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Andrew W.K. Andrew WK has been busy working with Lee “Scratch” Perry, recently just released a special vinyl edition of “Close Calls With Brick walls,” and is beginning the works on an instrumental piano album for Thurston Moore’s label Ecstatic Peace. Since the dismemberment of elijahfell in June of 07, singer Kevin Earnest has recorded a solo album working with producer Scott Stilletta, under the name “An Eiffel Sky” titled “these years have been…” set to be released in Spring 08. Kevin: Ok before we even get this interview on the way, I have to tell you a very quick story. Andrew: Well first, where are you and your magazine located? Kevin: We are in the city of Orange in California. Andrew: Oh right, the OC? Like the show right? Kevin: Well I can say it’s the same county as that show is portrayed, but honestly it’s nothing like that, I think the show gave us a bad wrap over here. So one of my buddies who was out on tour in the mid west in the summer of 2004 had just finished a show and went to a bar afterwards to grab a few beers. You happened to be playing at that particular bar filling in on drums for a band. Andrew: Oh! It was probably a band called “to live and shave in LA” Kevin: So my friend came up to you after your set and asked you to sign his arm. Andrew: ok, yeah! Kevin: So you did, and he went down to a tattoo shop and got your signature tattooed on his arm. Andrew: Wait, does he have a red beard? Kevin: Yes he does! Andrew: Does he have another tattoo that says spring break 99’? Kevin: Why yes he does! Andrew: I am familiar with this guy!! Because he sent me a picture of that tattoo as proof and I was actually blown away when I saw that. That picture is actually in the Andrew W.K. picture archive on my site! He seems like a really amazing guy. Maybe even a little crazy too.
Kevin: He’s super funny man. Andrew: He’s a buddy of yours? Kevin: Yeah, his name is Justin and he plays in a band called Limbeck. Just a funny story I thought I’d share with you. Andrew: Yeah that’s wild. I was really blown away that anyone would do that. It’s humbling and flattering all at the same time. Well I appreciate the story, that’s a good omen. Kevin: I think so too. Andrew: So what is LBM Music Zine all about? You mentioned in a previous conversation that your motto is “For Musicians By Musicians.” Kevin: Well basically what we try to do here is get artists to interview and review other artists. Everyone here has been playing music almost as long as we’ve been able to walk, and from seeing other magazine’s trash artist’s work, we feel if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it all. Most of the time the critics don’t know what it is like to put your self out there. Andrew: I agree, that’s great. You are more accountable when you are in the field you’re commenting on. That would be like having someone who has never flown a spaceship doing some type of commentary on a NASA space program what would they know?
Kevin: So how is the new album? Andrew: Well this one is called “Close Calls With Brick Walls.” But we have chosen not to release it everywhere all at once. Because of the demand in the states we decided to make a limited edition pressing on vinyl. Kevin: What was it like Working with Lee “Scratch” Perry Andrew: It’s been an overwhelming experience, in a very good way, and there hasn’t been a day that’s gone since I started working with him, or since I’ve met him, that I haven’t thought about him in one way or another, even if I wasn’t necessarily working on the album. He has made a huge impact in everyone’s path he has crossed. Very unique individual regardless of his creative output. The way he has created himself, and the way he has developed his own personality and character as a forum of creativity as a artistic statement in its own right its very intense and effecting, it has an effect, everyone I saw during the recording was “star struck” in a way where it wasn’t as though everyone in the room were completely familiar with him, so it wasn’t as though they were meeting someone that they necessarily idolized, although, there was certainly many people in that situation, myself included but there is more of a presence that he has that occupies the room from him just sitting there very quietly. He is a very kind man, and very intense there is no way for me to sum him up, I have never been able to find the words that accurately describe him or these experiences. In his Biography which again, is excellent that David Katz wrote, it’s somewhere near 900 pages and its evident that just a bit way through the book that it’s only skimming the very surface. Lee Perry has a huge quantity of life within his life, there has been a lot of living going on. The most powerful aspect so far through this project has been seeing a person who is nearly 73 now, so seeing a person that has been doing what they want creatively without any reservations and restrictions their whole life and continuing to do that is very inspiring and encouraging . And through all that experience and that dedication to his vision he’s only developed better abilities to carry out his ideas and visions, sometimes I think he’s so advanced that its hard for people to understand how advanced he is, myself included.
