Andy Butler: dirty boy by nature

…”dirty” by his own admission, but perhaps not in the way you might think. In this interview with soso magazine‘s Yasmin and Anastasia, the Hercules & Love Affair frontman does confess to having visited Berlin’s men-only sex club Lab.oratory–where the tagline for a specific fetish night is “smell it, smear it, break a rule”–but he claims that intimate encounters are what really gets him off. Read on to find out his thoughts on hygiene, jealousy, the Berlin lifestyle and taking artistic advice from Antony Hegarty.

Meanwhile, after launching his own dance label MR.INTL with DJ and ex-lover Jason Kendig this summer (check their bootleg remix of Madonna’s “Into the Groove” on Expatriarch Radio #7), Andy is preparing for the January release of the second H&LA album, titled Blue Songs, on Moshi Moshi. The current formation of the live band–featuring constant member Kim Ann Foxman along with newcomers Aerea Negrot (check her new single on BPitch) and Shaun Wright–are about to preview new material on a European tour, actually, two: the first as main act and the second supporting The Gossip. Dates and venues follow the Q&A with Andy, and be on the lookout for the band’s cover of “Shelter” by The xx, announced for release next month.

Expatriarch (via soso): What are some of your quirky rituals before performing? Shaving?

Butler: No, actually, this is something new. I used to not care of myself on tour. I would shower and put deodorant on and stuff, but I would not ever shave, so I would come home with a beard. My mom was like, “Ugh”, and I looked like a bum, you know? So, on this tour, I’ve made a concerted effort to clean up a little every now and then. And do laundry more often.

In the sink?

Yeah, you have to do laundry in the sink and hang it on the [drying rack]. I’m trying to be more clean because I’m a dirty boy by nature.

I was in Badeschiff (“Bathing Ship”, a swimming pool constructed within the Spree river) today, and that was fun. With a beautiful Spanish boy who always comes to visit me.

I noticed tomorrow you’re playing in Hamburg at a club called Neid. Did you know in German, “Neid” means jealousy?

Jealousy? So this is perfect for me. Because I am the most jealous person ever. This poor Spanish boy is going to last about a week, and then he’ll be done with me.

That’s hard, long distance…

Yeah, but I’m in Europe so frequently that it’s almost becoming more sensible to date European men than American men.

Have you considered moving to Berlin like a lot of people?

No, I would never move to Berlin.

No? What holds you back?

It’s a little too… I want to put this as kindly as possible… A little bit… The people are very focused on enjoying life, which is really beautiful, but there is a certain level of motivation that I need, that I don’t find here. I also find that, sexually, in gay life, it’s a little unsafe. It makes me uncomfortable. So I would not want to pursue sexual relations, gay life, in Berlin. It is so hardcore. Like Amsterdam, but more hardcore.

Have you heard of these places like the Lab.oratory and other Berlin spots where you don’t venture?

Oh, I’ve been.

And? Tell us, because we’re not allowed [inside]!

It’s disgusting, you know. It’s nude men, generally unattractive. They are fucking in various rooms, and there are slings, and there’s strings, and there’s the DJ playing music. It’s funny because I grew up in Colorado and I was already doing these things when I was like fifteen.

But I heard it’s done a bit nicer, the interior…

It’s beautiful! The Lab.oratory is an amazing space, and it’s very cool in a way. But it’s just too hardcore. Personally I like a more intimate thing.

All you wanna do is talk about sex? Because I’m just wearing a towel?

Do you think it’s important for an artist to explain their work?

Umm… I am an artist who explains my work. I think a lot about my work. I put a lot of emotion and thought into my work. I think that every artist has the right to disclose as much as they want as they like. I know some people, Antony for instance, was always very specific and guided me a little bit with the lyrics, and told me, “You tell them what you want to tell them. Disclose as much as you like”. And being an interviewee, and talking about my art? I like to.

Head to soso magazine to watch the video interview, featuring a topless Andy, as well as some vibrant snapshots of H&LA’s last Berlin stop. For a more in depth text interview that sourced much of this article’s info, head to OMG.

Hercules & Love Affair European tour:

13.10 @ Circolo, Rome, IT
15.10 @ Debut, London, UK
16.10 @ Iceland Airwaves, Reykavic, IS
19.10 @ Train, Aarhus, DK
21.10 @ Libertine Supersport, Brussels, BE
22.10 @ Trouw, Amsterdam, NL
23.10 @ Babylon, Istanbul, Turkey
29.11 @ Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt, DE*
30.11 @ Porsche, Stuttgart, DE*
02.12 @ X-tra, Zurich, CH*
03.12 @ Zenith, Munich, DE*
04.12 @ Arena, Leipzig, DE*
05.12 @ AWD Halle, Hannover, DE*
08.12 @ Philipshalle, Dusseldorf, DE*
09.12 @ Omnisports Bercy, Paris, FR*
10.12 @ Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, FR*

*w/ The Gossip