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 the quizzical singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart, whose new album Ape in Pink Marble is out now via Nonesuch.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
My friend said this to me about four days ago: “You can either be a musician or you can wear a hat. You can’t do both.”
What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
I literally shoveled goat shit on a farm in Venezuela when I was 13, just before I moved to America. I’ll never forget the burn of my nose at first. Then you adjust and keep shoveling, because they just shit. It was fascinating to really get into the shit. Of course, I was also covered in shit. I don’t know if there’s a shittier job than actually shoveling shit.
Do you have a favorite joke?
I only have one that I wrote: This incognito noodle wearing a big trench coat and hat walks into a bar. The bartender says, “Can I get you a drink?” And the noodle says, “No thanks, I’m soba.” That’s original material there.
Do you think your life would be better or worse without social media?
Well, I’d have to go back to going to the post office to get my dick pics. I get a lot of dicks on Instagram, which I run myself. The last one I got was of two erect penises, and it said, “We both have boners thanks to your music, and they’re touching.” It was sweet.
What is the YouTube video that you’ve watched the most times?
The outtakes for that champaign commercial with a drunk Orson Welles—he was so wasted on set that the commercial never aired. It’s him sitting there with these two actors who are really pro, and then Orson Welles is so intoxicated and could just give a shit, in the best way. It is so satisfying. It’s got shelf life. You can re-watch it and see the nuances of that entire moment being captured.
What is your life motto?
Never be prepared.
What’s the last song that you’ve heard that made you believe in the power of music?
“Maki Madni” by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Who would you want to play you in a film about you?
Three names come to mind: cult hero Tommy Wiseau, silver screen legend Isabella Rossellini, and French legend extraordinaire Denis Lavant. I wouldn’t mind if Willem Dafoe went in there for a minute. And maybe the robot from Wall-E.
What’s the last thing you binge watched?
The O.J. Simpson documentary Made in America. Someone was like, “You have to watch this ESPN documentary,” and I was like, “First off, when you say ‘ESPN,’ I instantly checked-out, I don’t give a shit. Second: I just watched ‘The People v. O.J. Simpson,’ I get it.” But of course I’m an idiot, and they’re right, and it’s fucking incredible.
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
As an adolescent I saw the Specials at the Glass House in Pomona, and that was life changing. I dressed the part—except not well, because it was a thrift suit. I looked more like David Byrne than a rudeboy; I still have a hard time finding suits that fit me. But I had my braces and I had my Docs. It was unbelievable. They were my introduction to some of my favorite music in the world. They were such a formative band.
Do you believe in ghosts?
Don’t get me wrong, I like a little paranormal erotica as much as the next gal, but I think “ghost” is too general of a term. I know that there are energies that vibrate frequencies that are so subtle you could say that they exist in a different territory or realm or sphere, and people mistake these frequencies for ghosts. This happens when there’s a shock to the system or a traumatic event, like the loss of a loved one. In these states, it’s actually us who cross over to that domain—we’re operating in such a sensitive state that we can tap into that other sphere. It’s us visiting the “ghost.”
What are you most self-conscious about?
Maybe that I’m smart enough to know just how stupid I am.