Andy D takes his act westward

Andy D looks absurd; donning a jean jacket and a fanny pack, forgoing a shirt and topping it all off with a rattail will have that effect.

But the mustached musician, who hails from Indianapolis, has gained a cult following in the area over the last few years, thanks largely in part to that peformance aesthetic and his equally over-the-top shows.

Now Andy, whose real name is Andy Duncan, is leaving the area to head to Los Angeles with his wife, who recently got a job out on the West Coast.

Duncan plans to pursue his music career there with new avenues and more opportunities to make the same kind of splash he has in central Indiana.

“I have a lot of friends out there in the entertainment industry, so hopefully I’ll have a lot of resources,” Duncan said.

He has degrees in both anthropology and religious studies.

Duncan describes his music as “party music,” which he calls a functional definition in a music landscape where genres are so often muddled.

So we caught up with the party guy before he left the area for good to talk about his influences, LA and drunk girls.

IDS: Where did music enter into the equation for you?

ANDY D: I’ve been doing music since middle school, a weird metal band up in Indianapolis where I grew up. In college I did a noise project, and at the end of college I started doing this.

A mutual friend, who later became the producer on my first album, approached me and we laid down a song I had kind of a riff to. But I didn’t have any words. He suggested I start rapping and I wrote it that day and did it at his house. That song became “Rockslow,” which is a song I play all the time now.

I thought maybe that my anthropology can help my lyrics if I keep doing this hip-hop thing. I don’t consider myself straight hip-hop, but I am a rapper.

IDS: How does anthropology influence your lyrics?

ANDY D: It’s looking at humans as a political animal. Modern anthropology deals with our own culture and gender issues, sexuality issues, race issues, and I feel like I play with that a little bit.

I have a song called “God Loves Drunk Chicks” as well, and there’s a joke in there about a roofie at the end. I needed it in there to drive home the point that this song is a satire about date rape culture.

Drunk chicks, I have this wonderful ambivalence about them. At one point I pity them and at some point I think they’re great. They’re the life of the party and they’re like these shining beams of light like unicorns and no one should ever mess with them. But people do mess with them and take advantage of it. So I’m lamenting date rape culture but also pointing out the absurdities that happen at parties every day.

Stuff like that is how I approach all my music. How can I use humor in my lyrics and music to get people to laugh but also think? I mean if they’re laughing, they’re probably closer to dancing, so I want them to dance, laugh and think all at the same time.

IDS: What are your own personal influences?

ANDY D: Andrew W.K., Prince and the Beastie Boys are my three main influences. Prince is my favorite artist of all time.

Andrew W.K. inspired me to do what I do actually.

IDS: Where did your look come from?

ANDY D: Some from Andrew W.K. But for me, I love bright colors because I grew up in the early 90s. So I love that era, like Salt-n-Pepa, New Kids on the Block. There was neon, there were asymmetrical haircuts, there were lines of hair, people had rattails. So I try to blend that.

IDS: What would be your dream merch table?

ANDY D: I’ve actually been thinking about doing clip-on rattails. I think that would be rad. We’ve been thinking about doing a headband with a rattail attached to the back with a code on the inside. You can buy the headband and use the code to buy the album. So you can get the album and then wear the headband.