A few months back Alternative Press Magazine hosted an art show in New York City in celebration of their 25th anniversary. The show displayed artwork from various band members, including Pete Wentz, Travie McCoy, and many more. Among the artists in attendance was Andy Mrotek of The Academy Is…! We caught up with Andy for a few minutes while he strolled through the gallery.
First can you introduce yourself and what you do?
I’m Andy Mrotek, also known as “The Butcher,” and I play drums in The Academy Is… and I do some artwork!
How did you get involved with the AP art show?
They, the people at AP, knew that I did artwork, and they asked and I said “hell yeah!”
Do you think the message you put out with your music incorporates into the message you put out with your art?
Not particularly. Well, kind of. Maybe not in this instance. But sometimes, yes. Not with this piece though, this one is kind of dumb…
What’s the message in this one?
I don’t know, it’s two kids smoking weed.
How do you combine your two passions for music and art?
You know, it’s surprisingly hard to actually combine them. I can’t seem to make a shirt design for the life of me.
You did the Santi one, right?
Yeah, okay, that’s fair. That was just a drawing that turned into a shirt.
What’s next for The Academy Is…?
Writing a new record, for now.
Do you have any idea when that’s coming out?
No idea!
Any touring plans?
No, no plans! We’re just trying to finish the record and record it.
So you went on tour with KISS this summer. How was that compared to other tours you’ve done?
It was completely different! We also did a small headliner on the off dates, so we got to experience the huge arena shows, as well as the small, intimate shows. It was a really cool way of touring, it was a neat experience. I personally like the smaller shows better because I get to experience all the fans, as opposed to the bigger shows when everyone is far, far away.
If there was one message you could put out with either your art or your music, what would it be?
Um… good question! Uh… can “I don’t know” be a message?
I guess so!
Okay! So in quotations, “I don’t know.”
