When bands like The Saturdays and One Direction tell you they are on hiatus, we all know what that means….they’ll do the solo thing till a reunion offer comes along and they realise they need the cash. Although, after this year’s Celebrity Big Brother, it looks likes Sarah’s fucked up all opportunities of Girls Aloud getting back together. Nice one, Sarah. *sigh*. Aaaanyway, if there’s one group we can rely on to keep it together, keep it together forever and ever, it’s the Scissor Sisters – so we were psyched to hear from the group’s Ana Matronic who told us, ‘We didn’t hit the Stop button. Just Pause.’
Loverboy’s Barry also spoke to Ana about fifty years of Homosexuality, what it means to be politically active in this day and age and her upcoming gig at London’s Pink Lemonade this weekend. 

Scissor Sisters’ Ana Matronic, how the devil are you?
I’m great! It was my birthday yesterday and I went to the British Museum to celebrate. Then I filled in for Jo Whiley on her R2 show but that was hardly laborious. The beauty of Radio 2, particularly my Saturday night show, Disco Devotion, is that there is ZERO playlist so I get to play what I want.

We love your show. It’s very Horse Meat Disco. What else have you been up to since the band’s break up?
Just Pause. We didn’t hit the Stop button. Well, lots and lots of DJing through Radio 2 but also DJing just in general. I have also been working on music myself. I also wrote a book about robots a few years ago and now I get to talk to people about technology and where it is taking us. I’m doing a TED talk in Belfast in November.

 

But there’ll be music coming soon?
Yes! I’m not sure if I’m allowed to talk about it yet. There is a collaboration coming out in September that I think people will be interested in.

And as for the Scissor Sisters, tell us, how did ‘Swerlk’ your recent song with MNDR that come about?
That’s all MNDR. BabyDaddy was producing some of her stuff. But she loves Scissors and wanted to work with the whole band on something. I’m not sure whose idea it was to release it in honour of the Pulse shooting, but I thought it was a perfect commemoration.

We love everything that you bring to the band. The glamour, the sass, the energy. BUT our favourite album is Nightwork which feel definitely more masculine. How was it being part of the band during that era?
It’s funny because people think of it as being such a masculine album but it’s the one I feature on most. It has ‘Skin This Cat’ on it. It has a real balanced sexual energy to it. It may be sexually aggressive but women can be sexually aggressive too. I think people associate it with being so masculine mainly because of the cover art. I mean there are some definitely pretty hot songs on there….

You’ve also been covering Fifty Years of Homosexuality for the BBC. How was that?
It felt special to have a platform on national radio, going out to millions of people, and being able to talk about dancing with my drag queen friends and just being honest about my experience in the queer community. Particularly with what seems to be an aggressively conservative agenda that is trying to rollback rights in America right now. Queerness is still a weapon that is used to punish and demoralise people’s humanity. It’s important to remind people of the community’s greatness.

Do you find the youth of today as politically fired up as previous generations?
I think it’s like anybody. There are going to be people who have a lot more of an activist approach and then people who are like, ‘Yeah I’m gay, but that’s just a very small part of who I am. I just want to live my life.’ But that goes for anyone of any minority. I am certainly enjoying the fluidity of the younger generation and the consciousness of fluid gender.

Do you feel the word ‘gay’ has become more of a commercial concept in 2017?
Of course and that’s what happens when any minority demographic becomes mainstream –  they become marketed to. People will want to provide things for you and get your dollars. This is what it means to be visible and in the light.

As opposed to the invisible one, huh? We’ve been marching towards banality in terms of corporate commercialism all this time.
And let’s be fair there are definitely industries that have been supported by the pink pound. You look at the musicals for example, they are a huge part of the gay community and I am  not knocking that at all. The notion of the pop diva is also a notion that has been supported and nourished by the gay community – and the drag community in particular.

And what are you up to while you’re in London?
Well I’m really excited about my set this Saturday at Pink Lemonade in East Bloc because it will be the first time in ages where I finish my show on the radio at 2am and jump straight in a car to take me directly to the club. I’m normally so wired after Disco Devotion that I’m like, ‘Where’s the after party?’ I love East Bloc because the sound system is delicious. I try and pick the crunchiest and the hardest and the most delicious bass sculptures just to throw in peoples’ faces.

What song will always get you on the dancefloor?
Right now it would be ‘Testify’ by Hi-Fi Sean and Crystal Waters. That song will no doubt get me on the dancefloor. I love Hi-Fi Sean. He might actually be in the DJ booth with me on Saturday.

And of course, lastly, what is your favourite Mariah song?
It would be a toss up between the ‘Heartbreaker’ Remix with Missy and also ‘Dreamlover’ – I have a soft spot in my heart for that one.

Ana Matronic plays Pink Lemonade at East Bloc this Saturday night, 19th August. You can also catch her Radio 2 show, Disco Devotion, on Saturday nights here.