George
From his time bending genders as front
man for the MTV pioneering Culture Club,
through a periodic solo career and unexpected rebirth as a DJ, Boy George is unquestionably one of the most prominent personalities
on the planet. Now back with his first individual studio album in 18 years, the flamboyant favorite catches IE's Andy Argyrakis up
about the different ways of doing this. I
decided just to make it myself, pay for it
myself, and then I did the deal with
Kobalt [Label Services], who thus far
have done a really good job. I like the situation because it means I own the record
and I also had the creative [freedom].
Boy George
IE: This is a very fresh sounding record,
but it's different from some of your pop
hits. Was that a conscious decision or
just where your muse was at the
moment?
BG: I think it's a mixture of things. I didn't want to try to make a record that
sounded like the records I'm hearing on
the radio because I wouldn't really know
where to start. I think you can only ever
do what you do, and at this point, I've
got a way of writing and a way of think-
04•2014
to speed on his recent whereabouts, why he
never reads his own press and some exciting
reunion rumblings.
Illinois Entertainer: What brought the
bug back to do a new solo studio album?
Boy George: I've wanted to make a
record for a long time, but I haven't been
with a label since '95. [The delay came]
just from the idea of "do I want to try to
go out and find a record deal?" You just
think "oh my God." It's a bit like trying to
find a new boyfriend or something! It all
came together when I changed management a couple of years ago and we talked
8 illinoisentertainer.com april 2014
ing that's unique to me. I think I've
always used my music as a diary and [a
reflection of] the way I see the world. For
this record, I've gone back to all the
things I've loved as a kid, from Bowie to
reggae to the '70s - it's really amazing.
IE: What inspired the title, This Is
What I Do?
BG: I was actually doing an interview
on a TV show in the UK in advance of
my album, but I didn't have a title. I was
asked on the spot and I just said 'I'm
going to call it This Is What I Do.” It just
came out and felt like the right title, I
suppose in a way because the last few
years a lot of stuff has been written
about me that's got nothing to do with
music. This is a statement of intent for
me. This is what I do, let me do it.
IE: Do you ever pay attention to what's
written about you anymore?
BG: No, I don't. When I was younger, I
would consume everything and was
really diligent about it. The more you
read about yourself, the more you kind
of lose who you really are, so these
days, I tend to not read stuff unless it's
lying around or somebody forces it on
me…I think if people love you, they
don't really care what's written about
you. It's just the bitches that kind of
want to retweet stuff and make silly
comments!