Austin Based Funk/Soul Band Flyjack World Premiere 'It's A New Day'

On April 18, 2017, the music video for Austin funk/soul band Flyjack's track "It's A New Day" received its world premiere on Popdust. Prior to the release, Flyjack's guitarist and producer Buck McKinney caught up with Popdust to talk about the track, and the special relevance it holds for the group. "When we started Flyjack, our mission was to perform obscure funk - what DJs sometimes refer to as 'deep funk.' From that perspective, you can't get much better than 'It's a New Day.' The Skull Snaps originally released the song in 1973 on their only full-length record, and then disappeared. The drum break at the beginning has been sampled on tons of hip-hop recording but as far as we know, nobody has ever released a proper cover of the song, which is a shame because it is so much more than a drum break. It's about the dangers of apathy and the importance of political activism, and the lyrics are powerful."

By the time Flyjack got ready to release New Day in late 2016, the country was going through political upheaval, brought on by the 2016 presidential elections and the series of protests that followed. McKinney continues "as tumultuous as things were, I got the sense that people were waking-up and trying to be more involved they seemed to be responding in a way that suggested - had we only done this sooner, maybe we wouldn't be in the spot we're in now." Flyjack joined forces with Austin director Ray Schlogel to create a video that would connect modern events with what was happening when the Skull Snaps originally released "It's a New Day." Schlogel dug through archival footage to intersperse it into a gritty live performance video of the band, along with footage from the 2016 presidential campaign and beyond.

"Seeing the video, you could argue that things really haven't changed all that much, and I think that's why the song is so important," says McKinney. "Our shared tradition of protest - of standing up for what we believe is right - is a vital part of the human experience, regardless of the challenges we face. Together, we really can make a 'new day' - we just have to give a damn - vote, speak out, get involved. That's what the song is all about." Check out the full article here.

New Day is out now and available at iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.
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