To be able to be around him, to serve him, very literally just do what he wants done was a very gratifying experience. And I’ve come away with so much just from his presence, just from seeing him be himself. I think he has a very direct connection to what someone might call the source, creative genius, God, or the unknown or the soul , I think all people are artists, it’s those who are aware that everyone is an artist That begin to focus on this connection, some click of unconscience or instant intelligence, there are many ways to describe it but some kind of internal, or super external vibe, a feeling that is then communicated through a creative work even if its just being yourself it doesn’t need to be some material object or song necessarily Cause I think he is a living example of his own connection with this source. But since he has focus so much on protecting that connection, enhancing that connection, building the power of the connection you are seeing someone who is a master of that, of the art of art, the art of being an artist, and that’s pretty powerful. Kevin: I know lately you have been doing a series of motivational speaking. Do you feel that the relationship, and experience you have had with Lee Perry has influenced you in a spiritual sense, and possibly played a role in your speaking engagements? Andrew: Well, it all happened very beautifully in a lot of ideals and interests that I had, I think that’s what drew me to him (Perry) and him to me if I may be so bold. I was already on that role and had done a handful of these lectures or motivational performances or whatever you want to call them. Then I had met Lee in an interview for Direct TV during South by South West, and I was just blown away in what he was saying and how it related to the ideas that I was interested in. It did have an impact and influence as much as anybody does.
Kevin: Well, I do have to say that you and Lee Perry make a great pair, just based on the fact that you both seem to have such a great heart and appreciation for the music you make and the fans that listen to it. Especially since at your shows, I’ve noticed that you completely involve yourself with your fans, and it seems that your main focus is to make sure everyone has a great time. There is no arrogance in your act, and you are what you say you are. My question for you is, was this premeditated? Andrew: I think it came from a lot of people. It was never premeditated, it was definitely a feeling I wanted to get across. A feeling of real excitement that was real and physical, it was always about that high, that feeling to know what a miracle it is to be alive and the fact that you can do anything. Those glimpses are worth everything, and whether you call those moments clarity, the truth, happiness, or joy, it’s the feeling of those moments that proves that it has realness or is legitimate, and that is what I wanted to focus with my music. I wanted to make music that sounded like that, even in the big picture, I wanted to dedicate my creative efforts to that feeling, and balance it out, but not just in one way, keeping it alive so it doesn’t become an institution. So a lot of those ideas just developed just as they came based on how people reacted. I was so blown away and very moved by how moved people tended to be by the music. I really saw it as a free feeling, a feeling where you don’t have to be judged or judge other people, it’s all in the moment. It never was about me, it can encourage someone to focus on what they do like what they love, what makes them feel good. It could allow their ego to be cut down a bit so they can free their deeper instincts and desire. I wanted to be someone who can help facilitate that. I didn’t tell people what to do, I just provided an opportunity, myself included, to do it in whatever way felt good for all of us. People seemed to respond in a way to make that easy. They really should be the ones to take the credit, because it’s not something that I could ever make anyone do. its someone’s choice, to react that way, and it’s a great risk, and I wanted to reward people for taking that risk and enjoy it with them, and let them know how much I appreciated. Kevin: I was reading that you were thinking about doing an instrumental piano album, is that true? Andrew: Yeah, I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time. Out of the blue, Thurston Moore, from the band Sonic Youth runs a label called Ecstatic Peace. He asked me if I would like to do a solo piano album for his label, and I thought “here’s the perfect chance,” and now we are just in the process of working out the agreement. Kevin : Well I am definitely looking forward to that. You have been playing the piano since you were five right? Andrew: I started taking basic piano lessons at five. I am so grateful that I did. There were many times where I would get frustrated or just wanted to give up. I never could have imaged the value it ended up having in my life. Even if I didn’t make music my primary focus in life, just having the ability to be able to make music on any instrument became a great gift that my parents were able to give me, and I am grateful every day. Kevin: So it was your parents that pushed you to continue on with the lessons when you were frustrated? Andrew: Yeah. If I really didn’t want to do it, they wouldn’t force me, but they were always there in those moments of frustration, along with the amazing teachers I had to keep me focused. There was always enough to keep me going and not give it up and I really liked the way it felt. So that’s what made me want to start at the beginning