Sticks & Stones Shitty Interview No.127

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This is Sticks & Stones Shitty Interview No.127 with CONFIDENCE MAN, in celebration of the recent release of their sophomore album TILT.

Within only a few years of their conception, CONFIDENCE MAN have already amassed over 43 million streams and played at some of the biggest festivals in the world including Rock en Seine (Paris), Primavera Sound (Barcelona), Governors Ball (New York), Glastonbury (UK) and Splendour in the Grass (Australia).

Partially inspired by time spent hanging out in the studio with certified Confidence Man fans Gregg Alexander (of New Radicals), Simon Carmody and U2 producer Andy Barlow, Confidence Man’s sophomore album TILT is built on a newfound philosophy: Think less, do more.

A distinctly no-frills home recording setup — combined with a readily imbibed, heady mix of Grace Jones, Madonna, The Chemical Brothers, Deee-lite, 90s runway music and archive footage of raves — resulted in a sleeker, sexier new era of Confidence Man. TILT simultaneously thrums with the electric energies of the club, the NYC ballroom and the warehouse; uniting dancefloors across time and space. It is the sound of the band testing, stretching, and moulding; defining and redefining their parameters, “Wanting to push the boundaries of what Con Man could sound like” as Sugar puts it, “To take it to another dimension.”

Sticks & Stones: Does Confidence Man get nervous?
Confidence Man: What kind of question is that?! Do you know who you’re talking to? We know no fear. No pain. No doubt. We are cold-blooded cucumbers & we don’t do nerves. We just get up there & do our jobs! (Jks I’m a very nervous guy).

Sticks & Stones: Where was your first gig?
Confidence Man: Our first gig was upstairs at the Foundry in Brisbane. We wore all gold, smiled the whole time & it was utter shite!

Sticks & Stones: Who in the band would be Scary Spice?
Confidence Man: I’m glad you asked cause I consider myself somewhat of an OG Spice Girl fan. The first synchronised dance I learnt was to Wannabe in 1996 so.. Yeah. All things considered, it would have to be Janet. Powerful, high energy & scary.

Sticks & Stones: Draw some self-portraits.
Confidence Man: See illustration.

Sticks & Stones: How can we all be better?
Confidence Man: See the last question on the next page & do the opposite.. Basically be nice to people & don’t be a dickhead!

Sticks & Stones: Who would you like to have dinner with?
Confidence Man: Grace Jones… It would be a long, luxurious dinner & the menu would mostly be champagne & magic mushrooms. We’d eat by the sea, under the moon on a cloudless night. Halfway through the meal we would explode into an improvised jazz/scat performance in which Grace, Janet & the boys would strip nude & sugar swallows a lobster whole. The meal would end with being best friends & moving in together.

Sticks & Stones: What’s the worst thing about your band?
Confidence Man: Hahahaha… But seriously, I feel like my life has been spiralling into oblivion since we laid down the opening chords of Boyfriend. My sister has turned into megalomaniac so twisted she makes Joe Rogan look like a Teletubby. Reggie & Clarence are a stain that cubic mile of Nappy san could not expunge. And I’m basically a hollow vessel moving through each crappy dance move like a soulless man-bot.

Sticks & Stones: Who could survive the longest in the wilderness out of y’all?
Confidence Man: Clarence & I have discussed at length a fantasy of walking into the wilderness, nothing but an axe, but in reality we’d probably all be dead within 24 hours.

Sticks & Stones: Best thing to happen this year?
Confidence Man: Live music coming back. We just played a show at the Forum that we had booked two years ago. Fuck it felt good.

Sticks & Stones: Give Us some shitty advice
Confidence Man: Don’t eat your greens. Watch Fox News. Join the young Liberals. Hate yourself. Sleep when you’re dead. Take a chill pill. Give yourself a haircut. Find Jesus. Buy that discount tattoo gun you’ve been watching on Ebay. Start a romantic relationship with your mum. Join the army. Trust me! Sugar xx