BEING NOSEY WITH ...
Dan Turnbull
Hello peeps. Really sorry there hasn't been much on the 'Interview' front recently, been a little busy with job hunting and my personal life.. and a little project 'Rockstock nd Personal!' Enough about me and more about Funke! I first saw Funke at Deerstock last year although I apprently saw him at Dogfest 2014... I don't remember this and I wasn't even drinking.. (memory of a goldfish!) Anyway, Within one song I told my dad we HAD to get his latest album 'Balance' which I regularly listen to.. Gotta be in my top 5 albums of all time, When Funke agreed to do an intervew with me I was very much excited.. Well who wouldn't be! Here it is...
Firstly, How in the world did you get the name Funke and The Two Tone Baby?
In my early teens I traveled across Germany, ending up in Berlin and meeting a trainee Ventriloquist called Funke. She used to perform street shows with a skinhead/mod puppet and used to make it/her sing to old ska tunes. That's where 'Funke and the Two Tone Baby' came from.
As a musician, you must get asked asked this question all the time, but when and why did you start playing and writing your own music?
About the same time I started playing the guitar. 'What does that note sound like with that note?'. 'What if I put that chord here?' It just seemed like the natural thing to do, more so than playing other people songs. You do that to get competent and play your own stuff for fun. That's how I do it, anyway.
How did you manage to discover the music you make now?
I'd started listening to a lot of electronic music whilst playing a lot of blues guitar. I bought a loop pedal because my ambition was starting to outweighing my skill, so instead of getting better, I cheated. What I was making with loops quickly became better than what I was making without it so it stuck. I then needed rhythm so I learned to beatbox, got effects pedal to enhance my sounds and just wrote, gigged and tweaked it for a few years before I ended up with what I have now.
You do a lot of 'live music' performances, what would do you to get more people to support live music?
I'm not sure there is much more that can be done. The people that know about live music and enjoy it will go see bands and the people that don't, won't. It's the people in the middle who don't really care either way that are the enigma. The multi-billions of Justin Bieber fans won't be driving to a venue in the rain on a Tuesday, or sitting in a muddy field waiting for a band, or go down the pub to sit through an open mic, or buy a CD off a busker, but they will probably go to Wembley to see Justin Bieber and fucking love it. Though they are going to see live music. Is it the wrong kind of live music? Am I just being a music snob? Probably. You can't win. We're all doomed.
Do you have any other interests or talents which people don't know about?
Arnold Palmer.
What inspired you to write 'Not Enough Bonobo..'?
One day I received a text from my uncle saying 'Not Enough Bonobo'. The next day he sent me this - Click for the link here
Photos taken at Rockstock and Barrel, Bostin' Days and Deerstock...
What has been a strong influence for you to continue performing the music you do?
I really enjoy it! I've always had belief that was I was doing was good but maybe my skill wasn't up to showcasing it at the best of its ability. When you have fifty people come up to you and say 'It's alright but maybe try something else?' and then that one person who actually gets it and can see the potential, that enough to reinforce the belief.
Someone once said 'write what you would want to perform over and over.' With that in mind, what song do you love to perform the most?
'If You're Nice To Me'. Not too taxing to play, bangin' groove, fat bass bit at the end. Lovely.
As a kid, What was your dream job?
No idea. That would probably explain all the bar work until I became a musician at 22.
If you could perform with anyone in the world, either dead, alive, or broke-up who would it be and why?
Ghandi
Where would you like to see yourself in five years as an artist?
I can't answer than one either. At the moment I'd struggle to answer 'Where would I see myself in 6 months'. Literally could be anywhere or anything.
Lastly, What do you think your 'greatest opportunity' has been so far in your musical career? For people who weren't there can you describe what it felt like for you.
Playing for 'Chai Wallahs' last year. They're a travelling festival stage that took me to 4 of the UK's biggest festivals. They put me on stages in front of thousands with acts I'd know and loved for years. That was the turning point of 'right then, we're not fucking around any more, time to up your game'.
Massive Thankyou to Funke for doing this,You can listen to his music and get regular updates on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and his Website! You can also see him live at many a festival this year, Including Ey Up Mi Duck, Something To Smile About, Wistful, and Farmer Phils! Have left the links for the festivals here too! See you somewhere soon!