Page 23 - Black Velvet Issue 96

BV96 pg22,23,24,25 AWK_BV96 pg23 11/03/2018 18:46 Page 2

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on To The Party

t was shortly after the turn of the century when Andrew W.K. first rose to prominence;
Ilate 2001 to be exact. The singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist had grown up in
Michigan before moving to New York, releasing ‘I Get Wet’ on Mercury Records (home also
to Bon Jovi and KISS to name but two). It was the single ‘Party Hard’ that had the world en-
raptured – everyone eager for fun and merriment, and any reason to let their hair down.
The single became the soundtrack to everyone’s Friday night. Since that time, Andrew has
released further albums, as well as becoming a motivational speaker, an advice columnist,
a nightclub owner and a game show host. Now he’s back with his first studio album in
nearly 12 years – and what an album it is. Sprinkling choice motivational speeches in be-
tween relatable, heartfelt songs, ‘You’re Not Alone’ is the album you need when you’re feel-
ing deflated, to pick you up, to spur you on and be the light you’re searching for.

t was music professional Karen Glauber could also be seen in a more sinister, chilling, or pressing, actually.”
Ithat inspired Andrew to add three motiva- unfortunate way. We ask Andrew if he’s often Sadly, he adds, “It was not an enjoyable ex-
tional speeches on the album. They come under needed to know he’s not alone, in the former, re- perience for me. It was quite distracting. We did
the titles ‘The Feeling Of Being Alive’, ‘In Your assuring manner. manage to get some of the best material done.
Darkest Moments’ and ‘Confusion And Clarity’. “This album, specifically the confusion and Maybe about 10% of the month we spent at-
Andrew says, “I met Karen all the way back in frustration that I was feeling leading up to or tempting that recording. ‘Cause that’s what I al-
the beginning of my career around 2001. She even to this day, had a lot to do with feeling quite ways imagined other people doing, and that’s
was a very supportive and ever-present figure disconnected or alienated from even myself to what I always fantasized about being able to do.
throughout all these years. But it wasn’t until this an extent, and descending into this kind of baf- I always thought, ‘Well, that’s how people make
album that I actually got a chance to work with flement; just being baffled and feeling that I was music. They get together with their friends and
her very directly in the capacity of a manage- insane that I wanted to do this kind of work or they have fun. And then there’s an album done.
ment team member. She had watched the vari- that I believed in this kind of feeling and am I the Why can’t I do that? How come everything has
ous modes of partying that I had been engaged only one that wants to feel this way or looking to be so hard for me?’ Sometimes the only way
in, including touring, as a lecturer and motiva- for this feeling, and what I am doing with my life to really learn what you’re meant to do is by try-
tional speaker, and thought some, even very and is there any point to anything? Sometimes ing it and seeing that all along you were always
brief, moments of motivational speaking on the even just the awareness that you’re not the only doing it the right way, or doing it the only way
album would help acknowledge that field that one considering those questions or even strug- that you could… that I could. So in the end I had
I’ve worked in and also connect these somewhat gling with them is enough to provide a type of to go back and re-record everything alone
disparate efforts into a collective offering on the essential fraternal power. A sense of being on again.”
album.” some kind of even keel with the people around The band did succeed in creating a
The material on the album spans a vast pe- you, even if you can’t relate to anything else sparkling rendition of the title track, ‘You’re Not
riod of time – some having been in the works other than your struggles. But there are also Alone’, though. This ends the album on a high,
since 2005/2006. With Andrew not recording a other times that I wish that I HAD been alone. I almost like the climax of an epic theatre produc-
new studio album since back then, he says he was quite unsettled by the presences around tion.
needed motivational pep talks from time to time. me.” Andrew says, “The title track justified that
What you hear on the album is Andrew trying to There was a point during the recording entire month. Even though we only spent a few
inspire himself as much as anyone else. “The process of this album that Andrew actually moments on that piece. I had written the music
past ten years, between 2006 and 2016, there wished he WAS alone. He found himself in the before we had even gotten to the studio session,
was extraordinary confusion and frustration in studio with his band – something he hadn’t been but the lyrics and the melody came together very
my life. But not dissimilar from any other period, used to. quickly at one moment and that to me made the
I suppose. A consistent level of frustration and “I’ve actually always worked alone for the whole thing worthwhile, ‘cause the title track,
confusion, but perhaps more confusion than majority of the recording process; that’s the only there’s no part of the album I like more than that
ever, at certain peaked moments. It was very way that I’m able to get the work done – in com- last song. It’s nice to be able to salvage some-
helpful even in a rather unconscious way, to plete solitude; myself and the recording equip- thing that really communicated more efficiently
have some mental tool to push back against ment and the instruments. That’s nothing new, the feeling I was trying to get across with the
that. I wasn’t consciously telling myself these that’s how I’ve recorded from the beginning. In whole album in one song. But sometimes that’s
things. I probably should have been, but I would the very beginning, it was done out of necessity how it goes. Sometimes you work on 100 differ-
come back to points of understanding, or areas because I didn’t have anyone else. I didn’t have ent things and only one of them ends up being
where I did not feel total confusion and I would a band. I didn’t have anyone who was willing or of any value, but the value is so fantastic to you
really latch on to those, cling on to those, and interested in being part of it, so it was out of that it justifies all the failures.”
try and use those to carry me forward and espe- sheer determination that I figured out how to do
cially for the last year of recording process, things by myself, and was not necessarily happy f you’re a fairweather fan who has only re-
2016-2017, that’s when the confusion was at its about that isolation, but learned to use it for my Ially listened to Andrew when ‘Party Hard’
peak, specifically about the album and every- advantage to some degree, or just accepted it has been played on the radio or at parties, you
thing; my whole life.” on some level. Going into this album, I got it into may be unaware that when he sings about par-
The title of the album, ‘You’re Not Alone’, my mind that I could go against that work style tying, he really means pleasurable life experi-
and indeed a lot of the album, features contrast- and contradict my past mode of recording and ences of any sort – and even just celebrating life
ing scenarios. Andrew has talked about how work with my band in the studio together, hang- and existence. He promotes doing what you
‘You’re Not Alone’ could be comforting, knowing ing out, having fun as a group of people. love to do, no matter what it is. Yet, by default,
there are others there for you – alternatively, it Couldn’t get anything done, and it was really de- he, himself, has suffered from depression and

ANDREW W.K.