Girltalk's Gregg Gillis: The New Gay Interview

In honor of Girl Talk's soldout show at the 9:30 Club tonight, I'm reprinting this interview with him from last September. Enjoy.

A google image search for Gregg Gillis, the given name of Pittsburgh mash-up artist Girl Talk, could leave the searcher unsure if they were looking at a DJ, a stripper, or an American Apparel model. There is a picture of Gillis on stage behind a laptop, Gillis from the neck up showing off bright green eyes and a bright blue trucker cap, and Gillis doing pushups on a hardwood floor with his butt-crack hanging out.

Actually, a google image search reveals very little at all about Greg Gillis. So I, the casual fan, decided it would just be easier to ask him.

It turns out that Girl Talk, who is best known for his shirts-and-skins live shows and ability to patchwork top-40 samples into stand-alone songs, is just a really nice 25 year-old with good phone presence, some cool ideas about music and, unfortunately, a girlfriend.

Girl Talk is playing at the Black Cat tomorrow with Dan Deacon and White Williams. Before I get into the interview, I have to get three essential facts out of the way. Gillis chose the name Girl Talk from a passage of Jim Morrison poetry. He prefers the new Kanye album to 50 Cent’s latest release, but just a little. And, most endearingly, he pronounces both “J’s” in “Peter, Bjorn and John.”

Now, while you read this interview I’m going to go look for more pictures of that butt-crack.

The New Gay Zack: How long have you been playing music?

Gregg Gillis: I’ve been doing Girl Talk since 2000, when I was 18, but I’ve been doing sample forms of music since I was 15 or so. I went to Case Western [Reserve University, in Ohio]. I put out two of my albums while in school, most of the heart and soul of Girl Talk was put together while I was in Cleveland.

TNG: Did that get you laid a lot?

GG: Not too much in college. I have a steady girlfriend these days. It never really worked for me in the early days, its just been in the past year that the laid potential has gone through the roof. Back then the ladies couldn’t care less.

TNG: Does your girlfriend mind you touring so much?

GG: I think she hates it sometimes, but she’s on tour with me right now and she does her best. I’m lucky to have someone whose open to that lifestyle.

TNG: Does she mind you being naked on stage all the time?

GG; I've been really holding back on taking off my clothes these days, I do it when its necessary or when everyone else is naked. She’s very excited if I do a whole show with my clothes on, but she knows its not likely to happen.

TNG: When did disrobing on stage become your thing?

GG: I think in my early shows, back when people weren’t as enthusiastic. When its a wednesday in Pittsburgh its tough to get people fired up, taking off my clothes let people know where I was going with this. I do all my music live, I’m actually clicking the mouse when the changes happen, but its not as entertaining to click a mouse as to play a drum so I try to interact with the crowd and make it as entertaining as possible.

TNG: Have you been to D.C. before?

GG: I played at the Black Cat backstage last Halloween, and my sister lives here, so I've visited a good amount. Its such a distinct spot, there's a nice mix up of a lot of culture [in D.C.]

TNG: What was the show like?

GG: It was insane. The small backstage space was very comfortable. I could interact with everybody, there was dancing and crowd-surfing. At my shows I do a similar thing every night, so it's up to the audience to see how extreme we can get. Last time was very cool, hopefully it can translate to a bigger stage this time.

TNG: You sell t-shirts that say “Girl Talk is Not a DJ,” so obviously that statement is important to you. What do you think separates your work from the work of a DJ?

GG: I made those shirts with respect towards DJs, if your definition of DJ is anyone who manipulates pre-existing media I fall into that category. When I perform by computers I cue up samples by hand, I never play someone’s unaltered song. A lot of times a DJ will just mix in a track and let it play. There’s a lot of skill to that, but in my mind its two distinct things. I’m playing songs and manipulating and making something new live.

TNG: Your songs are made up entirely of other people’s samples. How have you not gotten in serious legal trouble?

GG: There’s a fair use law that allows you to sample music. It looks at the nature of the work, if its transformative, if you’re affecting the artists potential sales. I think everyone’s trying to adapt right now to changing music, no one knows how to sell CDs [these days] and my album has done more good than harm, it exposes people to new music.

TNG: What are your favorite samples?

GG: Off the last record I liked the Biggie Smalls and Elton John part of “Smash Your Head,” there’s a part with “Juicy” and “Tiny Dancer.” There’s no official single to the album [Night Ripper] but that moment seems like it has come to the top as the song people get down to. It gets the best response when I play it live.

TNG: You’re a cute guy that plays dance music and takes your shirt off on stage. How would you feel about being a New Gay Icon?

GG: I’m very open to any following, I’m happy to be any sort of icon. The best shows are the ones with a lot of diversity in the audience, it would be bizarre to me if a crowd was one particular style.

TNG: Your opinions on Larry Craig: Is he gay or not gay?

GG: I would have to talk to him for like five minutes. I really can’t gauge it at this point, it’s all public appearance.

TNG: Do you think he was looking for dick or just picking paper off the ground?

GG: [Laughing:] These are hard hitting questions, I don’t wanna speak on behalf of anyone.