Funk, soul and blues singer-songwriter Nikka Costa has always paved her own path in the music industry.
Since her breakthrough record ‘Everybody Got Their Something’, released in 2001, she’s pioneered funk music through a modern lens. Her last album, 2017’s ‘Nikka & Strings‘, saw her make a sonic departure as she reimagined songs that meant something to her and the end result was stunning.
Now Nikka is on the road to her new studio album ‘Dirty Disco’. She’s previewed the record with the release of the title track and the song ‘Keep It High‘. Returning to her funk roots, it’s an album that’s full of good vibes and an invitation for everyone to head on down to the dancefloor.
I caught up with Nikka recently to talk about the making of the album, discuss the changes in the music industry over the past few years, and to find out if there’ll be a 25th anniversary celebration of ‘Everybody Got Their Something’…
Your new album ‘Dirty Disco’ is such a fantastic, upbeat record. What was your intention when you set out to write and record it?
I just really wanted to put something in the world that was not going to add to all of the heaviness that we see every day. We’re scrolling and we’re just constantly bombarded with awful heavy vibes. Obviously, we can’t just ignore those things and turn away, but I didn’t want to add to another level of it and be like, ‘oh, let’s all just live in this awful space’ (laughs). I wanted to give a moment to forget about it, be happy, be free, be accepting of all, and just spreading joy. It sounds so funny! It sounds so kindergarten or something but that’s what I wanted to do. I just wanted to have a good time on this one (laughs).
This record is what we all need because for so long art has forced us all to relive the pandemic. You mentioned about inclusivity and acceptance, and that really comes through on the title track. Why did you pick ‘Dirty Disco’ to be the title track?
I just always loved that title. I thought it was such a cool feeling of an album title. The album isn’t disco, per se, but it takes from elements of, for me the best disco era like late 70s, when funk was joining. It’s not like Donna Summer and smooth but it’s got all the elements of like if you were at Studio 54. It’s a little grungy, it’s a little messy (laughs) late at night. I thought it was a really good title for a record. It is very me because I always have a little bit of edge on my music or on my lyrics. We ran with it for the first single because it was such a different kind of tune from all the other tunes. It just kind of set up the vibe because all the other stuff is so happy. I wanted to come with something a little more indicative of my raunchy side. I also really love the message of it because that’s just really important to me. Love is about that and about inclusivity.
The song I keep being drawn to is ‘Unsubscribe’. I’ve been totally in that zone recently and it’s really struck a cord with me. What’s the story behind that song?
I was working with Printz Board who was in my band a million years ago and has stayed a friend; he went off to be in the Black Eyed Peas, he wrote ‘Where Is The Love?’ and he’s on his own cool journey. We always get together and try to write a song. Him and I just have a really good time. He had this great bassline and then I was singing some things. We were just talking about what do we all need? And can we even sing the word ‘unsubscribe’ (laughs). Is that the weirdest word to sing? It was just about unplugging and how we need that. It matched with the joy vibe. You’ve got to do the things to create the boundaries to let yourself be joyful in this time. We were just laughing and it came really easily. I wrote it in one afternoon and it was done. I have a love/hate with technology so it’s a struggle for me (laughs).
We go through life subscribed to so many things without even realising it. I’ve been having a clear out and unsubscribing from things that take time away from my life, that shouldn’t be. That’s why the song really spoke to me…
I love that. Listen, weren’t we all sold on technology that our lives were going to become more streamlined and easier? It’s the most time-sucking thing. I watch it with my kids, I watch it with myself and I’m just trying to find balance. That’s why the chorus says ‘watch it feel good’ – everyone’s afraid to put their phone down. You get really attached (and feel like), ‘Oh, I’m not gonna know what’s going on? Or I’m not gonna get that ding in my email’ It’s like, you’re gonna be fine. You lose your phone for a day, once you get over the initial panic, you have the best day because you’re in your world. You might even have a conversation while you’re waiting at the carwash with someone who’s also not on their phone.
I totally agree with you. My husband and I are rewatching ‘Frasier’ at the moment, and he pointed out how refreshing it was that all the background actors weren’t glued to their phones. They would be now. It’s crazy!
Totally. My daughter is 17 and she’s really not into her phone, I don’t know how that happened, but she has a very good boundary around it because it bugs her. She’s like, ‘I hate going to parties because everyone’s just in the corner on their phones and it’s a bummer’.
When you figure out what you did right as a parent, you should sell that because you would make a lot of money…
(laughs) I don’t know if I had anything to do with it. I think she’s just her own aware self (laughs). But you’re right, I should figure it out!
Speaking of technology, you’ve been doing this for a long time so you must have seen changes in the way that albums are put together. How was making this album different from the previous records you’ve made?
