Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band has been spreading the gospel of funk across the country, touring with bands like Parliament-Funkadelic, The New Mastersounds, and Galactic. L4LM got to catch up with frontwoman Mama Funk about touring, their upcoming album, and over a decade of living funky.

L4LM: How are you doing today?

Mama Funk: Doing great, we’re just leaving Richmond. We played a great show in Richmond last night, now we’re headed to DC.

L4LM: You’re playing The Hamilton tonight with Ron Holloway.

Mama Funk: That’s right, Ron kicks it off around 7:30, and the Booty Band goes on around 8:45.

L4LM: Excellent. Have you all played with him before?

Mama Funk: I’ve never played with him, this will be our first time.

L4LM: He’s a pretty celebrated musician, how do you feel about playing with him?

Mama Funk: We’re excited! We’re always happy to hear a new artist, maybe end up collaborating on a sit-in or something.

L4LM: I was going to ask if we could expect a sit-in!

Mama Funk: We’re always open to that. I’m sure as soon as we get there, we’re all music guys, we can work something out. Last night we had a bunch of sit-ins with a bunch of cool older musicians, so maybe we’ll figure something out.

L4LM: It seems the band has a sort of friendly, familial element to it, where you can just play with anyone.

Mama Funk: Yeah, you know, we’re all about that. The funk scene is known for that open vibe, just getting up there and sharing music together, all being a community. It’s a lot of fun to share music with everyone all over the country, different bands, different styles of music. DC is one of our favorite cities to play in. Last time we were there we played with P-Funk, and that’s always a good time.

L4LM: Was that what it was like back in Asheville [NC]? Was part of what you wanted to spread the free-collaboration, everything-goes attitude?

Mama Funk: I think the bands have always set the tone for that in the area, in Asheville. In general, Asheville is a big art community, we’re all about sharing art together. We do the Tuesday night funk jam there every week, so a lot of us play that. In fact, we were there Tuesday with The New Mastersounds, and Eddie sat in with us for that jam. So we do the same thing at music festivals: we’ll sit in, people will come sit in with us. It’s definitely what we’re trying to spread, just creating that community of funk.

L4LM: Sure. To what degree does improv come into your live show?

Mama Funk: We always write a fresh setlist every night, we never play the same set over and over. In general, we’re open to a lot of improvisation, and we’ll change it on the spot based on the crowd, really read the crowd in the moment, so that we’re always connected. We let them tell us where to go. Then within each song, there’ll be solos, different areas we may or may not go to. I would say it’s about 25% improv, then we have a lot of vocal songs. I think it’s really important to do a lot of both – to have those hooks that people can immediately sing with, along with the improvisational aspects.

L4LM: A big part of it, to me, seems that funk calls for interacting with the crowd, drawing on their energy. You’re not just playing, you’re trying to engage people and make them dance. Is that interest in the connection with the crowd something that drew you to funk, specifically?

Mama Funk: Absolutely. People get wild at our shows. We don’t even need to ask people to come up on stage – people run up onstage, shaking their booty. People come to our shows ready to let go, ready to have a good time. It’s your mama’s big fat booty band! It’s time to party, it’s time to throw down. It doesn’t matter what night of the week it is, let’s get out there, let go of our day, and party down. That’s the Booty Band. That’s what we’re all about.

L4LM: You give people a huge release. At the same time, you party every night of the week, you’re touring over 150 shows a year. How do you do it?

Mama Funk: For me, especially as a vocalist, you really have to take care of yourself: rest well, eat well, and I’ve got my tea before I go onstage, warmin’ up my vocals. We have our rituals. You really do have to take care of yourself. We let go maybe a little during the show and after the show, but after you’ve been doing it for years, you know the tricks for keeping the momentum going.

L4LM: Was it harder when you first started touring?

Mama Funk: I’m a little older now, that’s definitely something that’s come with age. I don’t really enjoy being onstage to party too much – I like being fresh and sharp up there. Mama Funk, got a responsibility to the funk!  

L4LM: It’s a big responsibility! (laughs) I understand there’s a new album in the works, set to come out in the spring.

Mama Funk: That’s right! We’re releasing a new album called Funk Life. It’s a great album, chock-full of really hot hooks and vocal songs. It’s kind of like a live show. You get in the car and drive. I think people are really going to enjoy this album. We’ve put a lot of energy into it.

L4LM: Do you see it as a progression from Onward? Is it the next step forward?

Mama Funk: Yeah. It’s a little more cohesive, stylistically, and a little more new-age funk. I think people are really gonna dig it.

L4LM: Do you find that even after over ten years of playing together, you’re still changing the sound and developing it year to year?

Mama Funk: Constantly. I look at the crowd; I let them tell me what they love. For me as a writer, that’s kind of where I gauge it. It’s like, man, these people are really dancing hard, connecting out there with us and with each other, and that’s how I can tell that this is what people want to hear. So I just write based on that, we try songs out, play ‘em live, see how it responds, and we’ll go from there. That’s how a lot of Funk Life was written.

L4LM: How have you seen the crowd’s reactions to things change? What gets people moving more as time goes on?

Mama Funk: You’ve got to have a beat. Our drummer – he can lay down a beat, man, he can make people dance. That’s the heart of it. As long as he’s kicking it back there on the drums, you’re gonna get the booty shaking. He and I have been playing music together for years. I also think the band is really good at being entertainers, moving around stage, jumping off the stage, our trombone player jumping into the crowd. I got my keytar, running all over, and our bass player can run around with his wireless bass. Dancing with the crowd is something we’ve gotten better at over the years, being part of them, them coming onstage and being part of us. That’s an important aspect of our shows that’s come a long way. As well as vocally, some of the new songs are really catchy; people catch on to the hook after a few times, and they’re ready to sing with us.

L4LM: What are your thoughts on the comparison between funk as dance music and the ever-increasing popularity of electronic dance music?

Mama Funk: I think they can go hand in hand. I don’t think it has to be one way or the other. Our drummer incorporates electronics into our music, and we do some old-school hip hop covers that we love, so he uses the SPF pads behind the drum set for those. If people are having fun with the music, that’s what matters, so as musicians you have to move forward and let it all come together. Bruno Mars has released a funk song. It’s still coming out, it’s still fresh. I think funk music will live on and continue to grow. We’ll just keep adding elements of what’s popular, along with the old. We’re redefining the funk!

L4LM: So it’s more about an attitude than a specific way of playing.

Mama Funk: Yeah. You’ve got to live the funk life. What does that mean to us? Funk has never been in a box. You grow as a person, and the music grows with you. All of us together are redefining funk. That’s where we’re headed with our sound, as a band.

L4LM: When did you first know that you wanted to live the funk life?

Mama Funk: When I was a little girl, I grew up on soul and funk. I knew from a young age. I used to play on my trampoline, putting on shows in my yard by myself. I started playing when I was five, recording myself on cassette tapes when I was young. I’ve known since I was that age that that was what I intended to do. Now, I went through years and years of musical training til I got to college, where I met the drummer. We started playing full-time, then joined in with the Booty Band. We’re born to do this. When you’re a kid, that’s your purpose, to get out there and share your gift with the world.

L4LM: So there’s nothing else you’d rather you.

Mama Funk: Oh, no. I love music. It’s all I think about when I wake up, when I go to bed, every day, filled with music.

L4LM: It’s a beautiful thing.

Mama Funk: It is a beautiful thing. I teach when I’m at home, I teach these young girls how to write music. So there’s a future of women funketeers coming along!

L4LM: (laughs) Good, we need more of those!

Mama Funk: Absolutely.