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Our interview series Icebreaker features artists talking about things—some strange, some amusing, some meaningful—that just might reveal their true selves. This edition features experimental pop auteur Tom Krell, aka How to Dress Well, whose latest album, Care, is out now via Weird World/Domino.
Pitchfork: Do you think your life would be better or worse without social media?
Tom Krell: Worse. I’ve made so many friends through this weird thing. I was thinking about it the other day: We walk around now with communication devices in our hands and talk to people all over the world all the time instantaneously. It’s fucking crazy. It’s mind-bending. It’s literally the future. I have no clue what life would be like otherwise. It’s so deep.
What’s the last song you heard that made you believe in the power of music?
“Bandit” by Prince Bopp. He’s just a fucking legend. It’s a really beautiful rap song. It’s weird too. He describes the experience of going through a break up and then getting involved in the streets and drugs and then coming out of a long period of depression and heartache because of rap. It’s a super emo-sounding song. I love music that isn’t an exercise in some kind of universal trade-able currency but is rather a moment of pure idiosyncratic human personality, pure freedom.
How would you describe yourself as a dancer?
I’m a very good dancer, but I’m not interested in dance—like, I don’t do any modern dance. I’m more interested in going out and dancing at Berghain for like 16 hours. I love to dance. I do my little bop. I don’t really try anything that doesn’t feel natural. I’m just who I am. I’m weird, I’m Tom, get used to it.
What is the YouTube video that you’ve watched the most times?
The live performance of Iris DeMent’s “My Life.” Lyrically, that song is my holy text. She’s an interesting person because she’s an extremely straightforward person with this extremely extraordinary and profound power vocally and lyrically. If you have two points on opposite ends of a line where the left side is “normal” and the right side is “legendary artist,” I’m always interested in taking that spectrum and bending it into a circle and then seeing what happens in that space between those two points. In that video, she slides back and forth from those two extremes so much.
What was the last TV show that you binge watched?
I watched the first season of “Mr. Robot.” It’s OK. Honestly, nine times out of 10, when I’m watching a whole season of a TV show, I’m like, “Why am I doing this?” Then it ends, and I’m like, “ugh.” Every time I finish a TV show I feel like I should be watching something else. There are so many great films that I haven’t seen.
What’s the last song you heard that made you cry?
Not a lot of songs do that for me. But the world makes me cry a lot, and I’ve been seeking a lot of joy and pleasure through art lately, so I haven’t really been digging in on sad-boy songs. Instead, I’ve been listening to a lot of “Walking on Broken Glass” by Annie Lennox and “I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis and “On ne change pas” by Celine Dion. Celine is always on that truth.
If they made a film about your life, who would you want to play you?
I really like untrained actors, so I’d like a non-actor to play me. Being untrained effects the freedom of your choices in a very unique way. I was talking about this with a friend about musical stuff: I’m not a virtuosic player of any instruments, so in order for me to actually get a song on its feet I have to make heaps of decisions. Whereas if you’re a virtuosic guitar player you might be like, “Well, A minor should go here, and then let’s do G, because that makes sense.” The decisions you make are canonized once you are a virtuosic player. There are amazingly talented virtuosic actors and musicians, but there’s power in the novice. There’s more play in it.
What’s the greatest concert you’ve ever been to?
I saw Phil Elverum play in a bookstore in Denver, Colorado when I was 16. Just acoustic guitar, and for 12 people. That changed me forever. He’s such a powerful spirit. He’s just the most inspiring person. At this point, I’ve seen him play probably 10 times in 10 years. It’s crazy to see a career develop and take as many turns as his has. He’s such a treasured artist for me.