Getting Down & Dirty With The British ‘Nu-Eyed Funk’ Group, BARBUDO

Editor – Justin Howard @jthnomad

“The only truth is music.” ― Jack Kerouac

Deep down we all have secret passions, dark desires and lucid fantasies that are just begging to be expressed. They roam the world with us, and sometimes they slip out of the tight mental lease we always keep them on… And when that happens the least that can be said is that we end up with moments that become the epic stories of our lives. Stories that utterly change who we are, the way we relate to the world and how the world sees us. I believe one of the most universal fantasies that we, all share is the craving to experience the desire of a ‘secret admirer.’ That special moment when the gifts start to arrive and you have no clue who they came from. The first flush of warmth that passes over you because someone likes you enough to send you presents and then that tingling sense of danger due to the fact you have no clue who that person might be…

It is such a potent cocktail of emotions that the single ‘Secret Admirer’ by the British ‘Nu-Eyed Funk’ group, BARBUDO, evokes within me every time I have the pleasure of listing to it. With a name that means ‘a bearded man’ in Spanish, is it any wonder they are able to create such a delicious melody. Following in footsteps of such groovy 1970s musicians like Steely Dan, Donna Summers and Chaka Khan, the boys infuse every note with pure soul and wondrous disco beats. Even their music videos manage to capture that 70s vibe with soft lighting, period clothing and that special iconic quality that made the era so influential on the world around it. As I dove into their music, I fast became addicted to their narrative quality, especially the video for their last EP ‘Pleasures’ release by that uniquely funky British record label Pie & Vinyl.

Adhering to that wondrous tradition established by the Disco Queens of the past, the boys of BARBUDO, create truly vivid imagery in their music – that eternal longing for the grand days of summers past when we all were care free and innocent. Their music is drenched in full body melodies that shimmer with masculine vocal harmonies balanced by deep wondrous bass lines that cause this new single ‘Secret Admirer’ to drip psychedelic colors. Band member Harry describes this new single – “It’s a playful confession of secretly liking something that is deemed ‘uncool’ by most people. You might not publicly admit to liking it, but beyond judging eyes you see it for what it is. Like listening to Coldplay when you are sad…”

Getting Down & Dirty With The British ‘Nu-Eyed Funk’ Group, BARBUDA!

Black Chalk – Hello Boys, welcome to Black Chalk! How is life treating you both? For those new to your music – can you describe your musical style?

BARBUDO – Hello! We are BARBUDO and we make Nu-eyed Funk music.

Black Chalk – What inspired you lads to get into music?

BARBUDO – Our parents took us to a lot of gigs and festivals at a young age which got us into music. Our mum also plays guitar which encouraged us.

Black Chalk – How difficult was it to come up with your band name? What does it mean?

BARBUDO – Not too hard. It means bearded person in Spanish. Ben started the band. He has a beard…..

Black Chalk – Which artists did you lads grow up listening to? Which musicians have influenced your own music?

BARBUDO – A variety of stuff. We used to listen to a lot of 60s stuff like The Kinks and The Zombies as kids. I’d say our music is now influenced by anything with a nice groove behind it. Artists like The Rah band and Bill Withers are influential.

Black Chalk – Can you tell us more about your latest single “Secret Admirer”?

BARBUDO – Its a tongue in cheek confession about guilty pleasures that you wouldn’t admit to liking publicly but love to indulge in privately.

Black Chalk – What is the inspiration behind this single? Can you tell me about the 70s vibes in the video?

BARBUDO – We were listening to a lot of Thriller at the time of recording so I suppose that influenced the track. We always try and a fun element to our video.

Black Chalk – What is it about the 70s that you guys find so fascinating?

BARBUDO – The music. The flares. The movies.

Black Chalk – What’s your philosophy about the ART of Music?

BARBUDO – We think that music should be an honest reflection of your interests and personality. You shouldn’t be afraid to experiment with your own ideas and influences as this is what makes your output more personal and separates you from other artists.

Black Chalk – What do you enjoy most about creating music?

BARBUDO – Its nice to have songwriting as a creative outlet. Its really satisfying to see the progression of taking a simple idea and developing it into proper song.

Black Chalk – As a musician what is the most challenging part of your job?

BARBUDO – Staying positive about everything. Its often hard to see the progress for all the effort put in.