Name: Ida Nielsen
Occupation: Bassist, composer, vocalist, songwriter
Nationality: Danish
Current release: Ida Nielsen's most recent album is The Race, a collaboration with Indigo Sun, out via Monkey Temple. Her remorselessly funky solo album More Sauce, please is out via Leopard.
Current event: Ida Nielsen & The Funkbots will perform live at Ronnie Scott's September 18th 2025. For more information and tickets, go directly to the Ronnie Scott's website.  

If you enjoyed this Ida Nielsen interview and would like to stay up to date with her music and live dates, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram, and Facebook.  

For a deeper dive, read our earlier Ida Nielsen interview.



When it comes to experiencing the sensation of “energy” as as a listener, which albums, performances, and artists come to mind?

For energy felt in a physical way I mostly think of live performances. That is for me the most direct way of feeling the artist and the energy of the music.

Prince was of course a phenomenal leader of energy - anyone who ever attended one of his shows felt it …

There can be many different kinds of energy in art – soft, harsh, healing, aggressive, uplifting and many more. Which do you tend to feel drawn to most?

I feel mostly drawn to energies on each side of the spectrum.

I love when music “pumps me up” so to speak and leaves me feeling amped and energized. And I love calm and beautiful music that brings peace of mind or speaks to emotions.

But with that said - I really like almost all kinds of music since it all speaks to me in different ways. With other art forms I am not so specific - my taste is more random.

I have had a hard time explaining that listening to death metal calms me down. When you listen to a song with a particular energy, does it tend to fill you with the same energy – or are there “paradoxical” effects?

I think I mostly feel the same energy - but I do have some friends who experience what you do.

In as far as it plays a role for the music you like listening to or making, what role do words and the voice of a vocalist play for the transmission of energy?

I mostly feel the music. But it depends a bit on the language.

Since English is not my first language I have experienced feeling a certain way about a song and not noticing the words so much - and then being really surprised when I actually discovered what the lyrics were about. (Both with a positive and negative surprise)

When it comes to experiencing the sensation of “energy” as as a creator, how would you describe the physical sensation of experiencing this energy? [Where do you feel it, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or a build-up of tension etc …]

It depends a bit on what the energy is ... I totally feel it in my body always, but in different ways, depending on the type of music.

If the music is emotional, I mostly feel an ease / wellbeing in my upper body and head, whereas a really funky and hard groove makes me feel energized in my whole body.

In all cases - creating and performing music gives me a tremendous balance in life and is a huge “feel good” factor. And I always hope that I can make listeners feel the same way I do.

When it comes to composing / songwriting, are you finding that spontaneity and just a few takes tend to capture energy best? Or does honing a piece bring you closer to that goal?

Both can be the case. I have released really scruffy and bad sounding first-take tracks, because the vibe and energy was just there and could be redone.

But of course I prefer my music to be of a good quality and as a musician and performer I think it is also important to be able to find and share your inner energy.

How much of the energy of your own music, would you say, is already part of the composition, how much of it is the result of the recording process?

The energy is there from the first idea. But it can evolve/change as I add more elements.

For More sauce please, what kind of energy were you looking for?

For More sauce please, I was trying to make a high energy funk album with small elements of quiet beauty.

My previous album 02022020 was quite loungy because I wanted to do something different. But then, some of my fans were disappointed so I wanted to hit them hard with some funk. :)



How do you capture the energy you want in the studio?

I try to perform with the energy I feel and hope it resonates with the listeners as well.

What role do factors like volume, effects like distortion, amplification, and production in general for in terms of creating the energy you want?

These are all useful tools, but the main energy (for me) comes through in the craft/performance.

In terms of energy, what changes when you're performing live on stage, with an audience present, compared to the recording stage?

It is a step up!

Cause my energy changes when there is an audience, and the interaction with the audience also enhances the energy!

What kind of feedback have you received from listeners or concert audiences in terms of the experience that your music and/or performances have had on them?

Lots of people feel really good and energized after our show, and that is what I am always hoping for: That people leave a concert feeling better than before they came …

Would you say that you prefer to stay in control to be able to shape the energy or do you surrender to it and allow the music to take over? Who, ultimately has control during a live performance?

A bit of both.. For some songs we take it out and see what happens and other songs are in a medley and are pretty structured.

In all cases, I have the control. Or maybe, a better way of putting it is that I am conducting the direction.

The energy that music is able to generate can be extremely powerful. How, do you think, can artists make use of this energy to bring about change in the world?

I think all artforms and (for me) especially music can be a huge contributor to changes.

It is a universal energy that speaks to everybody, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, and it has an ability to unite people and make them feel a togetherness - even love.