Q & Andy: St. Vincent

ABOVE: ST. VINCENT. PHOTO COURTESY OF RENATA RAKSHA.

Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St. Vincent, received her first Grammy earlier this year—Best Alternative Album—for St. Vincent, her fourth solo LP. Prior to adapting the name St. Vincent in 2006, the musician spent time as a touring member of Sufjan Stevens and as a member of The Polyphonic Spree. In 2012, she released a collaborative album with David Byrne, in which the two experimented with vocals and instrumentals, pushing anything and everything to extreme limits.

This past weekend, St. Vincent played amongst the likes of Drake, Florence + The Machine, Björk, and The Black Keys at Governors Ball in New York, and although her stage time coincided with that of Ratatat, the Tulsa, Oklahoma-native’s was one not to be missed. She performed a set largely composed of songs from St. Vincent, while donning a sheer and patent black leather dress. A stunning dancer in her own right, she could have held her own, but instead chose to have two accompanyng dancers on a platform behind her, adding even more life to the unapologetic, energetic showcase.

After the performance, St. Vincent answered some of Interview founder Andy Warhol’s favorite questions.

ANDY WARHOL: What did you have for breakfast?

ST. VINCENT: Smoked salmon and broccoli, and lots of coffee

WARHOL: Do you draw?

ST. VINCENT: Yes.

WARHOL: What was your first job?

ST. VINCENT: Telemarketing for a much-despised company.

WARHOL: How come you didn’t become an inventor?

ST. VINCENT: I did invent reversible shoes, but they never caught on.

WARHOL: Have you been to the White House?

ST. VINCENT: Yes.

WARHOL: What are you reading right now?

ST. VINCENT: The Malcolm X speech from Oxford, 1964

WARHOL: Do you have a lot of beauty secrets?

ST. VINCENT: There is no secret I know of, except SPF 1000.

WARHOL: Do you do your own nails?

ST. VINCENT: In a pinch.

WARHOL: I don’t want to live forever, do you?

ST. VINCENT: No way.