Andrew London

Andrew London has swapped the vast expanse of the ocean for the wide open spaces of New Zealand. The singersongwriter, who gives his name to the Andrew London Trio – featuring wife Kirsten and Nils Olsen – has, since the early 1990s, carried on the tradition of Hot Club Sandwich, enabling him to gather material from the shearing sheds of Southland to the boardrooms of Queen St. Interview by

Mike Alexander.

Catching a kahawai from my kayak off Otaki Beach for my wife to make ceviche out of. Then going out together to meet our ‘‘third’’ and playing a Trio gig at one of our regular Kapiti venues. Home for a cuppa and an episode of Big Bang Theory.

Which living person do you most admire?

My bass player for learning everything I ask her to and tolerating my idiosyncrasies and personality disorders. She also grows lots of things for us to eat and makes great ceviche. After her, Bernie Sanders.

What’s your most embarrassing moment?

Impossible to answer – there are so many and they come increasingly thick and fast these days. However, that’s OK because rather than having embarrassing moments myself, my job now is to be a creator of them for my New York December 8, 1980 – outside the Dakota building. I’d have bustled John and Yoko into a van and got them out of there for the day. Or maybe forward to the year 2500 to see if we came to our senses.

What life lesson would you pass on to your children?

Always put your trousers on before your shoes. And learn to like what you have, rather than want what you haven’t. And run away as fast as you can from anyone who tells you that you need to be saved.

What job would you do other than your own and why?

Archaeologist. I’ve always loved ancient history and would love to have been the guy who discovered Troy or Tutankhamen’s tomb, or the Ark of the Covenant (was that a real thing or did I just see it in a movie?) Or a train driver.

If you were given three wishes by a magic genie, what would they be?

All the usual. Except smoking and gambling. Gave up the former for good about 10 years ago and never had enough disposable income to be tempted by the latter. Probably eat and drink too much occasionally. Working on cruise ships is very helpful in curtailing these excesses. Not.

The Andrew London Trio is touring New Zealand. For full itinerary go to aotnz.co.nz

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