Mike Phillips, Nneka and Gary
Once it was confirmed that I would be interviewing Nneka for Sound Citizen, I started my research. I watched previous interviews, listened to her music and plowed through Wikipedia for information on her homeland of Nigeria. When I was done, I felt like I just crammed for a political science final exam.
Nneka was shaping up to be a political, emotional tornado, expressing herself with a powerful mix of reggae, hip-hop, soul and rock. She is petite but her voice and presence is anything but small. Born in Nigeria, the half-German singer grew up in a musical incubator and among turmoil, exploitation and a people accustomed to expressing themselves in any way they can. I was feeling very much out of my element.
But Nneka immediately disarmed me as she walked through the hotel lobby in Chicago, looking directly into my eyes, then down while playfully lifting her gray fedora and saying, “Good day to you, sir” in one of the most delightful accents I’ve ever heard. Suddenly, I felt silly with my list of politically-charged questions.
We walked up the stairs to the second-floor lobby along with Nneka’s tour manager and Gary, her six-and-a-half-foot tall drummer. After finding a corner of the hotel restaurant with the lowest level of ambient music, we sat down and I started asking questions.
It turns out that Nneka is indeed politically and emotionally driven. But that’s not to be confused with being “emotional.” She is thoughtful, intelligent and focused even if, at times, she appears lost in her own thoughts. It’s not because she doesn’t know what to say but because she’s trying to figure out the best, most meaningful way to say it — just like she does in her music.
I would like to thank Nneka for this tremendous opportunity. And Gary, too — our impromptu camera man for the day.
The clip below has some volume issues, so crank it up and wear headphones if you have them. It was a challenging environment, acoustically, and I need new equipment.
Below the interview is some footage from a live performance of “The Uncomfortable Truth” from a performance in Philadelphia. Hear more of Nneka’s music.
Time for more Sound Citizen Radio! Once again we’ve outdone ourselves with not three, but FOUR great songs from FOUR great bands (at the bottom of this post.)
We’ve had a great couple of weeks here, including a trip down to Memphis for the Beale St. Music Festival. You can read about Memphis in May right here.
This week a few of us are headed to see a new favorite in Local Natives and an old soul in Clem Snide. You can hear Clem Snide on Sound Citizen Radio 9.
Thanks for listening and if you like what you hear, go ahead and share it with your Facebook friends by clicking the thumbs up at top left. As always, please send any suggestions, thoughts or music for an upcoming episode to soundcitizenmike@gmail.com.
This week’s lineup:
Besnard Lakes, Montreal, Canada. “Albatross”
Pritzker Pavillion, Millenium Park, Chicago (FREE), May 24
Dexateens, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “Down Low”
Schubas, Chicago, May 20
Love of Everything, Chicago. “It Feels So Good to Be Alive”
Empty Bottle, Chicago, CORRECTION: May 18
Morning Benders (playing with Broken Bells), San Francisco/New York. “Excuses”
The Vic, Chicago, May 31
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Weclome back to Sound Citizen Radio! It’s March Madness time, which means the NCAA tournament and the biggest gambling event of the year. What’s not a gamble, are the three bands featured in this week’s podcast (at the bottom of this post). We have a Detroit band playing their own style of rock, and two rising Chicago bands with a couple of weekend shows.
So, get out there and support these bands. Your bracket will be blown up by day two anyway.
If you want to get your band featured on Sound Citizen Radio, please send an email to soundcitizenmike@gmail.com. Also, feel free to send suggestions, comments, tips, or anything else.
Have a great weekend.
-Mike
Deadstring Brothers (pictured), “Smile”
Friday, March 26, Double Door
Sissy Mena, “Young Girl”
Sunday, March 21, Lincoln Hall
April 8, Subterranean
The Right Now, “Ain’t Going Back”
Friday, March 19, Lincoln Hall
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