Posts Tagged ‘Butcher Prints’

Andy Mrotek is one busy person; he’s the drummer for Illinois alternative group The Academy Is…, a part-time artist, selling his masterpieces on the Butcher Prints web store, and now, blazing his own trail, he’s got a new side project, The Animal Upstairs. Recently debuting his new sound, he’s released three demo’s on Tumblr, and we managed have a chat with him about his music and his art.

Let’s start it off: who are you and what do you do? Music-related? Art-related?
I am Andy Mrotek. I play drums in the Academy Is… in which I am referred to as “the Butcher”. As far as Art goes, I’m a freelance artist/designer for SJC drums. My woodburning works have been featured in the last 2 NAMM conventions, and I’m already working on the kit for this year. Go for gold!

The Butcher? It sounds like something out of a Rob Zombie movie… how did you manage to get that nick name?
“The Butcher” comes from the simple origin of me actually being a butcher, prior to joining the Academy Is. They thought it was a funny name, and it stuck!

Now, I actually have a few of your artwork pieces, and I’m fascinated with them! What possesed you to start producing and selling your artwork? Tell us a little bit about Butcher Prints and how you got in to that kind of art.
I was painting during Warped 08, I had 6 or 7 just laying around the bus, getting stepped on. So! I decided to auction the pieces at our merch tent. It was very exciting, and the way I prefer to release art, in it’s original form. But those ran out quick, so I kept painting and auctioning throughout the next few tours. At the end of the year, i decided to get some prints made, so anyone could have a piece that wasnt being bid on for too much dough. SJC helps me distribute them, they’re my close friends.

And now, what we’re all here for: The Animal Upstairs. Who and what is TAU? Where did it come from?
The Animal Upstairs… the music that you hear, is me playing every instrument and singing. No, not actually at the same time. It’s just a recording, silly. Though, I do have a cameos, Tim William singing on Dotted Lines, Nash Breen dueling with me on drums on a few tracks, and even Nate Navarro, dueling with me on another… But the Animal Upstairs is basically just what it sounds like. The reason I dont’ sleep anymore. My creativity in it’s raw form, before it comes out my mouth or my fingers. My friend Lee Odeja coined the term for me, I asked him to try and describe the ideal and motivation I had regarding the multi-faceted project. It means all that junk.

What sort of sound would you come to describe TAU as if you were explaining it to someone who’s never heard you? Could you put it in to a specific genre of music?
Hmm. Im always bad at this, putting music in genres. I tagged it as Breast Rock, though I dont really know what that means. I’d say it’s Indie, with a little hiphop or RnB influence… I wanted to fulfill all these different grooves and themes and styles, so I ended up with a very wide spectrum of music. Actually, I was really hoping I could be one of the bands to start a NEW wave, which is coming any minute. If emo was the last wave, you could call my wave PRIMO. kidding

How has, if at all, being in The Academy Is… affected TAU, and vice-versa? Does your drumming for TAI have any affect on your music writing?
TAI has effected everything that I do. Ive learned how to better craft my own songs and message through my time in the band. This certainly has NOT effected TAI, nor am I leaving the band. As they say “s’all gooood”, but it really is. I like being a drummer to most people, and I love to be so much more to the people who choose to find that out.

What sort of musical inspiration helps you make your own music? Do you have a favourite artist that you look to?
Musical inspiration? Off the top of my head, I would say… Alicia Keys, Radiohead, Jay-Z, Arcade Fire, Cody Chestnutt, Flaming Lips, etc. I am generally more moved (instantly) by RnB or hiphop- groove based music. It’s easy to nasty-dance to, I love that. But I also love the slow building atmospheres of Radiohead and Arcade Fire. Flaming Lips is also a example of a cult band with an amazing live show, a great sense of humor, and an extremely multi talented backing band.

Is TAU a long-term thing, or is it simply something keeping you busy at the moment?
TAU is certainly keeping me busy. I could see it long term… I feel like, if you make decisions about your art, prior to developing it, you get into trouble, you end up hating anything you produce, because of it’s “plan” that it probably isnt hitting. Yes. I want it long term. But first, I want to keep producing, let fans tell ME that it’s worth it. The music is already worth everything to me… If people can realize that, and support the music as an element of nature, rather than a business- all of a sudden I’m doing something real. My long term goal is to play coachella alongside my favorite bands. I wont get there if I turn into an emo business-band. That sounds harsh, mostly because its true and everyone knows it.

Have you any other comments about The Animal Upstairs? Any secrets you want to share?
Animal Secrets…. none yet. Just give it time, I’m sure something messed up is bound to happen.

I’d personally like to give a big thank you to Andy for taking the time to do the interview!

Hear new The Animal Upstairs music!