Giving a voice to their vision, “Late To The Party” is the third release in a string of recent singles from Brooklyn based producers The FunkLabb and singer/songwriter Myah Marie (best known for her background vocals for Britney Spears, Lil Wayne, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez) — the first tapping into a ballad style melody, highlighting the team’s sonic versatility.
The track follows debut single “Mama Said No” which was accompanied by an intergalactic music video where Myah tested the limits of her inner self as she flirted with danger and ultimately was abducted by aliens. In follow up “Pretty Please” featuring Myah alongside Ruba, Young Dinero Banks, and Sarina The Violin Diva, she uses her vocal abilities to lure her captors and plan their means for escape.
Funk suggests more than a sound. It implies a whole lot of attitude, slick swagger, and serious soul, and you feel it just as much as you hear it. The FunkLabb cooks up music in this spirit as they uncork a timeless groove ignited by fresh fire. With the intention of reminding listeners of how a song can impact the way you feel, The FunkLabb collectively aim to bring back the excellence and musicality by incorporating their assorted taste with elements of their timeless catalog.
What’s your story as The FunkLabb? Where did the name come from?
TFL: Our story? We would say we are 2 dudes born and raised in Brooklyn NY and we love to create music using the rich diverse cultures Brooklyn has instilled in us! It’s really that simple! We also feel like the juicy parts of our story are being written right now, so I guess we’ll have to wait a little while to find out what happens next.
We came up with the name “The FunkLabb” back in the 90’s making music in Ed’s basement, which we always referred to as “The Labb” and we were always told we have a funky element to our music! Hence,The FunkLabb was born.
Tell us about “Late To The Party,” how is this collaboration different from your previous releases with Myah Marie?
TFL: “Late to the Party” was our first collaboration with Myah so it holds a special place in our hearts! but it’s a different feel for us it has a dance feel with a pop appeal and we come from a R&B, Hip Hop background.
What do you want your music to communicate?
TFL: This may sound a little cliche but we want to communicate many different feelings and emotions. People don’t unusually connect with a song they don’t feel in some kind of way. We always want to create a mood, an atmosphere through the music without the lyrics, so when the lyrics and melody are incorporated the song sounds and feels complete.
What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?
TFL: Life! We draw inspiration from regular everyday life experiences. Any situation in your life can spark an idea.
What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?
Wes: For me it was many different artists from the seventies and eighties. I would listen to my uncles album collection for hours and absorb all the credits on the back of the albums. I knew then I wanted to make my own music.
Ed: I have to say Run DMC and LL Cool J. In the 80’s I bought my first drum machine (Linn LM-1) started making beats and never looked back!
What do you want people to walk away thinking/feeling after listening to “Late To The Party?”
TFL: We want people to not only jam to the music of “Late To The Party” but walk away being able to directly relate to the lyrics. I would say most people were in a situation where they were the “last to know” in some form or fashion.
What are some things you really want to accomplish as an artist?
TFL: Again without sounding cliche We just want to make music the world can connect with, weather that being the music making your body move or lyrics that make the listener feel this song was written just for them. We have big plans and goals for where we want to be in a year or two, but at the end of the day it’s about the music!
What is your favorite lyric you’ve written so far or that we can expect to hear on an upcoming release?
TFL: “We’re only in love when we’re Naked” We’ll let you ponder on that for a moment, lol. Thats an incredible line from our next single “Bedroom Eyes (Naked)” with Myah Marie. We’re extremely excited for this one!
Was there ever a moment when you felt like giving up?
TFL: We’ve been in this game for almost 30 years now, so honestly speaking “Hell Yeah! But…we didn’t! In retrospect it wasn’t our time. Now is our time and we are more ready than ever! “Follow your Dreams until you Die!”
What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
TFL: One of the best pieces of advice we were given was to read the book “The Music Business” there was so much we didn’t know! The book totally changed how we view and approach situations in this business.
Who do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?
TFL: Lol, definitely The FunkLabb!