BIG NINJA DELIGHT

Local music producer resurrects adventurous solo project, drops "Sinking Ships" with EP to follow

"I like empowering musicians to think about how their songs come across conceptually and give them the tools to approach things in a different way," states Stephen Horning, local producer at the Dojo on Evansville's east side. Over the last few years, the man behind Big Ninja Delight, a seemingly genre-free exploration of sound, has made a significant impact on the tri-state music scene, pushing artists such as Kyle Paisley and Brandon McCarty to go above and beyond, creatively speaking. Thanks to Horning's guidance in the studio, both have grown by leaps and bounds of late, releasing career-defining singles with even better things to come. And nothing could make Horning happier. "It's a joy to help people take something they've been working on in their head and manifest it into reality," he says. "To be in a position where people trust me to do that, there has to be a synergy there. I don't take that lightly. I'm a conduit between the artist and the people listening."

Horning's uncanny ability to bring songs to life in the studio was born out of working countless hours on his own project, the aforementioned Big Ninja Delight, an often instrumental pursuit which balances elements of funk, R&B, psychedelia, pop, punk, reggae, indie rock and space rock. Nearly impossible to categorize, BND reflects the disparate musical ideas going on in Horning's head that somehow arrive at a harmonious conclusion when funneled through his vision. 2020's "Spark" - the last single he released before switching his focus - is a good example of this totally out-there approach. And so is "Sinking Ships," the comeback single released last month. Written during lockdown, it was inspired by the end of a personal relationship - a difficult situation that moved Horning to pen lyrics addressing his emotional state while also making a universal connection: "The world's gone crazy/ It's definitely not what it was when we were babies." After a dark, descending piano progression introduces the song, Horning brings in a reggae vibe before things get downright funky. Later, hints of the Beatles and Queen sneak in but the chorus is totally pop-tastic with a big nod to Maroon 5. Reportedly, the EP version of "Sinking Ships" features an additional three minutes of jamming that harkens back to Horning's love of Phish and Umphrey's McGee.

News 4U was treated to a taste of the remaining tracks on the new EP and the musical adventurousness on display is off the charts. Horning may be putting much of his time and effort these days into helping area artists achieve their potential, but he's definitely evolved in tandem. Now he's finally ready to let everyone hear what he's been up to. "I wanted to give the songs time to speak to me through my experiences of recording other people and everything I've done before I put them out because I want them to be the best they can possibly be."

For more info, follow Big Ninja Delight on Facebook. "Sinking Ships" is available on major streaming platforms.