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Thundercat on the inspiration behind new material: “This time, there’s an air of just letting things be what they are”

Following his four sold-out shows in Camden, the Grammy-winning bassist tells NME about growing up with musician parents, sobriety and plans for new music.

From starting his career as a teen in a lesser-known boyband, to winning two Grammys and collaborating with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Tame Impala, Gorillaz and countless more, the journey the musician has gone on to bring him to this moment has been anything but ordinary. Now, after wrapping up four back-to-back shows in Camden, the bass virtuoso catches NME at his hotel room in London and takes a look back at the landmark moments that brought him to where he is today. He reflects on how his upbringing shaped him as an artist — raised by parents who worked with ‘60s icons including The Temptations and The Supremes — as well as how his experience of loss has found him covering heavier ground in his own music, namely after the death of close friend Mac Miller.

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