Tha Building is new funk/soul/rock collective out of the SF Bay Area. What differentiates this groove monster from its forefathers is that Tha Building is a self-contained band with its own body of booty shaking songs, ready to break out of the studio and hit the stage. Their debut release, Outside Ourselves, winds through an exhilarating mélange of indie-funk, hip-hop, Motown and Stax vintage soul, R&B balladry, and pristine jazz-pop. This album makes a cohesive statement in the groove; and a hell of backdrop to dance, chill and vibe to.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Tha Building, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
My parents always had records or cassettes playing in the house, from a variety of genres and took me to shows at a young age. My dad played a little guitar and that inspired me to play. And to my mom’s credit, she encouraged me to pursue music as a career; citing that finding a job you’re passionate about is more important the almighty dollar.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
The struggle is real! I play my original stuff, corporate gigs, and teach lessons to pay the bills. And with a wife and two kids at home, putting on the time can be challenging. We are super fortunate to have a studio connected to the house, and during the pandemic, I was able to make/finish two records, including this one. I have always found a way to write, record and perform original music.
Your latest song is ‘TYBAH’ Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
We started tracking literally days before everything shut down, and that completely changed the calculation of how this song (and record) would be made. As with quite a few of the songs on this record, TYBAH was originally meant to be sung by myself or one of the other male vocalists. With time to reflect however, we thought the story of this song would land much better coming from a woman’s perspective, and Naté came to mind immediately. The other unique aspect to this song is how it weaves between rock and R&B genre pretty seamlessly, hitting hard the whole time.
How do you find yourself in the music business? When you started out in music, did you know it would be like this?
I started pretty quickly playing and touring when I returned from college. I had a day job which was mindless, and music was always been the end goal. I certainly didn’t think years ago that the state of the music industry would be exactly where it is today, but I’ve always tried to play the game and adapt.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
I almost never think about that question anymore haha, but I suppose maybe I would’ve gone back to school and tried to find some other career that I could be creative while making some kind of difference. There’s no other way for me to be interested in something.
How do you know when a work is finished?
That’s the eternal question for most art, right? I recently heard Rick Rubin say that he doesn’t call a project finished until everyone in the room agrees that it is the best it can be, and agrees with the decisions made. Much of my work is self produced with some collaboration so that process is easier, but of course there are always things that I wish were different or that’d we'd spent more time refining, adding to, etc. Overall my gut has been pretty good so far at calling things done.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Traveling, learning, The outdoors. Charity work. Spending time with family.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
I love how impactful music (and much of the arts) can be to problems large and small. Artists often are able to speak truth to power in ways that others cannot, and can be instruments (no pun intended) for change. The creative side of songwriting and being inspired is a rush like no other, and I’m always chasing the next idea. The cherry on top is getting to share it with others, live or recorded. I hope that feeling of discovery never goes away.
Who is your favourite musician?
I’m really bad at favorites, and it changes all the time. My short list might be Stevie, Lauryn Hill, Prince, Robert Plant, The Beatles, Neil Young–all for different reasons. I’m big fan of so many genres from so many eras. I will say that I love artists who somehow continue to put out great work over the decades, vs. the ones who seem to be phoning in it for the money. Especially those who continue to reinvent themselves in cool and unexpected ways.
What are your plans for the future?
My first priority is to spend the majority of me time writing, recording, producing and performing original music. Beyond that I plan to just keep grinding and putting in work, collaborating with those who inspire me, and learning more and more about the business as a whole.