Astronautalis is almost at home both in Europe and the Czech Republic, with concert tours of the singer from Minneapolis coming to us very often. So far it does not seem that anyone would be tired of him, something unexpected can be expected on every album and at every concert. This Friday, Astronautalis will stop by at the Itch My Hahaha Festival, and then two days later in the Lucerna Music Bar in Prague.
You say about yourself that you are a "rain peddler". What kind of rain are you bringing to Brno?
For the most part, it is a mixture of sweat and Jim Beam.
Isn’t music actually a deceit or an illusion sold as a substitute for reality?
Not really. Excellent music is real, as much as possible.
When I looked at the Astronautalis on-line store, there was a message "no products found". Is that a mistake, a joke, or are you not available for sale?
That is the reality of business done by two people. The entire current team is on tour, so there is no one left at home who would take care of the business. Everything will start as soon as we get back home.
Do you prefer working in the studio or playing live, what is the biggest difference for you?
They are two closely related things, but two completely different activities. It is like cooking something and eating something. You cannot have one without the other but each of those things is exerting and brings up something else. And both in a very specific way.
You studied directing and lighting design. What do you think about big concert shows such as those of Madonna or Lady Gaga? Can you imagine that your performances, too, would also be such a musical theatre or perhaps a circus?
During the concerts, there is always room for spectacle and visual surprises. I cannot imagine doing something so big, that wouldn’t be me. However, if I had their budget, you can bet that I would be more particular about the visual aspect.
You said that you are trying to change your personal language for each new recording. What is your language for the new album that is about to be released?
It is the language that I use when talking with old friends. The language of drunken debates about rap. The language of stories that you tell each other after midnight. It is my natural language.
Is a little bit of that in the song Sugarface produced this spring by Bird Peterson?
This song helped me find it. When recording, I said to myself: "This is it," and then I wrote the rest of the album.
When is the new album coming out and will you play something from the album now during the tour?
I cannot give you the exact date but I will play tons of new songs from the album!
You fulfilled the sales agreement with the Fake Four label, so you got back the rights to the recordings that you made with them. Is that a reason to celebrate, or to think about how to repeat such success?
The reason to celebrate is partly the fact that I am not thinking of any repetition. I believe that everything can always be done even better.
What was your first musical experience – as a listener and a performer?
As a listener, I heard my father sing The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down; he used to sing it to me from when I was born. As a performer, I found myself on stage for the first time when I was fifteen years old. My brother worked as a DJ during breaks at shows of the last tour of the hip-hop band A Tribe Called Quest. He let me jump on stage with some free style. There were maybe five thousand people in the audience, it completely got me and I was taken away.
About whom could you say that they had the greatest influence in shaping your personality and style?
My family, friends, Steve Martin, Samuel Beckett and Lord Finesse.
You perform here often; you have a favourite antique shop in České Budějovice. Do you have some place similar in Brno?
I don’t, unfortunately. But I think that is due to the fact that concerts in Brno always turn into crazy parties. And it is hard to go exploring the city when you are hungover because you were drinking peppermint schnapps all night long.
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