Person Pitch was a Stereofave, we're loving Strawberry Jam, and getting psyched for Panda Bear's solo show at Bowery tomorrow night ... so indulge us here. PTW points us to Shoutmouth, who met with Noah Lennox in our local haunt Hi-Fi to discuss the sordid details of the Panda man's past. A few things Shoutmouth learned during their meeting:
Noah's Education: Went to an "alternative-type, progressive-type" high school called the Kimberton Waldorf School in Baltimore. Later went to, and dropped out of, Boston University. ("I hated college. Since then, if something goes wrong, I just say to myself, 'At least I?m not in school anymore.' I guess it just wasn?t for me.") Has known Avey Tare since 2nd grade! Met his wife during an all-night hang with a group of Portuguese strangers he encountered in Lisbon. He has modeled. Nude.
Back to that last point in a sec. Noah also talked about the effect leaking has had on Person Pitch, and how he feels about the Strawberry Jam spillage (and the label's response) to date.
On the Person Pitch leak...
It?s a very web-centered album. I was psyched about the fact that I was using all digital equipment. I was psyched about the fact that it leaked, that it was an Internet album ... The leak did amazing things for the album. The album has sold pretty well and I don?t think it would?ve?I was hoping that it would do a little bit better than Young Prayer and in the first two weeks it has sold more than Young Prayer had. So, I feel like the leak really helped out in that respect. I should say, though, that Animal Collective is more my job, and I don?t mean that in a bad way. That?s more where my focus is, musically speaking. So this was just like?I had a really good time doing it. At first I would give live copies of my shows to my friends and people I had a lot of respect for as musicians. So, it was all about wanting people to hear the music. That?s another reason I was psyched on the leak. I was like, ?The more people that want to listen to it, the better.? And it still sold pretty well, so I can?t complain about it.
Next, Shoutmouth brought up that strongly-worded, blog-ballyhooed email to writers who received advance tastes of Strawberry Jam, informing them that the person responsible for the leaks thus far has been identified and may just get fired. Noah's take:
I heard [Domino] sent out a thing; I know they?re stressed about it. It?s a complicated issue. I know, from our side, after a second of them being upset about it, we were like, ?Forget about it. Don?t make a big deal about it.? I know they traced back the leak to one person and he was going to get fired, and we don?t want to do that to anybody. We don?t want anybody to get fired?I don?t think he?s going to get fired anymore. I?m happy about that.
At the same time, you trust these people with these things and, you know, the leak was really good for my record?and we had to send the promos out really early because of travel schedules and other things. But, I think the label will mellow out about it. The only thing we?re really upset about with the leak is that it?s only parts of it. I think there are six songs out there now. People aren?t even able to get the full experience of the album, which bums us all out quite a bit. So if you?re listening leakers [speaking directly into the tape recorder], put up those other three songs, man, pronto.
"Put up those other three songs"! Happy Friday, Domino.
But you clicked through to find out about the Noah nudity.
It was kind of one of those ?I wonder if I can do this? sort of thing. The allure of it sort of wore off after the first time. The interview for that was crazy, though. I went to this guy at SVA [School of Visual Arts]?this guy brings me into this office: This guy was like, ?Have you ever done work like this before?? I was like, ?No.?
He goes, ?Take off your clothes.? And I said, ?If that?s what I?ve got to do to get the job, then I?ll do it.? So I just totally got naked in front of this guy. I got the job.
Sorry ladies, he only did it once. Here's Noah on the right (not naked).
