How much do you think Feed the Animals is worth to a consumer?
I don’t know, I guess that depends on what you make. I really enjoy buying albums, and I come from the world where CDs are worth $10 or $15 typically, so that’s what I think it would be worth for a physical product…. But that’s completely different for different people, and I understand that. I think a lot of young kids grow up having no money and are used to having access to the internet and getting music for free. That’s their world, and I don’t really think there’s a problem with that. 1
Speaking of physical recordings, how does the evolution of the medium affect you directly?
Going to record stores is still very fun for me. I’m really looking forward to seeing any change in the music industry. I mean, I’ll buy CDs until they stop making them, but I’m also very excited about the physical media dying at some point. We’ve reached a whole new creative outlook now — people approach being in bands in a whole different way. But for what it is now, it’s kind of sad to go to a record store that you love and see that times are tough, business has been slowing down and it’s only a matter of time before those stores just start dropping. 2
How do you respond to critics who think you should seek permission and pay artists for the samples you use?
I feel a certain way about the laws, but I don’t necessarily want to wear that on my sleeve. I don’t want to go play a show and then preach to the audience about sampling rights. If my music generates thoughts on those issues, that’s fantastic, but it’s not goal No. 1. 3
If an artist specifically states that the artist never wants his or her music mixed by another, would you respect the wishes of that artist?
I’m not specifically trying to piss people off, so I would be open to requests like that. But if their work happened to fit perfectly into what I was doing, I’d probably still be open to using it if I thought it fell under fair use. It’s a new era of communication between bands/musicians and consumers; I think some people don’t see that yet. Maybe if they saw how their work was used in a particular transformative way, they’d be open to it. Good question! 4
So you talk to fans who are into your record, into your show, but they think Rick Springfield is a joke and not worth their time?
Clearly not everyone’s going to be on the same page. I feel like a lot of my personal friends are on a similar wavelength, being ready to be into things. I feel like musicians are almost challenging one another to be into things. But yeah, a lot of kids are at that level, and I’m not saying it’s right or wrong. It’s just a different perspective, and I’m open to it. I meet people who don’t listen to rap music who come out to shows, I meet kids who don’t listen to music from the 1980s, ‘90s, whatever. Clearly, not everyone’s going to be on the same tip as far as referencing 300 songs that I sample. 5
SOURCES
(1) Matheson, Whitney. (2008, Sept. 23) “Pop Candy,” USA Today. “Chatting with… Girl Talk, a.k.a. Gregg Gillis.” From http://blogs.usatoday.com/popcandy/2008/09/chatting-with-g.html
(2) Firecloud, Johnny. (2008, Sept. 10) Antiquiet. “Mixin’ It Up With Girl Talk.” From http://www.antiquiet.com/interviews/2008/09/mixin-it-up-with-girl-talk/
(3) Stephey, M.J. . (2008, Oct. 22) Time. “Q&A: Girl Talk.” From http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1852729,00.html
(4) Gillis, Gregg. (2008, July 29) Washington Post. “Girl Talk/Gregg Gillis On New Album, Music Industry.” From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/07/16/DI2008071601445.html
(5) Richardson, Mark. (2008, Oct. 6) Pitchfork Media. “Interview: Girl Talk.” From http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/node/144730