INTERVIEW:
Barbudo
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THERE are few who can resist…
a good bit of Funk – just as well Barbudo are here to provide a perfect weekend gem in the form of Secret Admirer! I ask how the band got together and what the story behind their latest song is; whether there is a good music scene where they are in Havant – I ask what it feels like being celebrated by some big sources.
I discover what sort of artists they grew up around and what comes next; if there are any gigs booked in the diary; what advice they would offer new artists – the guys reveal what ambitions they have left to fulfil this year.
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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?
Our weeks have been great. We released our new music vid on the 8th and we’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback from it!
For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?
Barbudo is a Nu-Eyed Funk project consisting of songwriter brothers Harry and Ben Stanworth and best friend Elliott Salter. We write fun easy-going Funk music with a modern twist.
How did Barbudo get together? Is there a story behind that name?
It started as a working title for the band when it was just Ben in the band and we decided to keep it as it had a certain ring to it. It is a translation of 'beard one' in Spanish but we are also big fans of Twin Peaks and owls too. There is an owl called a beard screen owl (autillo barbudo in Spanish)
Secret Admirer is your new cut. How did that song come to life? What inspired its birth?
The song has gone through many incarnations - but the one we settled on was when we were listening to a lot of Michael Jackson and late-seventies Funk and Disco.
You guys are based out of Havant. Is there an active music scene down there?
There’s a bit of a music scene in Portsmouth but Havant is fairly quiet. There is only one other band in Havant (to my knowledge) who are called Flowvers. It’s great to hear a group of young people from Havant making good music!
Your last E.P., Pleasures, gained a big reaction. How do you think you have developed since then?
Pleasures was our first endeavour into a Funk and Soul kinda vibe so we were just working out exactly how we wanted to sound. Since then, we’ve perfected our sound a bit more and have more direction to the sound.
A lot of big sources have picked up and celebrated your music. Does it give you a confidence boost knowing sources like The Line of Best Fit are reacting to what you are putting out?!
Yeah, definitely. It’s really hard to get your music out there and get noticed - and publications like The Line of Best Fit writing about you really help with that exposure!
I hear Funk and Soul in your sounds. Which artists did you all grow up around?
We grew up surrounded by all kind of music from our parents. Both our mum and dad were really into the Disco scene and would play those records a lot. They both have an amazing taste in music and still buy records today! Chic, Bee Gees and Prince are just a few of the classics I can remember hearing as a kid.
Where are you heading on tour? Where can we catch you?
We currently don’t have any shows booked but we might be playing at the Shacklewell Arms on 3rd July. We should have more shows/maybe even a tour booked in the next month or so!
What do you hope to achieve in 2018?
We’ve got our vinyl coming out at the beginning of 2019, so we’ll be working towards that but we are planning on releasing a new track in the meantime.
Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?
Our first ever gig was in a dingy old pub in a Portsmouth. Halfway through our set, a lady who was fairly inebriated came and stole our microphones and was wailing some random words into the mics. We were fairly young at the time and didn’t really know what to do!
If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?
It would be a tossup between Anderson. Paak and Parliament-Funkadelic. Anderson is making great music and he’s a really talented musician. P-Funk is such a prestigious group that changed Funk music; it would be an honour to play with them.
What advice would you give to new artists coming through?
Keep on working at it; never let anyone put you down and believe in yourself.
IN THIS PHOTO: La-Z-Eye
Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?
Our brother has a cool project everyone should check out called La-Z-Eye. Kinda similar to us in a way but he is more Electro and he looks amazing on stage! Another person you should check out is Ellie Bleach. She’s a great songwriter and has a beautiful voice
IN THIS PHOTO: Ellie Bleach
Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?
We spend most of our time making music if we’re honest…we love it that much. Aside from that, we spend time with friends and hanging at the beach when it’s nice weather!
Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).
Holger Czukay - Cool in the Pool
Prefab Sprout - Wild Horses
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