Many know Electric Six best for their (literally) electrifying song “Danger! High Voltage!” (watch the video below), a single released in 2003 that reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, thanks to Jack White‘s backing vocals and a front row placement in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. Others may recall watching their video for “Gay Bar” over and over, entertained by multiple shirtless Honest Abes traipsing inappropriately through Pee Wee Herman’s fantasy version of the Whitehouse. Regardless of how you know these rockers, the six-piece band”led by lovable lunatic Dick Valentine”has put out eight albums including this month’s Heartbeats and Brainwaves. The album feels like an underwater laser gun battle royale between space aliens and Andrew W.K., so its no surprise that when we sat down with Valentine to hash it out, our conversation was just as weird and wonderful.

OS: I read somewhere a reference to Electric Six as being “sex rock disc demons”. That seems like a pretty badass title, huh?

DV: Uh, no. I mean, I don’t know if that’s accurate. We just basically sit around and surf the Internet.

OS: So not really disc demon-y?

DV: I mean, we’ve dealt with real-life people and we prefer the Internet.

OS: I think a lot of people do.

DV: It’s easier that way.

OS: So, one of the songs [off the new album Heartbeats and Brainwaves] Psychic Visions refers to a neon sign you saw when you were walking through Brooklyn, right?

DV: That is correct.

OS: What was that sign for?

DV: It was for a psychic reading place. I liked the shade of the purple neon. It was a very big sign. They must have had a big budget. Must be doing well with the tarot card readings or however they were giving fortunes. They must have a better track record. Or they may have made enough money to afford one of those older signs.

OS: What kind of imagery were you going for with Heartbeats and Brainwaves? That kind of big, bright, jarring neon?

DV: I hope so. I think it’s very fitting for the album. I thought that was maybe the color we were looking for, a bright neon purple.

OS: The new album also really holds up well as a whole, as opposed to a bunch of disconnected tracks, which we see more and more of unfortunately.

DV: Not with our band, no way. Our band, our albums hold together as a whole.  All of them. It’s not about the album, not about the song. It’s about a collection of songs intertwining together to make one cohesive album. I’m very glad you said that.

OS: Great. Good. It seems to be becoming such a lost art for somebody to create an album that flows from start to finish and makes sense together.

DV: Yes.

OS: So you guys came out of Detriot, which has some distinct characteristics.

DV: I came out in Detroit? I have not come out yet.

OS: You got your start in Detriot. Is that better?

DV: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s right.

OS: And I think that city has some pretty distinct characteristics. You know, cold weather, Ford… but it also has put out some pretty diverse music like White Stripes and Eminem. What’s your take on the city?

DV: I agree, it has a very supportive music scene. It always has been. It’s a big deal. I don’t know why there, amongst other cities. I think, currently, it’s because it’s so affordable to live there. It bodes well for musicians and artists. But it’s been that way my whole life.

OS: Do you have any favorite local spots you like to play there?

DV: None that stand out. A lot of the places we played when we were a local band are closed, so I would make a time machine for nostalgic purposes. I know that memories are just chemicals and synapses in the brain, but they are also very pleasurable. Some of those memories are very fond. But a lot of those places are gone now.

OS: Did any of those old memories trigger when making this new album?

DV: Nope.

OS: So, full steam ahead then? Always about the future?

DV: Oh, always. We have a back catalog of songs that we hadn’t heard in a while. A bunch of people are always like why don’t you re-record them? There’s just no point in doing that.

OS: Cool. So, something else you guys have been doing for years is these crazy music video wardrobes and they’re really something to marvel at. Is that an extension of your music or do you just like dressing up? Maybe both?

DV: The director is dressing me up. It has nothing to do with me.

OS: So you don’t go and say I wanna wear this really weird outfit? It’s all them?

DV: No. I prefer a golf shirt and pant chinos.

OS: Bet that looks good.

DV: Those do look good. Nothing more erotic that that.

OS: So maybe you do have the “sex rock disc demon” in there somewhere.

DV: I think so. I mean, you sound like a girl. Why do guys always wear golf shirts? When they get into relationships, the women continually buy them golf shirts.

OS: I don’t know, because I think golf shirts are the worst thing that could have ever happened.

DV: Well, what would you prefer that I wear?

OS: I like those crazy outfits, but it sounds like I’m going to have to talk to the directors instead.

DV: Go to the directors and we’ll see what we can do. I’ll get a large budget for my next music video.

OS: Good. So, something that’s totally different, I also read somewhere that you really liked Mitt Romney. Is that true?

DV: I find him fascinating. I think he’s one of the weirdest people I’ve ever seen in my life. But, yes, I’m fascinated by him. I enjoy watching him.

OS: Are you totally excited that he’s running for President?

DV: I thought I was going to be. I mean, he was newer when I became obsessed with him in 2008. I was particularly obsessed with his Five Points. They had a blog. That’s what really got me into him. They’re not doing that this time around and I’m really disappointed. He has these five sons that all look exactly like him and look like they’ve been engineered to laugh. And they’re blogging at like a fourth grade level about their dad and it was amazing. I mean, these are like 20- or 30-year-olds.

OS: Finally, Ke$ha gave the band a nod, naming one of her albums I Am the Dance Commander + I Command You to Dance. Do you find yourself dancing to Ke$ha songs ever?

DV: I like the We R song. I mean, I don’t know if she wrote it or some guy in Sweden wrote it. But, I think that’s a good song. Yeah, I don’t really have a strong opinion about her one way or the other. I think her gimmick is that she’s like drunk, trailer-trash that finds her way to the club and wants to bring that vibe to the club. And 30 million record sales later, it seems to have worked.

OS: That’s very true. What do you think makes it work for you guys?

DV: I don’t know. I think that people look at someone like Ke$ha and see who they want to be, but they look at us and see who they are. And every now and then, you need a good dose of reality.

OS: Well said.

DV: I think they elect to see their reality. You’re eating your peas, I guess. Eating your spinach. Every now and then, it’s good to have that harsh reality.