or put syncopated piano and bass lines together that ‘shouldn’t’ work. I hope folks will see that the music is good and that it is individual.
4. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as POP?
NDGE: I’m pretty old school – I have a much older brother and he liked a lot of old 70’s/80’s bands both Classic Rock and New Wave like the Gang of Four and Television / Human League. So I got into that stuff and then into old Funk and Blues and synthpop, 90’s rap, EDM and pop music of the day as well. Quite a mash-up. I have a lot of vinyl records with music from the past 100 years as well as current artists like Dave and Tame Impala etc. My own style is going to have a lot of different names attached to it I guess. I’m not keen on the ‘indie’ tag so much because it always makes me think of 90’s guitar bands which I’m not really. I guess Alt Pop, Electro Funk, Unpigeonholeable… ;)
5. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
NDGE:
I definitely think music should have something to say and not just be entertainment. I do have things to say in my songs. I love the power in the BLM movement and artists like Kendrick Lamar ‘We gonna be Alright’ as a force for change. Similar to NWA with their socio-political themes in the 90’s. However you can’t be preachy and you have to make music that resonates with people personally – They have to be able to ‘hang their hat on it’, as it were, to make it their own. ‘Funk You’ may sound cheeky but the whole song is about standing up to bullies. Not everything has to have a wider remit though – If it sounds nice then that can be enough too.
6. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
NDGE:
Good question. Depends what you want back from the beast you are creating. I always used to feel a bit cheated that I could enjoy other people’s music more than my own. Now I am more concerned with enjoying the parts I can, like, when a new song first comes along, and getting sounds that work with it, that’s fun. Also, it’s great when people ‘get’ the music and are real fans; that is really precious.
7. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
NDGE:
Most often, I am playing a guitar, bass or piano and something just appears. It happens on its own. A lot of songs started on the bass ‘cos I love playing it. Then more recently on the piano. What I am wary of is making it then become a ‘guitar’ song or ‘piano’ song as such because it is way too limiting. I try to avoid the guitar quite often because I have a way of playing it that falls into a certain style which is no good to me. As a producer I have to follow what the song requires. This means that every song I record sounds different and I am very glad about that! Sometimes, like Funk You, I had an idea that I wanted to use that as a song title. Then about a month later the piano riff appeared, then most of the words, then the bass line. It all kinda fell together into the same pot and stirred itself. Often though a song will come along with tune and words where 90% of the words are there straight away, then I have to sweat the damn thing for another month to nail it all. I want to make my own sounds happen and not copy others. On some songs I have a synth line I love and that becomes a motif for the whole track. I work alone but have songs I would like to finish with someone else. I have a very cool piano riff I would like Dave to write a rap over…
8. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
NDGE:
I think the periods of self-doubt are the most challenging really. With confidence you can sail through tasks with tremendous energy and focus but if the glooms are around it is hard to make headway sometimes. ‘Fake it ‘til you make it’ is a good motto but often just an aspiration… I am not a depressive character but I think it is part of the creative curse to be like, self questioning and self undermining sometimes. It ain’t tooo bad, it’s not like I play a chord and then say “Why didya’ play that awful chord you loser…?”
9. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
NDGE:
Hopefully I will be able to answer this question better next time ;)
10. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
NDGE: Not everyone is going to like what you do in life. Quite often as soon as someone starts to get ‘known’ they get a lot of negativity from people as well. Criticism is fine if it comes from an honest place. Sadly it often doesn’t and isn’t meant to help or inspire you. I am not too interested in critique at the moment because I am doing what I am doing and I’m not too interested in opinion or ‘helpful’ comments. I have to stay focused and won’t ever be able to please everyone. So, I guess I know people will say stuff and that’s up to them, what I do with that is up to me.
11. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
NDGE: Well these two things are completely separate and almost completely unrelated endeavors! The studio for me is where I can create and experiment unbidden. It is where things take shape and become realised. Like Kevin Parker, I do my vocals alone so I can get them how I like them. Live – None of this matters when you are playing live. You are just performing, playing the music and trying to entertain. I prefer the studio but I like ‘live’ as well. It presents a kind of freedom from the self checking that happens in the studio. Very different worlds…
12. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
NDGE: I think both are valid. My ambition is to make a vinyl album and have all the lyrics beautifully printed out so that folks can see what they are and read along. I love seeing lyrics in 12” albums. Not so much on CD ‘cos they are too damn small and fiddly! However, I won’t be telling people “Oh, this song is about this or that” because I want them to experience and own the music themselves. They are the important party here, it is what it means to them that matters – I know what ‘I’ meant in the song, now it’s their turn. My words are not very abstract but there is a fair amount of reading between the lines going on. People famously get song lyrics wrong and I think that’s great. In ‘Purple Haze’, by Jimi Hendrix, I thought he said “Excuse me, while I kiss this guy…”, not “kiss the sky”. It didn’t matter to me, that’s how I heard it. In interviews if pushed I might explain what a certain song was about.
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Photo credits: ndge