Interview with Nizlopi

The British Band Nizlopi, that are Luke Concannon (Vocals, Guitar) und John Parker (Double Bass, Beatbox), were available for an interview. They described their type of music and let us know what their plans and dreams for the future are.

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1. How would you describe your music in one sentence?

Luke: It’s soul music, in the sense that it comes from the soul.

2. Was there something like a light bulb moment when you were young, maybe a concert, a certain song or a record that made you dream about a career as a musician?

John: My mum gave me a key board and said, ‘when things get bad use this'. That was it then, from then I knew I wanted to play something musically.

3. Are there any artists that might have influenced you or inspired you some time?

Luke: Rory Mcleod is my hero. He’s a traveling troubadour. There’s a lot of humility and love in his music. He’s played with musicians all over the world and he really writes from other peoples perspectives. Particulary the perspective of oppressed voices. people who don't normally have a champion.

4. How do you develop your songs? What part comes first, music or lyrics?

John: Music predominantly, we’ve written the odd song starting from lyrics (Glastonbury). Usually we start with a riff from the bass, and we’ll both be in the room jamming off each other. Evolving the ideas together.

5. What song is most important to you? Why and how did it develop?

Luke: Last Night In Dakar. I had been on a life changing trip to Africa, on my last night this great chorus came to me. I spent the rest of the summer trying to Put the Character ‘Mamadou’s (who is really a collection of stories friends had told me in Africa) story to life in the verses. It’s a heart aching, free song. And I’m glad it’s not directly about me!

6. In what aspects did your music change compared to when you started to make music?

John: Everything from instrumentation to songs, what the music was about, what it meant to us. The only constant has been the soul, the essence. Everything else ,including hair has changed.

7. What has been the best experience so far, together as a band?

John and Luke: Lisbon. Jamie Cullum tour, We wrote ‘Love is’ in the sound check and went and poured out our souls on stage.

8. What can you tell us about your current projects?

Luke: We are wrapping everything up at the moment. Closing Our record label, Wrapping up the band for now. John will be playing in different musical projects through 2009. I will be on the road, finding teachers, Building comunity with people, the soil, and God!

9. And what are you aspiring to in the future, what do you want to achieve?

Luke: We have both all ways wanted to be great at what we do. To be great artists. And that's still the goal for us both. I want to get a plot of land and a little shed on it I can live in and grow food. I really hope John and I can write a hit record together one day that is transformational for people.

10. With whom would you like to go on tour?

Luke: We played with Foy Vance the other night. He strikes me as amazing. So, him.

11. What record would we find in your CD-player right now?

Luke: Immortal Technique. 'The Third World'.

12. What do you think, as artists, about platforms like mySpace?

Luke: Great, democratic. Helps artists cos it means you don't need a record label to get your music heard . I definitely heard Billy Bragg's point about; who has ownership over the songs? Do they belong to Rupert Murdoch (the owner of Myspace)? I don't know what became of that enquiry. I think it's wonderful that people can share their music and lives with the world. I think it's a real problem that we all spend so much time on these goggle boxes and don't go smell the roses, swim in the sea, go hiking, make love, or hang out and eat with our community.

13. myFanbase is a website that is devoted to American television shows. Do you have a favorite show?

Luke: "Six Feet Under" is probably my fave US TV show.

Catherine Bühnsack - myFanbase