Acid Betty Interview

 

Acid : Acid is a powerful hallucinogenic drug that alters your perception of the outside world.

Mix this with a name that almost defines everything sugary,sweet and all American ... 

and you get ACID BETTY.

Acid Betty is the poster girl for Hybrid Drag. A talented graphic designer by day, Acid Betty is New York's most original Queen going. Amongst many accolades and titles,she is the host of 'The Black Party' in NYC , has appeared on Project Runway and has just released her first single,'Ruthless' (Look Out Below!)

   1 - Hey Gurl! F irst of all how is everything in the world of Acid Betty?

Everything is a big whirlwind of art fashion neon vomit, but through it all I can decipher your voice.

2 - Congragulations on the new video,'Ruthless' it is gorgeous! What was the inspiration behind the track and video?

I was given the wonderful opportunity to perform live in Rome, Italy along side some of my idols, Sherry Vine, Joey Arias, Penny Arcade.  So I decided I needed to bring my A game.  So I wrote a song to be performed live at the Gay Village.  I made a video to go along side the song.  Later when I returned to New York I decided I should release it to the people and not keep it locked away in "performance" land.  Musically, Robyn and some of the torch songs via dance beats mixed through the 90's strainer was my inspiration. Ha!  I am planning on doing an album and that will be mos' definitely a club banger!!  JUST WAIT BITCHES!  ;)

3 - Fantastic! So you more tracks and videos planned ... When & where can can people check them out?

I don't have any new tracks yet.  A few in the works.   Now that I have released Ruthless onto the world its such a daunting and exciting move to have to create all new art.  From music to the looks and feeling going along with each.  I am so excited about this future.

4 - Your style is very much your own,where do you draw inspiration from for your looks?

I pull my inspiration from art and tricks of the eye.  Sometimes I will see an image of myself where there are strange shadows and lights along my face and sometimes I will take that and run.  I do a lot of graphic design and video animation during the day.  So my brain has begun to think that the real world works in the same manner as the computer. So I will sometimes try to "filter" my makeup in a way photoshop would.  I've tried pixelation, gaussian blur, swirled, neon, spray painted, splattered.  Or sometimes I paint my mood on my face REALLY BIG.  Bitter is one of my favorites..  I am also an art fanatic so I am always trying to pull from the art around me, always.

5 - As a kid were you always experimenting with make up and dressing up?

YES.  I remember going to Sunday school trying to freak out my teacher.  Had my wall covered in horror film magazines and made a finger collection of all the people I liked as a kid.  I also had a jewelry business by age 15.  Creating costume jewelry that were large and oversized but very light.  Some of the rhinestones and glitter I use for Acid Betty are the same stones left over from my few years of a young teenage jeweler.  Ha!

6 - How did you get your start in the world of drag?

I was friends with Sherry Vine and her boyfriend at the time did her hair and used to dress up when going out.  I saw him one night and told him, "you can never go out dressed up with out me."  That was it.  He did my hair and later taught me.  I did his make-up and every week we were out dressed up.

7 - Nowadays the world of drag is expanding and growing and their is much more room to experiment. How would you describe your take on drag?

My take on drag has never changed since I started 7-8 years ago.  I wanted to created a heightened version of drag and male sexuality.  The feeling of a high moving vibrant music video but in real life.  That would mean that the colors would have to be brighter, one would have to be taller, larger and the hair close to GOD!  I always want to feel heightened beyond and extreme!!  ha.  Its a drug that just hurts the feet from the shoes and the head from the wigs...  ha!

8 - You are very much connected with the queens in New York, a tight knit it seems ... who are closest drag friends / family and were you ever mentored by anyone?

I was never mentored by anyone but by the hair goddesses who passed on their knowledge to me.  They definitely mentored me.

9 - You have made such a name for yourself already, are their more things on your list that need to be ticked?

Ha, YES!  I have a lot of amazing projects in their infant to almost ready to burst stages.  I think I create like most artists like birth.  I baby my projects and keep them real close.  Never sharing with anyone until they are ready to be birthed.  Then when they are released to the world I never want to see them or hear from them again.  HA! 

10 - Finally what have you coming up for the next few months and where can people hear more of you?

Well you can obviously get my up to date information at my website, AcidBetty.com or on facebook and iTunes.. What you have seen really is just the start.. ha.  Its going to be a great year I can promise you all that!