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people to experience or be introduced to
your music? Some artists like the idea of a
darkened room with a ridiculously expensive
pair of headphones, others think live in a
packed sweaty and smokey dive bar is best...
how about yourself?
I don’t really care. I mean obviously it’s not best
to listen to on a laptop or whatever, but once the
music is out there, and out of my hands it’s for
people to do whatever they want with.
You are well known for being sexually
provocative live and then singing about
it on Freaking Out the Neighbourhood...
Some people make the point that your live
performance doesn’t necessarily fit the nature
of your music. What have you got planned
for the live shows in China and what’s your
opinion regarding whether or not it adds to
or detracts from the music? What do you say
to those people who get caught up on this
aspect?
The nature of our live shows is a product of my
band and me being lazy and having fun. We’re not
super tight, and sometimes represent the songs
drastically differently than they are on recording.
It used to be there to sort of cover-up for playing
crappy. We can play fine now, and things have
toned down, but depending on the vibe we still
get funky sometimes. I think it’s also a way for
us to let the crowd know we’re not super serious
weirdo indie rock weenies. If we look like dorks
or goof up there then the crowd then hopefully
the crowd will loosen up and have fun with us.
Shows are supposed to be fun, not like going to
a museum.
You are also known for being a visual artist
with your music videos. How important
would you say image is to you as songwriter/
performer and how can it affect people’s
perceptions of your music?
A lot of people think I make the majority of the
music videos, but I don’t really. I’ve had a hand in
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making a couple of them with my close friends,
but others are completely someone elses thing. I
like the videos where it’s just mellow and we’re
having a good time making it. I’m not really a
fan of the weird huge elaborate music video style
though, I don’t think I’ll be doing many of those
in the future.
? I think a lot of the way people perceive us is
based on our image, but it’s not like we plan
anything really. Maybe I’ll wear weird clothes or
put on make-up, but I just think it’s funny. I’m
sure it drives some people away from us too, but
if it does, I don’t really want them listening to my
music anyway.
So you’ve called your music Jizz Jazz... care
to elaborate?
Dirty Daniel came over and whipped the walrus
cum onto the pied piper’s dashboard.
Any advice to young kids who are trying to
get their guitars to jangle brightly?
Spread sea lion semen on the casing of your
pickups. I can’t remember who taught me that,
but it really gives you great tone.
As a now solo artist and a multi-instrumentalist/
producer you must be quite comfortable with
the idea of being musically independent but...
if we could twist your arm and you ask who
you would you most like to collaborate with
who would that be and why?
Ryuichi Sakamoto or Haruomi Hosono [Japanese
musicians and composers, members of pioneering
electronic group Yellow Magic Orchestra]. It would
barely be a collaboration, It’d just be nice to learn
something from them or just hang out.
•
Mac DeMarco plays Yuyintang on Nov 30th
with support from Tom Cruise and Katie
Holmes. 9pm, 80 RMB door, 60 RMB students
247TICKETS.CN