Most controversially, Amanda Palmer had eschewed big music labels in favour of raising money straight from the fans.
Eventually, pictures of their child will make their way to the internet.
But for now, Amanda and Neil are enjoying some time alone with their newborn.
Even the most public figures sometime need a little private time.
So why did you decide to do the baby thing in rural Tennessee of all places?
We cant really take maternity and paternity leave we dont have bosses.
Do you know if its a boy or a girl?
Do you have a name picked out?
Yeah, were planning on calling him Anthony after my friend who just passed away.
Do you have dreams for your child?
If he turns out to be a Wall Street banker….
I hope hes a really creative Wall Street banker.
I hope hes a happy, fulfilled, compassionate Wall Street banker.
They need them down there.
Is there an age where you think, Okay now he can readCoralinewithout getting nightmares?
You know that is not something I have given a lot of thought.
My guess is we will follow the interests of the kid and not the other way around.
Ill deal with it then [laughs].
Its not going to be like all of a sudden we just set Saturday aside for art time.
If anything, Ill want to hope he doesnt get inoculated.
Are you nervous about the day you have to explainOasisor any of the more controversial aspects of your career?
That doesnt worry me.
I remember reading somewhere that you said you wouldnt create art in a vacuum.
Does the audience affect the throw in of art you do?
Well I think art is always fundamentally a relationship.
Would you still create art if you werent being paid for it?
If you needed a day job?
So I was never leading with the cash register.
You bring up your history as a street performer a lot and how its affected your work.
Are there any lessons from being a street performer that you think are essential to all art?
So who do you think your audience is?
[Laughs] I dont know youll have to ask them!
But my audience extends way beyond that when I tour, people buy tickets to come see me.
When I put up videos, people watch them.
That audience extends far beyond the 6,000 patrons.
And the fans can go in and out, and thats fine, and part of the continuum.
Did you read that, or have any thoughts?
Yeah, I read that.
Im a music business libertarian in that sense.
Just as it is my prerogative to release everything totally free on my website.
And really everything has to be acceptable.
You see very little of that in the music industry.
It doesnt necessarily move the entire agenda forward.
I think thats great.
On your Twitter youve definitely been a supporter of Bernie Sanders.
Do you think theres a parallel between the way hes run his campaign andThe Art Of Asking?
And I am so excited.
Who are those people?!
Money and a billionaire class are running this country.
We need to fix it.
is just as inspiring as Donald Trump is terrifying.
Whats that been like?
Highly therapeutic [laughs].
And making a record with him, especially while being pregnant, felt like a cosmic, karmic win.
Do you have different approaches to fame?
Were on the same page about mostly everything.
We make a very different kind of work.
In that way, we can also challenge each other.
We love reading each others work and listening to each others thoughts and supporting each others bizarre ideas.
And very luckily were never in direct competition with each other.
Do you have a favorite Neil Gaiman book or story?
Yeah, I have a couple.
I love, I deeply loveThe Ocean At The End Of The Lane.
I also got to watch that one come into being so I have a special relationship with it.
It was the first comic that actually made me cry.
This is a comic!
Its not supposed to make me cry!
This must be that masterful Neil Gaiman shit they were talking about.
I think thats so important.
Youve mentioned in interviews that the two of you have an open marriage.
Is that still the status of the relationship?
Our open marriage has been the polar opposite of the dont-ask-dont-tell approach.
Were just totally honest with each other, and were very, very careful with each others feelings.
I think when people hear about an open marriage, they assume jealousy must come into play.
Well, guess what?
In your career, youve obviously been no stranger to controversy.
Are there any things youve done that you regret, or that youd do differently?
No, I dont think thats ever useful.
Leave it to the sci-fi.
Relationship choices, artistic choices, whatever…
So are you consuming any media while youre out there?
Any movies youve seen recently, or TV shows youre catching up on?
Were reading a lot.
So whats your favourite non-Neil Gaiman book?
I dont think I have a single favourite.
Things tend to shift through time.
Theres a wonderful book on Zen calledDropping Ashes On The Buddhaby Seungsahn, this wonderful Korean Zen master.
Ive probably bought 25 copies of that book over the years and given it to various friends.
And were going to try this weekend to seeStraight Outta Compton.
Ive heard good things.
Those are the two movies on our to-do list before I go into labour.
Dont Come To Class And Go Out And Street Perform Instead.
Show up at the end of the semester and tell me what youve learned.
Amanda Palmer, thank you very much!
And congratulations on the safe delivery of young Anthony!
Find Amanda Palmers work on Patreon,here.