Justin and I have been making records for a really long time and we always go about it the same way in the end. It’s like when we all watched ‘Get Back’, The Beatles doc, and we were like, ‘oh my god, they do it the same way we do it’. It was such a revelation for all my musician friends, that the creation part is the same. You have to get in the room, now I guess you can Zoom but I don’t do that, and you try singing over this chord and then you have a conversation and figure (it) out. I’m always the joke because when I go in to write with younger cats, they are always on their phones writing. But I have folders and paper. I’m like such an old lady. I have my bag of all my folders and they’re all separated song-by-song. I write it down and I scratch it out. I like that tactile thing. As far as the technology, the main difference is the releasing. For me, the making is pretty much the same. We call musicians in and they come in and we have a great afternoon. Justin sorts through it all, (in terms of) what sounds the best and that’s how we do it. The releasing is the different part, like all the social media stuff that I have to do now. That’s really where I feel the technology’s changed since releasing over time.
An artist has to be a marketing machine now as well as the creative behind the music. That must take up a lot of time?
Yes. I mean, in some aspects I guess it’s great because you do have that real true connection directly; your fans have direct connection to you if you are in fact the one answering comments and everything. It is a time sucker and it takes away from making new songs but it is what it. It makes it a lot easier for the record companies.
Social media is so embedded now in the music industry and the switch from physical to digital formats is scary to me. Vinyl sales are going up, and I personally love physical products, but I wonder if people consider what will happen if streaming goes away? They’ll be left with no music…
Right? What if the whole grid goes down? I have two electric cars. (laughs) It’s a crazy world for sure. We’re just in it, right? We’re just on the boat! (laughs) Rolling along trying to keep up with it all.
There’s been seven years between this album and your last album, ‘Nikka & Strings’. Why has there been such a long gap? Was part of that the pandemic?
There was that for sure. That was a good chunk. That was a three year extravaganza. Definitely, I could have done something during those years, but I was really trying to land on a vibe. I knew I wanted to come back with a funk record and I just really felt like it was not the right time for anyone to receive. But now I feel like they are ready to receive. We’re like out of it and we really are tired of it. It had to align. Also I have two kids and I really wanted to be there for them. I really don’t believe that you can do all the things well. I think it’s impossible, honestly. I think anyone that’s trying to tell you that you can mom your best and career your best, especially as a musician, I think something’s missing or they have like eight nannies and a cook. It’s impossible! You can’t… for me. I just wanted to be there. I take a minute. I always have big gaps between records (laughs). I guess it’s just my creative pattern.
It means that as an artist you’re always putting out your best too. There’s a trend for artists to churn out albums now in close succession, which gives the music no time to bed in or be appreciated…
Yeah, there is a kind of panic mode involved with having to constantly upload new content. Even within a record (there’s) photos and new stuff and talks. You just want to keep the eyeballs. When your record cycle’s done, everyone starts panicking again. I guess back in the day The Beatles, in their short time, if you think about how often they released things it was really quick. Crazy, right? This is like the futuristic version of that maybe? They were crafty and they were very talented (laughs). Now anyone can release a million things and it’s up to the audience to decide really, if they like it.
‘Everybody Got Their Something’ is 23 years old so it’s getting close to its 25th anniversary. Do you have any plans to mark that?
I have thought about it. Around the 20th anniversary I thought about it but that was pandemic vibes and there wasn’t anything happening. Even if I just did a show, it was like no one was coming out of their house. I haven’t thought about it in making motion towards it but there’ll probably be a vinyl and we’ll probably do a show or two. I’m working on a children’s book, too that is around ‘Everybody’ so we’ll see if that sees the light of day in time.
Do you have plans to tour ‘Dirty Disco’ over here in the UK?
We are in full talks to get there for the album release in June. Not sure quite yet what that’s gonna look like. We might not tour until the Fall but there’s talk about doing like some in-stores around the release or a couple of small shows, and then coming back in the Fall. We’re just figuring it all out to see what makes the most sense.
The live element must be the part you enjoy most about being an artist?
Oh, totally. That’s the only reason I make records so I have the opportunity to go play live again. I played live through the whole seven years anyway but it’s really exciting to have new stuff that is a little bit scary to play because you don’t know how it’s gonna fly, and that makes it exciting and it makes it interesting for the fans. Whenever I play live, my glorious amazing fans that come always come again and they bring new people. For the ones that have returned multiple times, it’s nice to have some new stuff for them to jam out to.
This album is going to sound amazing in a live show. It’ll be one great big party….
It’s gonna be fun. The last shows – do you know who Sam and Dave are? – there was like a real live element that was kind of that era. Not that it sounded like that, but just in the way that we re-envisioned the songs. It’s hard to explain, but this will be very different because it’s very much more dancey. Even though we play real instruments, I think there’ll be some elements that are just more kind of clubby maybe. I’m trying to figure it out right now.
Nikka Costa’s new album ‘Dirty Disco’ will be released on 7th June 2024 through Go Funk Yourself/Kartel Music Group. You can pre-order it now at https://kartelmusic.store/pages/nikka-costa.
