Story by Casey Minter
Andy Bothwell, better known by his stage name Astronautalis, blends the battle rapping style of old school, ghetto hip-hop with Shakespearean iambic pentameter and poetic technique. As an artist, he consistently takes two seemingly dissimilar topics and manages to meld them into lyrically driven, passionate music.
His understated skill and bookish, knowledgeable swagger make him a joy to listen to and a challenge to deconstruct. Jumping from upbeat jazz-torch songs to slowly building ballads opining the eternal struggle of Sisyphus, Bothwell will leave you sweating, smiling, and philosophizing.
As an added bonus, a show with Astronautalis is never complete without his signature freestyling display, where he will ask his crowd for several topics and proceed to tell an intricate, spontaneous story through the medium of rap. Lucky for me, I was able to conduct an interview with him concerning his current tour and the method behind his musical madness. Lucky for you, he’ll be here in Eugene on March 4^th, at the WOW Hall opening for the band Why? Be there. You won’t regret it.
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Casey Minter: So, to start off, I wanted to let people know what one of your shows is like. How would you describe it to someone who has no idea who you are?
Andy Bothwell: It’s kind of like church, except with a lot more sweating, swearing, and whiskey.
CM: You started a tour with the group Why? on February 8^th, how has it been so far?
AB: It has been great; we’ve sold out almost all the shows so far. We’re headed to shows in Boston and New York soon, and I can’t wait. And Eugene on the 4^th.
CM: What’s the hardest thing you experience when touring and spending so many hours on the road?
AB: It’s the lack of privacy for sure, and being constantly surrounded by people. It’s your job, one of the best parts of your job, but eventually it can wear on you. When you have a show and you’re on stage in front of everybody, and you go out afterwards and hang out with everybody, with the band. You’re in the hotel room with the band, on the bus with the band. There’s just never any privacy. It can drain you; it’s one of the things that makes the job great and one of the things that makes the job tough. Imagine being on a ship, all together with your fellas. It makes you want to kill ‘em sometimes and it makes ‘em like family as well.
CM: On the flip side of that, what’s the best part about touring?
AB: I get to travel. You never have to be a tourist. I travel all over the world and every time I come to a new city I show up and there’s anywhere from 15 to 500 people who are really excited that I am there. You get to experience parts of the culture that most people never get to see. It’s a really beautiful way to see the world, a gift.
CM: What’s the best place you’ve gotten to travel to during a tour?
AB: Lately I’ve been to central and southern Europe a lot. Everything from the former USSR, to former Yugoslavia, to the Balkan regions. These places have been the most fascinating to me. You go to London, you go to Paris, and they’re great places. But it’s not really pushing you out of your comfort zone. It’s kind of just like getting a new haircut that’s just a little different than normal. But when you travel to places like Eastern Europe and East Asia, you really are seeing a different climate. It’s not just for tourism and entertainment that I travel, but also for education.
CM: Do you feel like you experience a different kind of crowd when you’re in those kind of places?
AB: Certainly, the crowds have a very different relationship to my music. They’re appreciating it from a second language standpoint, or even a third language or fourth language standpoint. It’s kind of a unique experience, seeing their relationship and connection to what I perform. I really enjoy seeing the devotion those people have.
CM: I think the devotion of that fanbase is a testament to how your music can speak to people. I wanted to ask you, what is the history behind your stage name Astronautalis?
AB: [Laughs] It sounded kind of cool when I was 15 years old.
CM: You’ve performed in Eugene before, would you care to comment on anything in particular?
AB: I love WOW Hall. Great staff, amazing sound, it’s just unreal. I’m excited to come back and dive into Eugene wholeheartedly.
CM: What do you hope to achieve with your music? On a personal level and on a more broad level.
AB: Well, I hope to make a career out of it, to live a comfortable life. I have no expectations of being rich, but I certainly want to pay my bills on time and buy a new pair of blue jeans every once in a while. Having a career in art or in music, a career in any kind of creative field, you may never be able to support a family off your job. You may never be able to buy a house, so you kind of just have to leave those options out. I just hope that I continue to be challenged and excited by the music. If I ever feel like no one’s connecting with it, and I’m not connecting with it, then I’m doing something wrong, and I need to find another way to live my life.
CM: So I heard a couple months ago you were working on a combined album with Bon Iver, what’s the progress on that?
AB: Most of it is pretty top secret, but all I can tell you is that it is happening, and it will be coming out, and you’ll be hearing me sing. That’s pretty much all I can say.
CM: It was worth a shot. Well, it was great talking to you. I look forward to seeing you March 4^th at the WOW Hall!
 

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Courtney Dudley

Sweating, Swearing, and Whiskey: A Q&A with Astronautalis’ Andy Bothwell