Major Funk shares video for “Interstitial” leading up to The In Between album release
Yukon-based band Major Funk is set to release their second album, The In Between, on April 14, 2023. In advance of the release, the band worked with the Whitehorse-based director, Daniel Little, to unveil two professional music videos. The first was released in February for their single, “Interstitial,” which features breakdancing choreographed by Yukon’s Valérie Herdes and performed by Oleksii Ogarov and Kasper Höglund.
The In Between is a pandemic project from a team of Yukon creatives unearthing the perplexities of life in limbo. The collection of bilingual (English and French) pop-funk tunes will premiere, along with a live show in Whitehorse, on April 14, 2023, which comes two years after the release of the band’s debut vinyl/digital album Is That You?
Much has transpired for the band over the past two years, including a Western Canadian Music Award (WCMA) nomination for R&B Artist of the Year in 2021. The band has been writing, recording, and playing locally, as they gear up for a 2023 tour.
Band co-founder Étienne Girard says,
“Music is one way that we find love in the spaces in between, and we make music that makes people want to move.”
Composed during a societal moment of flux, The In Between thematically explores meaningful moments that are often sandwiched between significant life events. Echoing in the album’s sixth track, “Interstitial”: “Look in between lines. It’s the place where we find love that makes us feel alive.”
Reflective lyrics are juxtaposed with Major Funk’s signature feel-good vibe. The six-piece ensemble includes members from across Canada with a wide array of post-secondary and professional music training combined with decades of experience.
Major Funk returned to Yukon’s Green Needle Records to record their second album. Owner/Operator/Producer/
Watch the video for “Interstitial” below and learn more about Major Funk via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
We are Major Funk, a 6-piece funk-pop band from Whitehorse, Yukon. We make bass-led dance music, focusing on tight grooves, with soaring vocals and a tight horn section. We aim to get people up and moving and having a good time, but we also write music and lyrics that reflect on life, love, and all the moments in between that matter to us. We usually keep things fun and light, but we aren’t afraid of a good ballad. Our music is familiar but fresh, epic but accessible, and most importantly, infectiously fun.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
The In Between is a collection of bilingual (French and English) funk-pop tunes that unearth the complexities of life in limbo. Mostly composed during the pandemic, a moment of societal flux, the album thematically explores meaningful moments that are often sandwiched between significant life events. From our song “Interstitial,” the lyrics “Look in between lines. It’s the place where we find love that makes us feel alive” describe this sentiment. Reflective lyrics, however, are also juxtaposed with our signature feel-good vibe. We try to display our musicianship, tight grooves, and song composition chops on each track as best we can. The album will be available everywhere on April 14, 2023.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
We really embrace a collaborative approach to songwriting and pull inspiration from each other. We listen to and draw inspiration from tons of funk music, both the classics and modern stuff, and come up with our grooves by jamming together. Each person brings something different to the table, and as the song structure comes together, lyrics and melodies are added, horn parts arranged, and before we know it, we’ve got the bare bones of a song together. In terms of lyrical composition, we draw inspiration from everyday moments and explore concepts of love, life, and imagination.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
We have an official album release weekend planned for April 14th and 15th in Whitehorse! Friday, April 14th, we’re playing an all-ages official album release show at the Heart of Riverdale theatre, followed by a (19+) dance party/celebration on April 15th at the Local Bar. Tickets and details can be found here.
What’s your goal for 2023?
This year we want to get our music to as many people as possible, whether online or in person. We’re finally planning a tour for this summer (details coming soon) after a long hiatus due to the pandemic, and we’re not just touring this new album but also our debut studio record, 2021’s Is That You? which was released during the pandemic. As always, we aim to get people up and moving, appreciate the beauty of a good live show, and, most importantly, have a good time!
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