Ahead of Sister Sledge’s headline slot at Brighton Pride Festival, Kim Sledge tells EDWIN GILSON how the music of the band, responsible for such disco classics as We Are Family and Lost in Music, has brought people together since their formation in 1971.

What does Pride mean to you?

We were asked to do it, and it’s an honour. The word pride means confidence, be it in relation to gay pride or pride in general. A pure pride is a good thing, because it means that you value who you are, what you’re doing, and what you stand for. We’ve played Pride festivals for many years. We’ve certainly done a lot over here in the States.

A song like We Are Family has that message of inclusivity and connectivity that seems perfect for an event like Pride...

I think that song is such a family song, and the meaning of family is to embrace love and everyone – that’s what it’s all about. God gave us that gift, which I’m so grateful for – he could have chosen anyone – to embrace people with love. That’s what we need, much more of that. Especially in this climate!

Do you think there has been a resurgence of interest in disco and funk in recent years? I’m thinking of the Nile Rodgers and Daft Punk disco album that was a bestseller, for instance. Or has your popularity been pretty constant?

It pretty much remained constant! We’re really grateful for that. I’m so grateful that music is so cross-generational, too. Young people come up to me all the time. This sounds crazy, but you know that Chipmunk movie that came out not so long ago? Some teeny kid walked up to me and asked which chipmunk I was. I’m like, ‘what?!’ Because We Are Family was in that movie. Just the mere fact that this could be generationally alive and mean so much to everybody – well, I’m really grateful for that.

Just touching again on Nile Rodgers, who co-produced the album We Are Family – have you stayed in touch with him?

Oh yeah, absolutely. It was great seeing him at the Songwriters Hall of Fame a few months ago. Nile is Nile, he hasn’t changed. He’s always had a happy-go-lucky attitude, he’s always smiling, and always open to try new things.

I read that there were some initial difficulties in the studio when you collaborated with him on the album, can you shed any light on this?

I’ll tell you exactly what it was. These guys were into spontaneity, so when we walked into the studio they would never show us what we were singing until we had actually recorded it. That was a bit different for us because we’d come from a music world where we’d study and rehearse a lot. We thought it was crazy, Nile’s way. Go into the studio and do an album in a week, two weeks at most. But they were looking for something that we didn’t understand. They had a magic, and it worked. We just had to bite the bullet on it.

You played in front of the Pope last year; did you have any nerves beforehand, even given the amount of massive shows you’ve played?

There were some, yeah, because it was such an honour. When we got asked, we were like “really?” To perform for the Pope gave us an international platform, which was great. We didn’t change though, we were who we are, and it worked. We take nothing lightly. One of the funniest and greatest things was the nuns jumping up and down and singing We Are Family! They could really sing it. And they know it, too. That was amazing.

Can you elaborate any further on Women are the Music of the World, your new single released in October?

It speaks about music as a healing power; something that brings people together, everyone together. It speaks to everybody – you can listen to it without any language going on, as it speaks to your spirit. It’s universal.

Brighton Pride Festival takes place at Preston Park, Brighton, from noon to 10pm on Saturday. Tickets available from £25, visit: brighton-pride.org/brighton-pride-2016-tickets.

Victoria Gardens and the Old Steine Gardens in Brighton are host to Pride Pleasure Gardens, open from today to Sunday. Entry is free, but certain events must be booked in advance. More info at: brighton-pride.org/pride-pleasure-gardens.

The Pride Community Parade is on Saturday at 11am from Hove Lawns, and is free. The Pride Village Party takes place at various locations throughout Brighton from 6pm to midnight on Saturday and 2pm to 9pm on Sunday. Ticket information can be found at: brighton-pride.org/pride-village-party-2016.