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Nikayla and the phuNk is a music artist from Jacksonville. Nikayla’s music can be classified as retro Afro-futuristic, funk, soul, R&B, and electronic, she said.
Growing up in Jacksonville
Nikayla has always had a passion for music. “I’ve been doing it all my life,” she said.
By the third grade, Nikayla was learning how to play the violin. That experience struck a fascination with instruments as a whole, she said. Nikayla knows how to play the cello, bass, guitar, synthesizers, and many other instruments.
Growing up, Nikayla watched a lot of Soul Train. The show was heavily influential, and she knew from watching that she wanted to be a musical performer, said Nikayla. She said that the show is the main reason she is who she is.
Nikayla created an artist name during the time spent at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. The spelling of Nikayla and the phuNk is intentional. The two N’s are capitalized to stand for their first name, she said. The name Nikayla and the phuNk is a representation of who Nikayla is as both an artist and beyond.
“Nikayla is me, and the phuNk is everything else,” she said.
As mentioned previously, Nikayla is a Jacksonville native. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, she had to move back to the area.
Jacksonville venues
Initially, Nikayla was unsure of how their talents would be put to use in a place like Jacksonville, she said. It was soon discovered that Jacksonville was full of creatives and various events/places dedicated to building a community of artists.
“There’s so many opportunities here to meet creatives,” said Nikayla.
One of those places includes The Walrus, a venue known for hosting a variety of events. Nikayla would often get booked there to perform, she said.
Nikayla and the phuNk has an upcoming performance at the Big: Culture and Arts festival. When asked about it, she said that she was looking forward to the festival. “I’m truly excited,” said Nikayla.
This would be the first time Nikayla has performed at a festival. Nikayla said that she is inspired by many of the artists who are also going to be in attendance.
Nikayla said she is extremely grateful for the opportunity to perform alongside their favorite artists. “I just feel so honored to be asked to play a festival with these amazing artists,” she said.
Nikayla has a love for afro-futurism from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. There are many different retro components that Nikayla incorporates in both their personal style and music. For example, on Nikayla and the phuNk’s most recent album, “DEBUT,” she said that she wanted to recreate the classic analog sound.
Nikayla’s music
Nikayla and the phuNk album cover.
The entirety of “DEBUT” is inspired by 80’s and early 90s late-night TV, Nikayla said. There were themes of space and bright neon signs at the time, and Nikayla based both the album’s look and sound on that.
Added to this, Nikayla mentioned many different artists that impacted their sound. Some of whom include Michael Jackson, James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Chaka Kahn, Prince, and Bootsy Collins.
Nikayla discussed the making of the song, “COME CLOSE.” The song is about an unrequited love experience, she said. Nikayla was experiencing a lot at the time and had begun journaling, which is where the lyrics derived from.
“COME CLOSE is my most emotional song,” said Nikayla.
The song is one of the slower tracks on the album. It features synth, R&B, funk, and electronic elements, according to Nikayla.
Aside from the personal experiences that “COME CLOSE” is based on, Nikayla did not specify the gender of the person she sings about. It allows audiences to fill in the blanks however they wish.
“I wanted something that everyone could relate to,” she said.
Overall, Nikayla describes their music as “fun, smooth, flashy, eclectic, and very groovy.”
When asked what new elements she would like to experiment with, Nikayla said that there are many new things she’d like to try. “I would want to experiment more with jazz,” she said.
Nikayla said she’s also interested in incorporating reggae, jazz swing, and the cello into new music.
Nikayla does not have any new music ready to release, but she has projects in the works, she said. Nikayla said she is focused on letting things come in due time and does not want to rush anything.
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