Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 395 November 28, 2018

I lived in New York for a
while, so I have too many
people to see. It could be a
little bit overwhelming and
frustrating in that I don’t
get to see all the people
that I want to see. There is
always this tension that you
have when you know that
you are working, when you
are in that frame of mind
and it’s hard to get out of
that because your body has
to stay tense and ready. It’s
almost like being in a fight
or flight holding pattern.
I think you can probably
imagine.
Yes.
So New York can be
overwhelming. There is
so much you want to do.
I love being there, and I
have great friends, but also
I need some space to get
ready to do my thing on
stage. I want to be able to
prepare mentally for the
show. But I am looking
forward to the show and my
people. I spend a lot of my
life living in other countries.
I’ve lived in Germany, I’ve
lived in Sweden a little
bit, I spent a lot of time
in England, and I’ve been
living in Iceland the last
seven years. I’ve spent time
in the Ukraine and Russia,
and I’ve spent 25 years
learning foreign languages:
German, Russian, Spanish,
Icelandic. So I do a lot of
the “getting out into the
world” thing. I absolutely
love it, and I think I will
spend the rest of my life
doing that. But going
back home to your own
people and just feeling that
context, where you don’t
have to explain yourself
with a lot of references—
you know how it is. It just
fits, and it’s comfortable.
There are so many cultural
differences.
Yes, there are. It’s like a
never-ending story. I love
discovering new cultures
and attacking the languages
and stuff, but my music is
just chock-full of American
references. My whole life
people have said to me,
“You’re very European.”
I’m always thinking, “What
the fuck does that mean?”
I couldn’t possibly be
more American. Yes, I
am fascinated with other
cultures, and I have spent
a lot of time in Europe, but
still, on any given evening,
I’m still going to choose to
watch Lindsay Wagner and
the Bionic Woman with the
Fembots and everything
over Fellini.
If you could say anything
to your fans and followers,
what is it that you would
want to say?
I think I say everything that
I want to say in my music.
One of the things that I
think that I am learning
or achieving, one of the
gifts you get from going
through a lot in your life,
is compassion for other
stories and other people’s
experiences. So I guess
what I would want to say
to my audience is that I am
interested in you and your
stories. I’m bringing you my
story, which is my way of
finding my own community
in a world where I didn’t
necessarily feel like I fit.
So if you don’t commit
suicide, you go out and you
find your own community.
So I guess that’s what I’m
trying to do with my music.
It’s definitely not all about
me. Maybe my filter, my
thought, is that I’m an
individual and everything,
but it’s about connecting
with other people and
hearing their stories. I am
grateful for support from
people. I am grateful when
people come out and stand
there and watch me sing.
I would want people to
know that I appreciate their
support. Let’s face it, there
is a lot of fucking talent out
there. There is a lot of shit
going on out there. So the
fact that people choose
to interrupt their day and
make plans to come and
see you, that’s a huge deal.
I have one last question.
You’re a new crayon in a
box of 64 crayons. What
color are you?
I think my color would be
moonbeam. Sort of like a
silvery periwinkle.