When Funk Life drops on June 2nd, will you be ready? Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band have certainly adopted the Funk Life mentality, touring constantly and bringing energetic enthusiasm to each of their live performances. They’ve played with everyone from Karl Denson to Bootsy Collins, all the while carving out a unique sound and devoted fan base.
We’re proud to debut the music video for the band’s recent single, “24/7,” showcasing the powerful leadership of the one and only Mary “Mama Funk” Frances. Check out the video below, and read on for Mama’s take on the new music and video.
L4LM: Many bands shy away from defining themselves with a genre, but you fully embrace being a funk band with this album title. What does it mean to you to live the funk life?
Mama Funk: It’s about breaking boundaries, living your dream, traveling, taking chances, being yourself, laughing, and letting go through music. It’s a way of life that we live 24/7!
L4LM: How did recording location and the crew working on Funk Life help shape its sound?
MF: We recorded Funk Life at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, NC with our great friend and engineer Julian Dreyer (The Avett Brothers, Zac Brown Band, Band of Horses). Working in Asheville gave us the space and comfort of home and the ability to be creative while recording this album. Our drummer Lee Allen helped mix and produce Funk Life along with Julian, marking the third album the two have produced for Booty Band together. The album was mastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters (J Dilla, Madlib, Dangermouse).
L4LM: Did any specific tracks have you guys experimenting or branching off in ways you have not on past albums?
MF: A couple of the tracks including “Brand New Day” and the title track “Funk Life” were just ideas before hitting the studio. We wanted those songs to evolve organically while recording to really maintain creative freedom in the moment. I love to just press record and start exploring on the Moog synthesizer for a couple of takes. To me, that is where the magic happens and you get some really experimental sounds that can lace the tracks together.
Also, we had DJ Nex Millan from Digable Planets on turntables on the track “Quick-E”, which is a first for us. Another cool side note for this album was that both “Wake Yo’self” and “Living the Dream” came to me in dreams. I was in Chicago when I woke from a dream that included George Clinton and the late great Gary Shider, where they taught me the riff and inspired the lyrics for the song “Living the Dream”. So I guess I really am channeling the Funk Life!
L4LM: You cite Parliament Funkadelic, Sly & The Family Stone, and James Brown as influences. Are there any modern artists, either funk based or not, that also influence you?
MF: While listening to our Pandora station one day, we came across a band from New Zealand called Sola Rosa and their sound really influenced a few of the songs. Everyone in the band listens to a collective mix of genres all across the board, but right now we are digging on the new Hiatus Kaiyote album “Choose Your Weapon.”
L4LM: Mama Funk takes the lead on most tracks, but not all with “Nah Brah” standing out on Funk Life. How does that versatility benefit you as a band?
MF: It’s a fresh sound for the fans, keeping them on their toes never knowing what is going to happen next!
L4LM: Your new video for “24/7” features synchronized dancers, live shots, classic cars, bright lights, and bright outfits. Where was the video filmed and how long did it take?
MF: The majority of the video was filmed at a music venue in Asheville called New Mountain and was done in one day. There are a few live shots from our show the night before at The Orange Peel. It was so much fun to be dancing and hanging with the all the beautiful ladies of Asheville!
L4LM: Had you worked with Director Daniel Judson before?
MF: Yes, we have two other music videos that were filmed and produced by Daniel Judson. He worked with us on past Booty Band videos for “Lovin'”, which was filmed in front of a green screen, and “Trunk Fallin’ Off”, which was filmed at the infamous Clermont Lounge in Atlanta, GA.
L4LM: What do you enjoy about making music videos and how do they help push you forward as a band?
MF: I really love getting our friends and the community involved with making the video. Everyone and everything you see in “24/7” is from the Asheville area including the outfits, dancers, classic cars, and the food truck! As entertainers, we love being in front of a camera so making a music video is one of the most exciting things we get to do as touring musicians. We’ve always been considered a visual band so a video helps pair our image with the music for fans that have never seen us live.
L4LM: You’re about to embark on a tour of the Northeast. If you could have one goal when you take the stage each night what would it be?
MF: For people to let go and get the funk down!
L4LM: Are you hitting any cities that you’re either looking forward to playing for the first time or excited to be returning to?
MF: We’re excited to be playing Church of Boston again as well as raging a couple North East festivals including StrangeCreek and DomeFest. There’s always something electric about playing New York City and this time through will be our first time at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn.