Interview with Andy Tibbs of Fuse

Who or what is Anton Barbeau?

Originally, he was just a simple wee lad, a tiny little bloke, a gentle bit of no-trouble-at-all, born in a manger with no haystack to call home. More recently, however, he has become a multi-national Action-Bag™, with lust in his heart and big dreams in his eye. OR, he is ME, psychedelic popstylist of Yankee heritage with NO RESEMBLANCE WHATSOEVER to Chris Evans and huge crushes on Helen Mirren and Billie Piper. OR (again), I'm a songwriter/performer living sometimes in Sacramento with my Dad, and driving a wild Honda.

Tell us a bit about your ubiquitous history?

I was born under a bus in 1921. I made my first million two years later when I invented the Volkswagen. And I've managed to put out so many albums that I've now run out of fingers. My first gig was as a magician when I was 10, and at 13 I played Jesus in the 8th-grade production of Godspell. I started playing music around the same time, eventually giving up Jesus for Gary Numan, plonking away on a Casio keyboard and making chords that turned into songs. Really bad songs. I think the songs got better and I got my fingers back. In my hometown I've won many awards for Selling Very Few Records, and in England I'm known as much for my "Banana Song" as I am for NOT LOOKING ANYTHING LIKE CHRIS EVANS.

Whilst being described as "psychedelic," how do you overcome the restraints of that description? After all, mention psychedelia and many people would immediately struggle to get beyond Syd Barrett or Soft Machine. Or worse, dismiss your music as a 60's throwback.

Well, to start with, I love Syd Barrett and Soft Machine, and I am influenced by many 60's bands, but I think in this day and age, no-one blinks when Flaming Lips are listed as psychedelic. Or Grandaddy or Radiohead or Super Furry Animals or Devendra Banhart etc. One of my current albums, "In the Village of the Apple Sun," is very tripped-out, and by all scientific standards would have to qualify as "psychedelic." I don't mind this at all. But I don't think there's anything overly-indulgent on the disk... no retro-headed 20-minute sitar jams, for example. I'm interested in the idea of music as a means to spiritual transcendence, man, but I'm just as keen to entertain the masses with tight pop song-writing. One can be groovy AND succinct AND forward-thinking, if one owns the right potato peeler.

What would your definition of commercial success be?

I suppose to start with it would be simply to have my music be self-sustaining. To have someone else's money to spend on making records, to have enough of a budget to work in good studios with a range of producers. Most of my records are now made in my living room, with friends donating their time and talent. It's working out well this way, but I'd love to be able to hire Tony Visconti for a week of tambourine overdubs! Beyond this, I'd love for my music to pay my bills, to fix the brakes on my car and so forth. Beyond THAT, I'd be happy with a few castles and a fleet of E-types, but one thing at a time.

Who or what inspires your music?

The Beatles and Brian Eno are always in my head when I'm working on records. I listen to so much music, and I'm a bit of a magpie. I got really deep into Roy Harper on my last trip to England, and the next couple songs I wrote had a touch of Roy. I've been absorbing loads of Krautrock as well in the last couple years, plus folky things like Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention. This week it's six disks of Trojan Dub plus some Siberian throat singers! Certain filmmakers like Goddard filter in. I like the way he's always breaking into the narrative, winking at the camera to say "it's a film... you're watching a film, bonjour!" and Tarkovsky for the intense stillness of nature he captures so well. I don't think I've ever come close to something like that, and I wouldn't know how to incorporate that into a pop song anyway. He can just hold the camera on a pool of water and make it seem like everything you've ever wanted to see. In case I'm getting too fruity here, I'll mention that Monty Python, Reeves and Mortimer, Steve Coogan and freaks like that are also close to my heart.

And I like long walks in the rain, sunsets, stone circles and penguins...

Given you spend time on both sides of the Atlantic, would you describe your music as more American or more English?

I've always been keen on English music and pop-culture, so it was never surprising when reviewers would point out the Englishness in my sound, but it wasn't until I started coming over to the UK regularly that I could hear my own American twang. I suppose I play it up a bit, singin' in a Dylan-drawl on certain songs. But I don't have a naturally bluesy vibe about me and Americana usually makes my ears feel itchy. If I can quote one of my own, "I wanna be David Bowie, but I'm stuck being David Byrne."

What would you be doing right now if not answering these questions?

Avoiding hoovering, avoiding paying my phone bill, avoiding doing acoustic guitar overdubs on a stupid new song and avoiding the rest of these questions! I'd probably be watching Doctor Who or standing in the kitchen, hassling my friends on the telephone.

Your musical output is prolific. Do you find that working so extensively with other "psychedelics" and other musical "auters" is helpful to your objectives or is it potentially limiting and tends to get you pigeonholed?

One of the best things about my musical life these days is being able to work with so many wonderful freaks. I've learned so much and I have a blast. I know that my own bio has me pegged a "cult hero's cult hero," and I suppose there's truth in that. But I've always thought it was ironic that the record I made with the Bevis Frond was probably the most straight-forward thing either of us had done. And as a result, that record was much more accessible than other records of mine. On the other hand, I've worked with folks who've had great commercial success. They didn't hand down the Great Secret to me or anything, they just did their thing and added groovy sounds to whatever record I was making at the time. I'm working on such an underground level that I don't think many people would know yet how to pigeonhole me! And at the end of the day, I hope people will dig the songs I've written no matter who borrowed my Space Echo.

Describe your music?

Psychedelic wonder pop. Okay, I stole that from a reviewer. I think it's catchy pop, full of odd colours and shapes, sometimes, but steeped in tradition. Some of my songs are even, some are odd. Some are musically and mathematically challenging, some are dead simple. My lyrics are often a little obtuse, but I'm not being willfully weird. Things just come out the way they do. For as quirky-go-lucky as my music can be, I hope that there's enough emotional resonance to mean something to others. I do mix and match feelings in my songs, as I think that's pretty true to how people really are. We're messy and our emotions overlap and contradict sometimes. I remember an uncle of mine shocking the hell out of me at his wife's funeral when he told the darkest joke I'd ever heard. We were all in hysterics, then suddenly sobered up and resumed our mournful poses. But what a moment, you know? I think one purpose my music serves is to confuse and amuse. Oh, and I have a voice like Bing Crosby's.

Who are your heroes?

Julian Cope. Epic rocker, epic DUDE. I worry that he's gone too metal these days, but nonetheless. Carl Jung and P.K. Dick, both of who went in WAY deep to bring us all out the other side. And Emma Peel. I'm pretty easy to please. Sandwich?

How would you like to be remembered?

Mostly for my excellent memory. And for having written the bass line to "Allyson 23."

If you found out one day you were reincarnated, who would you like to have previously been?

The original Doctor. I'd have Billie Piper AND Lalla Ward to look forward to.

What’s the worst job and place to live you’ve ever had?

Ditch digger at a pet cemetery in Alameda.

What’s the worst thing about being American? And the best?

Well, the easy answer is George Bush! Being associated with him by default makes being an American pretty weird right now. And the high cost of health insurance is outrageous and unfair. Gun culture, the macho "we're Number 1 and we ain't gonna listen to anyone else" attitude that we carry around in our huge SUVs as we ruin the planet, these are a few of my favorite things,

Maybe one of the best things about being American is never having to say you're sorry. Ever. To anyone.

BBC Radio Oxford has described you as "a bit of a genius," is this true?

A bit. How am I supposed to know! I think they just said that hoping I'd help them with a box-girder bridge they needed help with. Ask me again when I've actually sold some records and have a proper attitude.

Anything else you want to say about yourself? (The more the better!)

I'm not THAT keen on long walks in the rain, but I did love watching "Children of the Stones." I accept paypal. I'm good with animals, especially ducks. My new records are probably great as Christmas gifts. Did I say I was good with animals? And box-girder bridges... Thanks for reading, goodbye!

Thank you for your time.

Andy Tibbs, FUSE, 20 November 2006.

well, thanks for YOUR time! i had a blast, but who knew answering so many questions would cause such a rash?