The Television Personalities, featuring Victoria Yeulet (right) / Image Courtesy Tag Team Media1. What's the first piece of music you listened to today?
Cleoma Breaux – “Prenez Courage.” Pretty intense for morning listening but she has such an incredible vocal style. I like to start practicing first thing by testing myself!
2. What are your vices?
Smoking. And seeing selfishness in myself.
3. What is one of your prejudices?
I know I have one against posh people.
4. In what way do you think music has the ability to change the way people live their lives?
It captures moments in feeling and seeing that not many other things can often quite do. When you grasp that from something it changes your possibilities of living.
5. At what age did you first feel distrust?
Probably when I was bullied at school the first time. Age 5 I think.
6. Do you think that your name is appropriate for you? (If not, what name would be more appropriate?)
I used to hate my surname. It was always at the end of the register and so I was normally last at everything. Then I grew to like it. I always thought my first name suited me fine though, especially when I became a Kinks fan.
7. What is the best piece of music you've ever created, in your opinion?
Probably some of the recordings of a cappella blues and gospel covers I've been working on the last few years. They stretch my vocal abilities beyond belief, and the songs inspire me because of their historical contexts.
8. Right now, how are you trying to change yourself?
Find a new job, make more things, draw more.
9. If you had the time, what else would you do?
More music projects with friends, read more, write more letters.
10. What social cause do you feel the most strongly about (negative or positive)?
Feminist and queer activism and theories.
11. What are your fears?
Wasting time, inability, losing friends.
12. What is your favorite joke (tasteful or tasteless)?
This guy keeps a pet caterpillar. He keeps asking it to come hang out with him, go to the cinema, go to a restaurant, go bowling, and the caterpillar does nothing. The man gets gradually more and more upset by this. Eventually he says to the caterpillar, “I just don’t get it. I thought you were my friend. I’m always asking you to go places and you never wanna come.” The man then hears a small noise and lifts the caterpillar to his ear. The caterpillar is shouting, “I know, I know! I heard you the first time. I’m just putting my shoes on!”
I love that joke.
13. Who is your favorite author?
Right now, Flannery O'Connor.
14. What is your favorite movie?
I like Trust, by Hal Hartley. Also Dogfight with Lili Taylor and River Phoenix. And Badlands
.
15. Favorite album(s) from the last few years?
I really like the recordings most recently made by Jack Lewis, who plays in the Jeffrey Lewis band and is brother to the also great Jeff. He burns CD-R copies of compilations of them. I’m not sure if there's an album proper coming out yet.
16. What would you like to know more about?
Psychoanalytic theory I haven’t already covered.
17. What is one thing you would like to do/see/accomplish before you die?
Write an academic book.