RuPaul once said that “drag is Punk.” If that is so, then a drag queen writing and singing serious contemporary Country music is downright revolutionary. Most fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race have come to expect abundant “musical” releases from the show’s contestants. I use quotation marks because in 9 of 10 instances the “music” consists of generic purchased beats, some repetitive catch-phrase and a chorus dripping with Auto-Tune. These days, the queens are barely eliminated from the competition before releasing these bastard little tunes into the world. If we enjoyed the contestant in the show we may watch the video once or twice on social media then move on. The singular exception to that rule so far has been Adore Delano who has released two fully-realized Billboard charting albums that contain actual singing. Fellow Season 7 break-out star Trixie Mattel also rejects the trend with 2 Birds, a breath of fresh country air.
Trixie (Brian Firkus) is one of those queens who elevates the artform of drag. The look and concept of his oddly beautiful and hilarious alter-ego are thoroughly developed and expertly executed. His comedy is clever and edgy, yet approachable. Brian is a performance artist and Trixie Mattel is a work of art. She captivates and delights audiences worldwide with her unique stylings and delivery, easing effortlessly from stand-up comedy into music and back again. What Drag Race fans expected from Trixie was a comedy album. What she and Brian delivered couldn’t be farther from it. From its gorgeous cover to its closing lyric, 2 Birds is everything a great Country album should be; intimate, poetic, vulnerable, romantic, heartbreaking and triumphant.
John Gascot: How dare you put out a non-dance album with smart well-written meaningful songs and no auto-tune? You’ve raised the Drag Race alumni bar with this release for sure.
Trixie Mattel: Thank you. I’ve been a musician and songwriter for way longer than I’ve been a drag queen. And a comedy writer. Writing comedy is a lot like writing music. It’s all about finding new relatable ways to express even the most mundane or common of experiences. I didn’t want to put out a “drag” album. Two Birds isn’t drag queen country…it’s country music. It was all written for my own enjoyment and personal healing.
I love music and I love dressing up so much. And to be able to do both and to go into serious places looking like Trixie has been very unexpected for audiences and very unexpected and successful for me as a performer. Looking like Trixie Mattel I can really go places with comedy and music and have people trust me and pay attention. Especially as a musician. There’s a million white guys with guitars, but there’s only one Trixie Mattel. I wrote this album, recorded and released it without a label, producer or manager. I used my own money. It’s gonna be in the Billboard Top 200 albums next week. A cross-dresser singing Country music. That’s crazy!
John: I think a lot of Drag Race fans will be surprised by the tone and style of this album. Folk and Country haven’t really been associated with drag queens who make music. Is Two Birds more Brian or Trixie?
Trixie: Trixie and Brian are not really that different at all. It’s a shared story. Who the audience envisions telling it is irrelevant because at the end it’s one story.
John: Who are your influences on this record?
Trixie: There’s a whole lot. June Carter is one of my favorites. Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, James Taylor. At the time I was writing this I was listening to a lot of singer/songwriter music and a lot of old, old Country.
John: And with whom would your dream duet be?
Trixie: I LOVE Brandi Carlile, so much. She’s quite a songwriter. I would love to write music for other people. I would love to write a song for Miley Cyrus. I think my music has enough of a contemporary sound that it would sound really good with her voice. A lot of people don’t know that she has a Country/Folk kind of voice.
John: I know absolutely nothing of country radio but I’m going to predict and put it out there that you will become the surprise hit of the year and take country airwaves by storm. Paint us a picture of Trixie accepting her first CMA.
Trixie: The world of country and bluegrass is not really made for gay people. I hate to say this but while I believe in my talent and the material I don’t always believe in the human race to ever fully accept it. Which when you think about it, any aversion to drag conservatives may have really goes out the window because when you look for Dolly Parton you’re looking for a drag queen. It wasn’t long ago that Charlie Pride’s records didn’t show his face for two years because radio was not ready for a black Country star. Even one of my all-time favorites, Loretta Lynn is a Trump supporter. I try not to think about it but…it’s true.
John: Well I’m behind you 100% so I will insist that this will be a breakthrough for you. In many ways it already is. If Trump can be our president then a drag queen can become the first lady of Country, even if for a moment. Anything is possible. Speaking of Trump. How are you handling the current political/social climate?
Trixie: As an artist, my job is to continue to do the work I do. To give people perspective on an issue, in a comfortable way. Also to give people a healthy vacation from that material. I try not to get too political in my act. You continue to do comedy about who you are and stick to your values and that’s a political statement. Just being in drag is an act of protest.
John: If RuPaul was president, who would Trixie be in his cabinet?
Trixie: I’d take Kelly Ann Conway’s place and just be crazy. Oh, Mama Ru. She’s the mama of everyone. If mamas ran the world there would be no war.
John: How has Ru influenced you?
Trixie: RuPaul has something that many queens don’t have that I’d like to think I also have. He’s not a talker, he’s a doer. Ru understands that no one is going to make it happen for you. He didn’t say “I’m going to be different.” He said “I AM different and I am going to confidently be that.” That’s THE act of protest; being who you are. A lot of Drag Race queens try to play the role of a “TV” drag queen instead of playing the role of themselves. RuPaul is like “I’m RuPaul…and I’m doing ALL OF THIS.” That’s what makes Drag Race inspiring to straight women and men and to children who watch. The hair and makeup and jewelry is all beautiful to look at but that’s what really inspires, no matter what you do with your life.
John: Your look and style is now iconic. As a trendsetter, what drag trends are you enjoying and which need to stop?
Trixie: I love beauty and form. Good old fashioned flashy big drag. Big hair. Big makeup. Big EVERYTHING! I really admire queens with their own perspective. Too much emulation needs to stop. Be your own brand. Last season Naomi brought that beautiful heavy lidded eye with white liner and chunky lash sections on the bottom. I see a Naomi Smalls eye everywhere now. When I see a queen do Trixie Mattel I’m flattered but I wonder, what are you trying to achieve? It’s nice and interesting to see queens recreating what they see on TV but no performance artist ever succeeded by emulating someone else. You can watch Drag Race and cherry pick what you will see out there on queens next year. It’s a strange phenomenon.
John: If Trixie had a makeup line what would the must-have item be and what would it be called?
Trixie: A beautiful vibrant pink blush called Backrow Blush.
John: The T…what do you think about death-drops? Because it seems a queen can’t lipsync for her damned life anymore without throwing at least 10 in there.
Trixie: There’s a perception that if you do the most acrobatics you’re the best queen…which is…strange. I don’t know where it comes from. Maybe if I could do it I would do it too.
John: Let’s get back to your music. What do you want listeners to take away from Two Birds?
Trixie: That it’s about my experience at a specific juncture in my life. I was working too hard and experiencing a breakup and trying to find myself after it. Anybody can relate to working and breakups and trying to find yourself. It’s called a “record” because it’s a record of that part of your life. People should listen to it like they listen to music, don’t listen to it like it’s “drag” music. It’s not that.
John: Are you writing for the next one already or can you not even go there yet?
Trixie: I wrote about 13 songs for this project and I’m always writing. I would love to do another short album as a companion piece. This album was really country. The next might be a bit folksier.
Trixie Mattel is currently on tour in the UK and will be performing her show Ages 3 and Up all summer long at Post Office Cabaret in Provincetown RI. 2 Birds is now available on iTunes .