“Everything is kind of in Mat’s hands when it comes to the Puscifer side of things, so credit where credit’s due,” says Keenan. “Other than me saying, ‘OK, it’s time to make a record,’ he’s the one who deals with all of the matters of timing in regards to the project. He actually has a history of this sort of management. He used to play in bands back in Texas just to pay the bills, but he was also a go-to guy when it came to technology – he’d make sure your keyboards worked, he’d make sure the triggers on your drums were in order. Mat was the guy that you took on tour to make sure everything was functioning. If load-in’s at nine, he’s there at nine on the spot. If doors are at eight, he’s got everything ready to go at eight. So whenever I say it’s time to start working on a new record, he meets every deadline. It’s in both of our natures – he understands how to maintain and honour a schedule.”
The third Puscifer album, Money $hot, was released at the end of October. The release coincided with rising speculation about Tool’s long-awaited fifth LP. For those especially expectant fanatics, Money $hot provides insight into the current state of Keenan’s artistry. With this album, he further expands the already nebulous notion of what a Puscifer song can sound like – something he partially attributes to another key collaborator, British singer/songwriter Carina Round.
“She’s much more of a presence on this record,” says Keenan. “I wanted to add a lot more harmonies on this. Of course, like anything, if you’re going to do a thing, you’re going to continue to do it the way that you do it. That might sound redundant, but it’s worth bringing up because it’s something that I wanted to break out of. When I was writing and arranging vocals for Money $hot, I knew what kind of harmony that I would write. I knew what sort of sound I would go for. Instead, I got her to write the harmonies. That way it would come out differently to what I would normally do. In some cases, I’d go with my harmony part; others she would do better. There’s even a few songs where both of our parts were used in different places. Regardless, it meant that it would be a change. It wasn’t me repeating myself.”
In tandem with his enigmatic presence, Keenan has a reputation for being an incredibly self-serious person. Over the years, even when he’s appeared to be doing something ironically, he’s delivered it with a straight face. However, this impression mightn’t be entirely accurate.
“I honestly don’t know what people are talking about when they say that about me,” he says. “My first ever gold record was for my part in Three Little Pigs by Green Jelly. The first-ever Puscifer single was Cuntry Boner.”
This leads to discussion about his most recent foray into comedy – a cameo on the TV show Comedy Bang! Bang!, hosted by former Mr. Show sketch writer Scott Aukerman. In the show, Keenan played a fictional British punk legend with the charming name Barf Edwards.
“[Aukerman] called me up to pitch that part to me. I was like, ‘Damn. Do I have to be a rockstar? I’m not sure how to play a rockstar. I’ve certainly never been one.’ He wanted me to have an English accent, too – he was just throwing everything at me. I was arguing with him, asking, ‘Can’t I just play an arsehole instead? That’s what I’d rather do.’ He insisted I do it his way, and it was a tragedy.”
Keenan deadpans on the last word, letting it linger long enough to make it clear he’s joking – or, at least, joking in his own way. He continues: “There was a cat that I was supposed to reach out and pick up during my scene, so I spent a good hour before we started shooting with it. I just wanted it to be familiar with me, so it would know me when the scene happened. It didn’t even end up mattering – with the lights blaring on it, it just kept hissing at me.”
A shame, certainly, but it ended up being one of the more strangely funny moments of the entire season. Keenan concedes, but not without getting in one final sledge at his character’s costuming. “I felt like I looked more like Gemma from Sons of Anarchy than a rockstar.”
BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
