WUZY BAMBUSSY

Wuzy Bambussy is helmed by Nikolai Jones, while Kat Harrison mesmerizes listeners with her hypnotic vocals, crafting a sonic vessel to adventures that transcend genres. Blending funk, folk, indie rock, and electronica, Wuzy Bambussy's unconventional sound also carries a cinematic vibe. Each listen feels like a transformative journey, whisking listeners away into an alternate reality where their music becomes the soundtrack. Nikolai's approach to composition is uninhibited, allowing styles to flow and blend naturally. Kat's soulful voice adds humanity and warmth to the songs, creating a distinctive sound.

With their releases gaining recognition and a strategic single-per-month release strategy, Wuzy Bambussy is steadily carving out their space in the music industry. Their growing success is evident, as their monthly listeners on Spotify recently surpassed 630, prompting their removal from my Fortune Under 500 playlist (for artists with under 500 listeners). Intrigued by their musicianship and collaboration, I had the opportunity to chat with Nikolai and Kat to discuss the project.

Audi Locus (AL): Can you expound upon the concept behind Wuzy Bambussy and how it came to be your alter ego as a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist?

Nikolai Jones (NJ): Hi, there. So, the name Wuzy Bambussy initially first came about after I did a remix on a tune for a band I played in a few years back. I liked the cut of it's jib and so thought it would work well as a producer handle. I like the idea of alter egos, also. It's quite liberating and I can always blame Bambussy if he says something outrageous!

AL: Kat, can you provide insights about your journey as a musician? How did you get started, and what led you to pursue music?

Kat Harrison (KH): I still do a double take when someone refers to me as a musician. ‘Me? You're talking to me? Are you sure?' That hasn't quite sunk in yet. During the first lockdown I bought a guitar and after hundreds of attempts, I found some courage to post a short clip of me singing a cover (I think it was Ed Sheeran) on my Instagram. I got such lovely feedback from my friends and family so I decided to carry on posting.

AL: Nik, Your music encompasses a wide range of genres, including funk, folk, indie rock, and electronica. How do you approach blending these different styles together to create your unique sound?

NJ: Yeah, it's difficult for me to write in just one linear format, I sorta pity musicians or producers that are limited by style or tempo. That's so restrictive and suffocating, right? If I wanted to follow rules I would've got a proper paying job with a proper natty suit and tie, with a boss that I abhor! I think providing you do it with gusto and have a love of the music you write, then styles will flow and blend naturally.

AL: The collaboration with Kat Harrison seems to be a significant part of your recent releases. What led to this partnership, and how has it influenced the direction of your music?

NJ: Kat is a massive part, she's the voice! I feel very lucky to have her on these songs, she absolutely brings the songs to life with a real humanity and warmth. We met online through a musicians site, she was actually the first singer I contacted and to be honest I stopped looking after that, I heard her sing and really, that search was over! I asked her for a little bit of patience and starting pulling ideas together. Some were old ideas and some I worked on from scratch with Kat’s voice in mind.

So, yes, Kat greatly influenced the direction of the music. Also, I tried to write both lyrically and musically for songs she would feel comfortable singing.

KH: I decided to join a musician website to just to see who else was out there and if anyone fancied writing some music with me, or even just for an occasional jam sesh! I was so excited when Nik reached out to me, I just had to jump onboard. And here we are! Releasing track number 4, “Matinee,” today, as I write this!

AL: "2 Miles High" has received recognition from BBC Introducing and Tom Robinson. How did it feel to have your work discovered and championed by such prominent figures in the music industry?

NJ: Tom is a legend in the game, such a helping hand for all new artists. Things like Fresh On The Net are invaluable really. I wish we could've sent all our singles to him, but there's a 12-week embargo if you've been accepted onto the mixtape! I think that period has passed, so we should send in our new single, “Matinee” (out July 4th folks!).

AL: Your project has been releasing a single every month since March this year. What motivated you to follow this release strategy, and has it affected your creative process?

NJ: So for us, starting from complete scratch, we could've released the whole 10 tracks as an LP, but realistically it would've sunk like a stone without trace into the mire of the digital well! Releasing singles monthly means we are always talking about something, always attempting to cut through the noise, slowly building up visibility across platforms, and really just being a nuisance to the good people (like yourself) that cover new up and coming music. It just made sense to me this way. I think come the end of this release schedule, we'll take the songs down and reupload them as an LP format in the way it was originally meant to be heard. Until then, we'll keep drip feeding them. I spent months and months of my life on this material, and I personally don't think there's any filler. Every song has it's own story and vibe, worthy of individual attention.

AL: Can you provide more insight into the instrumentation and production techniques you use to create the atmospheric and textured quality that resonates throughout your music, particularly in your latest summer single, "Matinee," which is a sonic continuation of your previous releases?

NJ: I'll try! So by nature I'm a drummer. The beats on this body of songs are a hybrid of my organic recordings and samples. I record my own snares and hats, rides and crashes in my studio. Kicks are, I think, the hardest to record and sound great, so I use samples for those. Sometimes I'll pull in crash samples from previous sessions. The bass on “Matinee,” I played on a Bass Ukulele. It has that rubbery string sound that's not dissimilar to the sound of a double bass. The guitarist, Iggy, lives in the same town as me, and along with Kat, has been ever present on the recording side. He came in and laid down the soulful chops. “Matinee” has an old school Bill Withers soul vibe to it, I had the music kicking around for a few years, lyrically I wanted to get across that it's ok to forget about the worlds' problems if you're lucky enough to do so, even just for a few hours on a warm sunny day when the birds are trilling away.

AL: As an indie artist, what challenges have you faced in getting your songs heard, and how have you (or how do you plan to) overcome them?

NJ: I think just the sheer volume of new music is daunting. The hundreds of thousands of new songs being released all the time, it's kind of scary yeah! For me, I'm happy to play the long game. It's viable for us to record and release relatively cheaply these days so we'll keep writing music we love and hopefully people will find us and dig what we do. There's no dreams of ‘making it big' or any of that fool’s gold. Fame is a mug’s game. We'll just carve out our own thing, play by our own rules, and hopefully find an audience that appreciates being taken on an adventure.

AL: Looking ahead, what can be expected from Wuzy Bambussy in terms of upcoming projects, collaborations, or otherwise?

NJ: So, I'm pleased to say that Kat and I are continuing to write and record new material together. I have around another 17 ideas for songs. I'm also looking to release an instrumental Global Funk EP probably around Spring of ‘24. There's a few other things, but I don't wanna chat too much on in case they don't happen!

KH: As much as I would love to say music was my full time career, sadly it's not. I'm actually a singer disguised as a science technician on a Monday-Friday basis. BUT myself and Nik have some more music brewing behind the scenes... watch this space!

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