Look, everybody knows that comedian and Saturday Night Live alum Fred Armisen has a strong tie to music— if his time in Chicago punk band Trenchmouth isn't an indicator, then his many, many musical skits and collaborations with names like Bob Mould, Devo, and dozens of others definitely seal it. But what really makes Armisen tick? And what kind of music floats his boat? And seriously, what’s the deal with all this comedy/music cross-pollination? With all that in mind, we cornered the comedy powerhouse to find out.

So you’ve played with tons of bands over the years outside of your own band. What does playing with Devo and some of these others say to your inner 12-year-old?

It’s kind of like saying, “Things get really fun and exciting and you picked the right bands to be into.” It just makes life feel very complete.

Obviously you played with Devo at SNL’s 50th-anniversary gig at Radio City Music Hall. How did that happen?