and that’s what got me through. There was always a feeling associated with playing music that I was never able to get anywhere else in life, and that was enough to make it continue. Kevin: Right, well I think that being able to learn an instrument and be in complete control of what you can create musically is so important for a kid to have. Andrew: It is and I agree, and I wish that everyone can have something in their life and I hope must people do. It doesn’t have to be playing an instrument, but as you said, you get to control that experience. Making a feeling the way you want to feel it. Having a connection to that inner place, and what we were talking about before, realizing that that inner place is there and that it counts, and whatever it is about music that takes us to that place is what makes it so undeniably powerful. There are other ways to get to that place, but we are so lucky that music is the very thing that takes us to that place. It’s really interesting because lately I have been thinking about all sorts of styles of music, or genres of music, it’s still all working with the same element. The feelings one could get from a classical composition played by an orchestra are just as valid as the feelings someone else could get from a rap song, a heavy metal song, or a dance song. It’s all connecting to this sensation, and If we could describe it or and get there so clearly and easily without music, maybe music wouldn’t be necessary, but that feeling that gives you the chills or makes you want to tap your foot really has everything to do with music, and really that’s one of the wonders of the world. ---------------------------------------------- Biography Andrew W.K. was born Andrew Wilkes-Krier, in Stanford, California, on May 9th, 1979. His mother is Wendy L. Wilkes, and his father is Professor James E. Krier (l egal scholar and co-author of the widely used Dukeminer & Krier casebook, "PROPERTY"). When Andrew was 4 years old, his family moved to Michigan, and Professor Krier began teaching at the University of Michigan Law School, in Ann Arbor. Andrew had begun piano lessons shortly after this move, and by age 5, was studying at The University Of Michigan School Of Music Pedagogy program. By his early teens, Andrew had exhibited great enthusiasm for musical, visual, and performing arts. He spent his high school years playing drums and keyboard in an almost endless variety of short-lived, but passionate southeast Michigan groups. By the age of 17, Andrew had graduated from high school, one year early, in an effort to dedicate all his time to creative work in the arts. At age 18, he was accepted to The School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago. After visiting the school, Andrew decided to move to New York City instead, and pursue his creative vision independently. Upon arriving in New York, Andrew found odd jobs in art galleries, department stores, avant-garde fashion boutiques, selling opera tickets, and eventually as a gumball machine salesman; any job to support his primary interest: making the most exciting music he could. He pursued this goal day and night, putting all of his abilities and resources into the writing and recording of his own material. Shortening his name from Andrew Wilkes-Krier to Andrew W.K., he set out on a mission to have his music heard not only in New York City, but also around the world. His focus was to create music of great physical power and sensation, without meaning beyond "happiness" and "pleasure" in its most pure form. Andrew made efforts to remove his own personality from the context of his presentation, and at the same time contradicted the idea with the singular tone of his image, and the alarming amount of intentionally strong visual content. His earliest press photographs featured him battered and bruised, bloody with cuts, a bandage on his nose, contrasted by t-shirts with the word GUESS? printed in large letters - prompting the viewer to wonder, "Who? What? Why? Where? When?", and keeping the music, and Andrew himself, free of the constraints of certainty, and full of limitless possibility. The themes of questioning, and enjoying life to the fullest, continued in Andrew's approach. Andrew described it as: "I want the other person, to add their imagination to the experience and allow me to do the same with them. It's a way for us to play together, all the time; in life in general." In early press interviews, when asked what the W.K. in his name stood for, Andrew would respond, "Who knows?" Without a band or even a partner, Andrew began performing solo concerts, vowing to play any show, anywhere. Using only a keyboard, a drum machine, and his voice, Andrew played shows up and down the east coast, including New York City, New York State, New Jersey, South New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Rhode Island. Quickly the word spread of the energy and raw excitement of the music. After performing several shows with friends and fellow New York performers, Fishcerspooner, Andrew was invited to play two engagements at a Belgian Arts Festival called "Over The Edges". Also during this time, Andrew recorded and released his first songs on two EPs called, "Girls Own Juice" and "Party Til You Puke". Both of these recordings were released with long time friend, Pete Larson, of the Bulb Records label. In 1999, Andrew decided to refine his presentation and prepare for the release of his first full-length album. Pushing even further away from the ideas of context and genre, he attempted to make himself "a blank slate", without any visual meaning other than himself. He