A kindred spirit/long lost friend originally from Tennessee and now in Chicago, Illinois, Nick was introduced to us by Jay Ryan of The Bird Machine. Nick is a talented painter, screen printer, book maker, musician, funny story teller, noise gadget procurement specialist, Southern accent purveyor, and I'm sure some other things we just don't know about yet. He kick started our side label, Placetapes, with his fantastic hand-screened book and cd, The Complicated Bicycle, and is about to head to Europe this Fall for an artist residency. He will be producing new work, which we will show you as we get our hands on some. We can't say enough about him. Look for new surprises on Placetapes.
And now some words from Mr. Butcher himself; questions by Hometapes...
Where are you from? Does/How does your history define you?
Dyersburg, Tennessee.
The landscape and the smalltownness are now things I feel like I need.
Where are you now? ...and if you'd like to answer: Why?
Zürich, Switzerland.
Im in "Da Switz" to participate in an Artist in Residence program. I'm working on a new book.
Homebase is Chicago. I followed my brother there with lots of help from Jay Ryan and Dan Grzeca. I had finished my schooling in Tennessee and it seemed like the right move.
Why do you do what you do?
Doing anything else scares the shit out of me.
Tell us about your musical history.
I've been playing and making recordings since I was 15 or 16. I've played in 10 or so bands. The more memorable being Dustworm, Horseface, Hypostatic, and the Shakedown Cruise. I'm not really playing with anybody at the moment but I hope to incorporate some friends into my next recordings. It would be nice to throw a wrench into my singularity.
Think about your favorite artists. Think of a question you'd like to collectively ask them. Now, ask yourself that question and write down your answer.
How do you take your work seriously without taking yourself too seriously?
I dont know. Keep family and friends close by.
What are you listening to/reading/watching lately?
Lots of Swiss German, Honey for Petzi, Dirty Three, Oval, Stephen Mathieu
List what matters.
time, space, food, people
Discuss avant garde/experimental vs. pop. We think what you do could potentially warrant this comparison.
You cant have one without the other.
What's next?
a book, film experiments, an art show in Hamburg.
