Formed in 2001, the band known as the Scissor Sisters took over the gay nightlife scene in New York, taking its name after a lesbian sex act.
Consisting of Jake Shears, Ana Matronic, Babydaddy and Del Marquis, their names were not the only thing unique about them. They broke out with a cover of "Comfortably Numb" that went global, doing especially well in the United Kingdom; the same could be said about their single from the second album, I Don't Feel Like Dancin', reaching number one there.
Their fourth album, Magic Hour, hit a lucky number three with the single "Let's Have a Kiki." The song was featured in Glee and almost every gay dance club in the country.
Ana Matronic joined the group after performing at the Trannyshack in San Francisco and then starting her own club called Knockoff in Manhattan, where they first performed together.
She has been touring with the single, landing at Chicago's Roscoe's—where Windy City Times caught up with her to have our own Kiki (meaning meeting of friends for a chat).
Windy City Times: Hi, Ana. I heard you refer to your fans as "nuns..."
Ana Matronic: Yes, this is perfect, you are the ultimate nun. You are so nun-y; your name is Nunn!
WCT: You were born in Portland, Ore.?
Ana Matronic: Yes, I was born in the Pacific of Kim and Kanye's baby [North]. Portland is one of those cities that is weird to the core.
WCT: There are a lot of hippies there, aren't there?
Ana Matronic: There are a lot of hippies. I am a little allergic to tie-dye and patchouli, based on my growing up. I do love a good crystal and I have been known to twirl to the Grateful Dead once or twice.
WCT: I read you studied anthropology.
Ana Matronic: I did when I was in college. I was into anthropology and switched to sociology. I got really into Joseph Campbell. I saw him talking to Bill Moyers and heard him speaking about The Hero's Adventure and applying it to Star Wars. I decided that is what I want to do and talk about myth as it relates to popular culture. Then what I really wanted to do was be a performance artist.
WCT: How did the New York scene happen for you?
Ana Matronic: I dropped out of college, well I finished community college. I am one of those fantastic people with an associate degree. Then my friend Michael at the time asked me to go to San Francisco because a friend of his was doing an art piece at a rave. We were underneath this art piece and he asked me to move into his apartment in Portland to save money to live in San Francisco.
It was San Fran that formed my aesthetic and who I am as a performer. That has everything to do with Trannyshack, the amazing drag club that happened every Tuesday at The Stud in San Francisco. I really see that as my performance college. There was a different them every Tuesday and we were challenged to come up with something that fit the theme or a new number to a song. It was always a challenge and a really great place. I learned so much.
WCT: How did you meet all of the gang from Scissor Sisters?
Ana Matronic: I moved to New York in 1999. I met Jake on Halloween of 2000 at a club called The Slipper Room, where I was doing a night with friends of mine from San Francisco. I was dressed as an Andy Warhol factory reject. This character of mine called Plasticine Porter. I looked over and there was Jake dressed as a late term back alley abortion. He had been out with his friend earlier who dressed as a morning after pill so they were a pair, cute huh? So heartwarming and fun!
I took one look at him and I knew he should be performing at my club. He had a group called Scissor Sisters with just Babydaddy and they did their first performance at Knockoff. He wanted to add a feminine energy and I always wanted to be in a band so I joined the group.
WCT: It was the perfect match.
Ana Matronic: It certainly was.
WCT: Jake is a really nice guy.
Ana Matronic: He's a lovely guy with good Southern upbringing.
WCT: A year ago you were performing in Chicago—that was a great show.
Ana Matronic: That was one of the most amazing shows we have ever played. That was definitely my top show in Chicago that we have ever played. It was one of those magical perfect storms. Everybody was in a great mood and it was Pride sunday. Everyone was on cloud nine and excited about the new record and in particular "Let's Have a Kiki."
WCT: I understood the song better when I saw the choreography. Where did the moves come from?
Ana Matronic: They came from an amazing guy named Brad Landers. He's a choreographer and dancer. We met him through Chrissi Poland who is one of our backup singers. They had worked together. He was just great. How amazing that his choreography ended up on Glee!
WCT: What did you think of the track being on Glee?
Ana Matronic: I thought it was great. We had been hoping and praying that we were going to get on Glee at some point in some form because Chris Colfer is a big fan of ours. We have met him a couple of times. He's so darling and dear. He sent us an email to let us know they had done "Let's Have a Kiki."
I was really excited. I heard it was with Sarah Jessica Parker, then I saw it and they had worked my whole monologue into her lines. That was crazy!
WCT: It has the whole New York element to it in that scene.
Ana Matronic: What is so funny is when I had an apartment in Bushwick I had an orphan's Thanksgiving, just like on the show. I don't think they know that so it was just synchronicity. Not only was it my song but it was very indicative of my life in New York, although my apartment was not that big in Bushwick, okayyy...
WCT: Was that Jake on a track you just performed live?
Ana Matronic: We did a remix of "Tits on the Radio." We kept Jake in because everybody loves that part of the song. I do too. You can't really get rid of it. It is one of my favorite songs and I just love singing it. It has a mellow groove on the album version so we wanted to bring it to a pumping club state.
WCT: So what are you working on?
Ana Matronic: I am working on a record called Afterlife of the Party. It is really inspired by dance culture, particularly gay dance culture. To me that is a very spiritual experience. Let's get into the spirit!
It really is true when you think about gay history and the fact that a gay club throughout time is a place where people can come and express themselves, where is they can't in their everyday lives. A gay club in a tiny town in the South is a very vital place for people to go an express themselves. It can be the only place where people can feel free to dress as the woman they have always wanted to be, to hold the hand of the person that they love and to kiss them in public. It's a really important thing. Because of that nightlife in the gay culture it has been a really freeing spiritual experience and that is the kind of feeling I want to tap into with me record.
WCT: That sounds very creative. When can people expect this album to come out?
Ana Matronic: We want to get a single out as soon as possible so we are working on that right now. I would love to get the record out by the end of the year but these things always take time so forgive me if it is not. We will be releasing singles as they get finished.
WCT: Where can people keep up with you?
Ana Matronic: Anamatronic.com and follow me on twitter @MsAnaMatronic. We are really growing everything so it is just in the beginning stages, so keep checking in periodically.
WCT: Where are you off to next?
Ana Matronic: Tomorrow I am going to Mobile, Ala.! I'm very excited because my grandmother was born in Mobile. She has a Southern heritage and I have never been.
WCT: They will appreciate that you are coming.
Ana Matronic: I think so. I think I am going to enjoy it because I love the South and the people there. When you go to a place that the bigger tours pass them by then they really appreciate you. You get a love bomb dropped on your head!
