Hercules and Love Affair are 'rhythmic artsy pop stars'
I'd really love people to dance when they hear our music. When people have asked me to describe my music in the past, I kind of say rhythmic, artsy pop music. Rhythm is really important to me. I think inspiring people to move - whether that's a full on dance or a tapping of a foot - it's really something. Lyrically, I'd be happy if they used it to process their own experience and channel it into their own art. Which ultimately is what I've been doing.
They want you to protest for them
We have a couple of great dancers in New York and I don't know if we'll be able to have them on the first leg of the tour but I'd really love it if audience members could make signs saying 'Bring the dancers, bring the dancers!' because it's already a large entourage and all of our musicians are really important to us. But when the dancers are with us too and we're all hanging out, it's so fun and it adds a whole new level of energy. It's an amazing thing.
Andy Butler has picked up a few things from us Brits
I think I've learned how important it is to sleep, so as much as I can I try to prioritise my sleeps without looking like a lazy sod. Sod - that's an English word for you. I have picked up loads and called someone a 'right sound mate' the other day and I thought that was pretty good. But I am very conscious of how I sound when I'm over here because we Americans shorten things a lot. Like 'totally' which is so American, we shorten to 'totes'. Or instead of 'perfect', we say 'perf'. There's two bits for you. To be honest, it's probably not all of New York saying that. It's probably just two selected friends.
Miss Piggy is Andy's wife
Growing up I loved that Miss Piggy was such a strong, independent lady. She was very assertive. But sometimes I think she needed anger management classes. She would resort to violence more than I would approve of but I do appreciate that she was ruled by her emotions and I do feel that she had a deep love for her Kermit. I got married to her when I was about seven. My mum conducted the ceremony and my brothers had to get dressed up and come into the living room and they were so furious and annoyed with me. They took my Miss Piggy and threw her into a tree on that same day. It was so mean! This Christmas my mother gave me the Miss Piggy doll that I'd had since I was six and I pulled the doll out of the bag and the hair was different. I hadn't seen her for 20 years and I looked at my mother and was like, "You've changed her hair!" and my mother said, "That's what you have to say to me? That I changed her hair!"
Hercules and Love Affair aim to provide for the mature disco dancer
I understand that, listening to my music, it's definitely inspired by dance music of yesteryear and I can totally understand that people can hear it and relate it to their experiences in clubs, but might feel their clubbing days are over. But I would say this, if it's the hours that you're worried about, I plan on bringing back the whole idea of the tea party in the afternoon and having afternoon discos and dance parties - a little bit more civilised and subdued.
Hoorah!
'Hercules and Love Affair', the album, is out now.
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