Artist Interview: Father Funk

By Resonate | April 25, 2022

Words and Photos by Ruu Media

As I enter the Faraway Tree Cafe in St George, I’m welcomed by a warm smile. Father Funk sits content, wearing pink sparkly sunnies matching his hair and complemented by a typically funky baby blue shirt. A producer, DJ, events manager and a truly musical man, Father Funk is known for his funk-infused unique sounds which put a twist on the classic formula. 

We begin our chat over two brekkies and end with a walk around St George Park. As we wander, I feel a glimpse of summer – maybe it’s the blue skies and first sight of pink blossom, or perhaps his summer attire. Either way, we are immersed in positive energy. 

Tell me a little about where your relationship with music all began.

I’ve been in bands since I was twelve years old. My first band was called ‘Noise’ – real creative. I played the guitar and sang. The band I played in for the longest was a ska-punk band called ‘Late Night Fiasco’. I played the trombone but most of us were multi-instrumentalists so I would play bass for some gigs. Those were some good times. I also played drums in a punk band called ‘Downpipe’ for about 24 hours. What drew me to ska-punk was the combination of musicality, fun and aggression. This is also what initially drew me to the ghetto-funk sound, which was the foundation for Father Funk. 

So would you say your production journey was very much influenced by being in a band? 

Yeah! That’s how I initially fell into the production side of things. I enjoyed doing all of the parts myself. I like working on my own and being my own boss. I started properly producing at about fifteen, experimenting with more electronic stuff inspired by liquid DnB producers like Netsky and High Contrast.

Where did the name Father Funk come from? Is it a kind of persona?

In my teens, I connected with my friend JJ over our love of funky music. His dad had an amazing record collection with lots of funk and hip hop, and I said, “We should start a band that sounds like your dad’s record collection and call it Father Funk!” The band never happened but when I started making funky electronic stuff a couple of years later, the name Father Funk was still floating around my head. It seemed like the perfect name for the new stuff I was making. I guess for one reason or another, the name did start to become my persona. Who knows, maybe I was Father Funk deep down all along.

I’m enjoying being sober. I feel I’m finally cultivating a bit of self-love in little things like meditating every day.

I love the concept of your stage, Father Funk’s Church Of Love, at Shindig Festival. How has Shindig played a role in your career?

I’ve been doing Shindig festival since the beginning. I was actually the first DJ to ever play in the Ghetto Funk Nightclub. We’ve done the church there for three years or so now… to be honest I’ve lost track. It’s such a family affair, so many of my peers who I’ve shared stages with, performed for and hung out with over the years always end up being there every year. It’s like some sort of high school reunion.

A lot of it blurs into one, but one of my favourite years was when a bunch of my friends from across the world made the trip over to play. We had Wes Please and Bright Idea from Canada and also Monkey Twerk and Everyman. Being able to bring together so many of my favourite people from all over the world is one of the best parts of my job.

And where did the concept of your night ‘Funk Aerobics’ come from?

It was really nice taking a break from managing events during the lockdown. I had a lot of time to just chill and reflect. But when events came back, I saw a gap in the market for something a little different, especially in Bristol. Funk Aerobics is good because I’ve made it sustainable for me to keep hosting them on top of my other projects. 

It’s aerobics themed, of course, so there’s no decor or anything – well, the crowd is the decor. It attracts a bunch of good people who bring good energy.  

And it’s not just exercising through aerobics that you’ve managed to make a positive change in your life. Tell me a bit about what life is like for you being sober.

I’m enjoying being sober. I feel I’m finally cultivating a bit of self-love in little things like meditating every day. In the two years of being sober, I’m much more aware of how everything makes me feel and I’m more mindful of everything I do.

Sometimes I do feel disconnected from people. It’s hard being the only one sober at a party or an afters, especially when I’ve been on the other side of things – but I’m okay with that, and I know that I’m doing the right thing for me. Every day sober is another reason to feel better about myself, like a badge of honour. That’s what keeps me going.

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