Porn chat!

Carl Newman of New Pornographers: (Valley Advocate)

Q: They don't look at you sideways when you tell them the band name?

A: No, not really. I try to tell them about my solo project first, to try and deflect some of the attention. 'Well, I play as a solo artist, under A.C. Newman.' Most people just don't say anything. Although, when I go into Canada, I get quite a few people, border guards, going, 'Oh, yeah, I've heard of you guys. You guys are doing pretty well.' Then you have the guys who—I remember one guy who was pretty creepy, saying, 'Yeah, I really like the name.' He wasn't a border guard, though; I think he was a guy at the car rental place. We have a New Pornographers Amex card that says 'Carl Newman, New Pornographers Inc.,' so I think that's confusing to people, and kind of embarrassing; and looking back, I wish we hadn't had written it, written those words on our card. Guy's looking at me saying, 'I like the name.' And I'm trying to tell him I'm not a pornographer. I don't make pornos.