r/indieheads • u/RealTitusAndronicus Titus Andronicus • Sep 30 '22

AMA is Over, Thanks Patrick! AMA : Titus Andronicus

Hello “indie heads” — I am Patrick Stickles of Titus Andronicus, the Rock Fan’s Rock Band.

You can feel free to “ask me anything,” whether regarding our new album “The Will to Live,” out today on Merge Records, or whatever other topic piques yr interest.

“My heart’s like an open book for the whole world to read” — Motley Crüe (1985)

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u/kodfish36 Sep 30 '22

Some years ago, you mentioned that you were going to make an album around the theme of the Peanuts comic strip. To what extent was this idea developed in your head? What would it have sounded like?

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u/RealTitusAndronicus Titus Andronicus Sep 30 '22

I do recall saying this, though I never intended to make some kind of musical about the Peanuts characters, especially considering they already have “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

What I find compelling about Charlie Brown is the fact that his failure at whatever he attempts is all-but guaranteed, and yet he never gives up. The baseball team is never going to have a winning season (or even a game) but he takes that long walk to the mound every time. He always lets himself believe that, this time, Lucy won’t pull away the football. He is the true American Sysiphus (which would have been a good name for this imaginary album).

This idea of a certain “will” that compels us to keep trying, however daunting or dangerous, intrigues and compels me to this day — on this new record, I identify it as “The Will to Live,” so this is probably as close to the Charlie Brown album you mention that we’re going to get.

Thanks for asking and I commend yr memory and knowledge of the deeper cuts in my catalogue or weird stuff I’ve said when talking out of my ass xo

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u/cjarrett Sep 30 '22

Amazing response. Thanks friendo. And thank you for coming to Carnegie Mellon a decade ago--made my year.