Ariel Pink is a lo-fi artist who makes music on four-track recorders in the backhills of Los Angeles. He was discovered by Animal Collective on a West Coast tour, and constitutes Paw Tracks' first non-Animal Collective signing. Paw Tracks now preps another Pink record called Worn Copy, to be released in the next few months. Today Riff Central gets the scoop on Ariel Pink.

RIFF CENTRAL: WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE DISCOVERED BY THE FAMOUS THE ANIMAL COLLECTIVE

ARIEL PINK: GREAT STORY. ACTUALLY HOW I GOT THE NAME ARIEL PINK. AS YOU KNOW FROM THE PRESS RELEASES I GREW UP IN THE BACK HILLS OF LOS ANGELES, IN A BOX

RIFF CENTRAL: SO THAT'S LIKE WHAT, WEST HOLLYWOOD, IN A MANSION?

ARIEL PINK: YES MY PARENTS ARE VERY WEALTHY. BOTH OF THEM WRITE FOR DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

RIFF CENTRAL: HAVE YOU BEEN ON TELEVISION BEFORE? EVERYONE I KNOW IN LA HAS BEEN ON SEVENTH HEAVEN AT LEAST ONCE

ARIEL PINK: I WAS ON THE SIMPSONS A FEW TIMES

RIFF CENTRAL: THE SIMPSONS IS AN ANIMATED TELEVISION SHOW

ARIEL PINK: OH. WHAT I MEANT TO SAY WAS, I'VE HUNG OUT WITH THE SIMPSONS

RIFF CENTRAL: ?

ARIEL PINK: I'VE SEEN AN EPISODE OF THE SIMPSONS

RIFF CENTRAL: LISTEN THIS ISN'T IMPORTANT TO THE SHOW. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE?

ARIEL PINK: OH RIGHT. ANYWAY I WAS AT WORK. TECHNICALLY I DON'T HAVE TO WORK, BUT MY PARENTS THOUGHT HAVING A JOB WOULD TEACH ME DISCIPLINE.

RIFF CENTRAL: YOU'RE A KARATE INSTRUCTOR?

ARIEL PINK: I DIDN'T SAY I TEACH DISCIPLINE

RIFF CENTRAL: LISTEN YOU'RE GETTING OFF TOPIC AGAIN.

ARIEL PINK: I WAS WORKING AT MY DESIGNER SHIRT STORE IN WEST HOLLYWOOD

RIFF CENTRAL: WHAT KIND OF SHIRTS DO YOU SELL

ARIEL PINK: OUR STORE SELLS PARTY SHIRTS, THE ONES WITH BIG BOLD COLORS AND DIAGONAL STRIPES, AND THEN THE COLLARS HAVE TWO OR THREE OR SIX BUTTONS

RIFF CENTRAL: OH I THINK I'VE BOUGHT A FEW SHIRTS FROM YOUR STORE BEFORE

ARIEL PINK: YEAH IT'S A PRETTY POPULAR STORE. ANYWAY AVERY TARD AND PANDA BEAR CAME IN BEFORE THEIR SHOW LAST SUMMER LOOKING FOR SOME SHIRTS

RIFF CENTRAL: THOSE GUYS DON'T STRIKE ME AS PARTY SHIRT TYPES

ARIEL PINK: I WAS ONLY HIRED TO SELL THE SHIRTS

RIFF CENTRAL: YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN THOUGH

ARIEL PINK: WE STARTED TALKING, THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE FAMOUS MUSICIANS IN NEW YORK CITY AND RESENT THEIR WEALTHY TRUSTFUND BACKGROUNDS LIKE I DO. I TOLD THEM I MAKE MUSIC TOO, BUT AM NOT AS FAMOUS AS THEY ARE

RIFF CENTRAL: SO FROM THERE YOU GOT YOUR RECORD DEAL AND DID THAT HILARIOUSLY AWFUL TOUR WHERE YOU BLAMED THE SOUND GUYS FOR HOW TERRIBLE OF A PERFORMER YOU ARE?

ARIEL PINK: PRETTY MUCH. AND THE REST, AS THEY SAY, IS ART

RIFF CENTRAL: YOU DIDN'T EXPLAIN WHY YOU CHANGED YOUR NAME TO ARIEL PINK

ARIEL PINK: OH RIGHT. THE NIGHT AFTER I MET THE ANIMAL COLLECTIVE I WAS SLEEPING IN MY BED WHEN SEVERAL MEN WEARING ANIMAL MASKS STARTED BEATING MY FACE AND LEGS AND ENTIRE BODY WITH BASEBALL BATS. I LOST THE USE OF MY LEGS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, WHICH PROMPTED PANDA BEAR TO CALL ME ARIEL, AFTER THE LITTLE MERMAID

RIFF CENTRAL: EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THOUGH! WHY "PINK"?!

ARIEL PINK: MY SKIN STILL HAS PINK SPLOTCHES FROM ALL THE INTERNAL BLEEDING

Download Ariel Pink's 'Life in LA' from upcoming album Worn Copy

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