One-man electro blues band Funke and the Two Tone Baby returns on May 4th with his third studio album Denizen, a visceral blend of blues-crossed-punk sentiment with raw electronic beats set against fat dance grooves. It’s Beardyman meets Slaves where drum machines, synths and beatboxing collide with blues guitar, harmonica and gravelled vocals.
Funke is the brainchild of Kent based 29-year-old Daniel Turnbull, who flips the cliché of loop pedals on its head with a record that’s broad as it is diverse. From the political, pertinent, yet lighthearted and witty commentary on fake news with ‘Genghis Khan’, to the jazz meets drum & bass mash-up of ‘Doppelgänger’ and the outright festival sing-along classic of ‘Work all Week’, each track is individual but drawn together with a coherent vision and a unique sound. Denizen will be released on May 4th 2018 via all digital platforms. New music will be out soon but for now check out Heavy Feet!
We managed to catch up with Daniel (Funke and the Two Tone Bab) as talked about his upcoming album and more!
So how pumped are you for the release of Denizen?
I honestly can’t wait. It’s my first album in three years so the pressures on a bit, but I couldn’t be happier with the end result. Since my last album, Balance, I’ve got a load more gear in my live set up (synths, drum machines etc) that’s made it into the studio. It’s still definitely a Funke album, but everything’s been overhauled. Funke 2.0. The beats are stronger, bass is fatter and the record sounds huge. it’s a challenge trying to translate live loops to an album but I think I’ve nailed it. May 4th can’t come soon enough and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.
Can you tell us something about a song, no one else knows?
I wrote the song Fortuna after a pretty grim few months. I started looking into myths and tropes about fortune, luck and fate, mainly to give myself a sense of perspective after said grim events. but I was inadvertently doing research. The song itself is half the mythological depictions of the Goddess Fotuna, and half about coming to terms with all the stuff that happened. Deep, right.
What is your favourite track on the album?
Doppelgänger. It’s the most complex and interesting piece of music I’ve ever written, and I still can’t believe that I have! It’s pretty jazz chords over a drum and bass beat with a filthy synth bass line. There’s still a sound and vibe I’m trying to tap into and I think this track is pretty close to encapsulating it.
If you could work with any band in the world on a new song, who would it be and why?
My favourite band, Holy Fuck. They’re so creative with their structuring, songwriting and instrumentation, I think it’d be fascinating to see what they’d do with an idea. My plan would be to throw them a riff and then sit back and bask in fandom. Then take a 50/50 royalty split. Check out Bird Brains – https://www.youtube.com/
How pumped are you for your upcoming release tour?
Very. It’s the first time I’ll be touring with a band, in some of the most iconic venues in the country and a few of them are nearly sold out! It sounds like a bit of a winner to me.
April 18 – The Louisiana, Bristol
April 19 – Cluny 2, Newcastle
April 20 – The Castle Hotel, Manchester
April 21 – Thousand Island, London
April 22 – The Bodega, Nottingham
Tickets: www.funkeandthetwotonebaby.co.uk/shows
What do you get up to in your spare time while not working on music?
This is where I get a lot less interesting. Not a lot honestly. It’s a 7 day a week job. I’m sat at a computer doing admin Monday to Friday and gigging Friday to Sunday. It doesn’t leave a lot of space for down time. It’s nice to get down the pub on a Saturday afternoon though and my cat IS pretty great.
What was your first gig you ever attended?
I was taken to see Fleetwood Mac at Earls Court but I was too young to appreciate it. The first show that I chose to go to was a Nirvana tribute band at The Twist in Colchester. I must have been about 14 and it was awesome!
Have you got any festivals lined up this year?
Yep. 30, so far. It might seem a lot but I’m technically slacking. It was 44 the year before and 43 the year before that. I won’t give any favourites as they all have their own quirks and personalities, but there’s one in a forest in Belgium that looks incredible.