wanted to give the world love, fun, and energy, and was convinced the sound and feeling of the music was all that was needed. He traded the GUESS? anonymity for an even more basic outfit: white t-shirts and jeans, running shoes, and a watch (What time is it? It's Time To Party). This outfit allowed Andrew to, "Go crazy and not worry about ruining my clothes, plus it's easy to get replacements, and if anyone else wanted to, they could easily dress like me." At this time, Andrew also took a series of photographs with his friend, photographer Roe Ethridge, which resulted in the infamous "bloody nose" image: which shows Andrew with a large stream of blood running from his nose, down his chin and onto his shirt. This cover art caused a controversy in Europe, as it was seen as endorsing cocaine usage. This was not the effect that Andrew had intended; in reality, Andrew has stated that he created the nose bleed with a self-inflicted blow from a brick. There are also other stories regarding the creation of the cover art, such as a story that the effect was created through the use of animal blood, or that the nosebleed was inflicted by an over-enthusiastic fan at an Andrew W.K. live performance. The truth, is a mixture of the above theories, and Andrew has explained little about the nature of the photograph. Andrew signed a recording contract with Island Def Jam Records/Universal Music, and began recording his debut full-length CD. Titled I GET WET, the album's release in 2001 caused a widespread and diverse wave of reaction, landing Andrew on the covers international music magazines, like England's NME, which featured him not once, but twice on the cover of the same issue (adding an additional page to accommodate the double image). More press followed. Magazines worldwide discussed, dismantled, and deconstructed and the point of the music, the intensity of the entire experience, and the "true" nature of Andrew and his motives. Articles appeared in GQ, Rolling Stone, Spin, Q, Mojo, New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, Jane, The New Yorker, FHM, Playboy, Oui, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Alternative Press, i-D, The Face, Dazed & Confused, Bizzare, Newsweek, The New York Post, Stuff, The Washington Post, The Village Voice, and dozens and dozens of others. Now that Andrew W.K. appeared to exist, it was time to take the music to the stage, and Andrew began the process of forming a live group. Instead of auditioning random applicants, Andrew decided to write a letter to his favorite drummer, a man named Donald Tardy, who plays in the group Obituary. Andrew sent Donald the music and asked if he would join his band. Having no expectations, Andrew was shocked when Tardy wrote back and agreed to play the music. After Donald came an additional 7 musicians, including Gregg Roberts (bass guitar, vocals), Sgt. Frank (guitar), Jimmy Coup (guitar, vocals), Kendall A. (guitar, vocals), E. Payne (guitar, vocals), John Sutton (guitar), and even a second drummer, Richie Russo, who played on stage next to Donald, in perfect synchronicity. Andrew relocated to Seffner, Florida in order to rehearse with the band and prepare the music for live performances. Immediately following the release of I GET WET, Andrew W.K. and his newly formed band began a world tour, which would continue for 3 years and over 500 concerts. Major U.S. tours, including highly coveted Ozzfest and Warped Tour dates, as well as countless hall and arena shows with everyone from Aerosmith, to The Locust, gave the music even further exposure. Major network television appearances on Saturday Night Live, Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Last Call With Carson Daly, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, CNN, Fox Sports, Access Hollywood, Top Of The Pops, VH1, and MTV led to an eventual T.V. series of his own, entitled Your Friend, Andrew W.K. The show featured Andrew giving personal advice to fans who wrote in asking for his help. MTV2 presented the series, along with countless other appearances on MTV, VH1, Much Music, and FUSE. In the midst of this non-stop schedule, Andrew recorded and released his second album, THE WOLF, which brought an entirely new wave of reactions by both fans and the media alike. The album was recorded much in the same tradition Andrew established with his earliest songs: Andrew himself playing every instrument, and recording track after track of music, with each song tracking at least 90 individual instrumental parts, if not 200 or more individual tracks. The final result has the sound "of one hundred instruments, being played by the same hand, playing the exact same part, in a hall of mirrors". Andrew and his band took the new album to the stage and performed tours across the globe, including festivals in Reading, Leeds, Tokyo, Osaka, and Taiwan. During this wave of shows, Andrew broke his foot on stage while getting tangled in his own microphone cable. Rather than cancel the rest of the tour and heal at home, Andrew decided to continue the tour, and play the remaining 60 shows in a wheelchair. One of these performances was filmed at the Spike T.V. Video Game Awards. Earlier in the year, W.K. had sustained a head injury during the filming of his music video, We Want Fun, with director Spike Jonze, for the Jackass Movie soundtrack. Despite these physical setbacks, the music continued and the party continued to spread, one person at a time. At the close of 2004, Andrew began work on the massive WHO KNOWS? live-concert movie. In it, more than 300 hours of live concert footage, spanning 1992-2004, was condensed into a rapid-fire viewing experience. The film was edited using a special multi-track video process, in which multiple performances can be synchronized and layered together, with the audio and video overlapping to create a seamless sequence of shots from different concerts. The layering process of the video is similar to the layering process Andrew used to record his music. The movie was screened at sell-out shows in New York City and Hollywood, where Andrew performed in-person piano solos after the movie. WHO KNOWS? was released on DVD by Music Video Distributors / R. Jayne / R.C.U. Video. The DVD was produced by GRATA Video. Andrew W.K. released his third album, entitled "Close Calls With Brick Walls" in Spring 2006. The album was released exclusively in Asia and Andrew toured both South Korea and Japan extensively in 2006. Of the album, The UK Observer said: "Close Calls With Brick Walls takes this 'more is more' philosophy and blows the doors open with it." They also called it "one of the most ambitious American rock albums this year." Andrew has spent increasing amounts of time performing piano, keyboard, and drums with other musicians, including the groups "Hanson" and "To Live And Shave In LA". Andrew has also played piano with songwriter Will Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy), on his 2006, Conan O'Brien debut T.V. appearance, and in 2007, at the Donau Music Festival in Austria. Andrew was also asked to play electric bass guitar with the musical group, Current 93, lead by David Tibet. He's been invited to perform with the group in Krems, Austria, at the Donau Festival, and at 2007's All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Minehead, England. Andrew has continued to expand his performance to include new modes of expression. The 2007 New Year brought these elements into Andrew W.K.'s live shows. He accepted invitations to speak as a free form lecturer at both New York University and the Cooper Union School in New York. He continued with a series of solo appearances - sometimes incorporating live music and spontaneous dance - and has declared this to be a natural extension as a performer. These "happenings" have become unpredictable events. Andrew's recent performanes before capacity crowds at the Carnegie Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh, the First Unitarian Church in Philladelphia, the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, and a series of three hour events at the PIT in New York City, solidified this new frontier. In March 2007, Andrew appeared as a guest on the Conan O'Brien show, for his second sit-down interview. Andrew talked about his new "motivational performance" style and demonstrated some of these moves with Conan's help. Andrew was also the focus of a 2007 New York Times feature article. The piece was published on the front page of the Saturday Arts section and discussed the developments and contradictions in Andrew W.K.'s career as a performer. 2007 also saw the first Andrew W.K. solo party tour, in which Andrew drove a Cadillac through the west coast of Canada and the US, all along the way stopping in each town to have a nightly party. The "High-Way Party Cruiser Tour" went to Los Angeles, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Calgary. In addition, Andrew appeared at blow-out parties in Boston and New York, including The Misshapes Don Hill's party, where he gave special solo performances. In addition to producing his own music on the albums "I GET WET", "THE WOLF" and "CLOSE CALLS WITH BRICK WALLS", as well as other ANDREW W.K. music, in 2006 Andrew decided to expand his musical output to include producing and mixing music for other artists. "I avoided working with other people for many years, partly out of paranoia, and parly out of an earnest desire to stand on my own. After a while, I got tired of thinking that way, and it just seemed natural to do the opposite of what I had done before. I like making music with other people. I can still make music by myself too." Andrew's earliest production work for music other than his own was with the group Wolf Eyes, on their now out-of-print 12" EP "Fortune Dove". Since then, he's chosen to work on only a select and seemingly random set of projects, most recently completing production and mixing on the album, "Through The Panama", by Brooklyn, NY based three-piece psychadelic rock band, SIGHTINGS. The album was released on October 28th, 2007 by Load Records and Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label. In 2007, Andrew put his own music recording on hold again in order to accept an invitation to work on a new album for legendary reggae pioneer, Lee "Scratch" Perry. The two had met when Andrew interviewed Perry for television on DirecTV, including for Andrew's own upcoming, "Smokeshow" program. Soon after, Andrew was invited to record and mix the new "Repentance" album with Perry in California and New York City. The album is slated for release in 2008. Andrew was invited to be a guest on the Fox News T.V. program, "Red Eye", where he discussed recording with Lee Perry. After his first appearance on the show, Andrew was invited back for subsequent episodes. Andrew W.K. lives in New York City, where he is working on television programs, including a show of his own creation, called SMOKESHOW. He's also writing a book and opening a downtown Manhattan music club with three of his friends. A multitude of new music releases are slated for 2008, 2009, and 2010. In addition, Andrew's working on his first solo instrumental piano album.
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