Although having produced some seven full-length efforts
outside of the numerous compilations, live albums and singles throughout
their vast fifteen years together, Maryland based rock and roll act
Clutch is largely considered an entity that's shrouded in complete
mystery to most of the rock and roll buying public.
But as relatively under the radar and low profile as
Clutch (who comprise of vocalist/guitarist/percussionist Neil Fallon,
guitarist Tim Sult, bassist Dan Maines, drummer Jean-Paul Gaster and
recent addition keyboardist Mick Schauer) have been throughout their
time together, they've managed to attain a cult like status that has
attracted a legion of devotees to their cause (often referring to
themselves as Gearheads) through relentless touring and the underground's
word of mouth.
After having enjoyed some newfound success with their
previous album 'Blast Tyrant' (released in 2004 through their new
label D.R.T. Entertainment), Clutch has built upon that foundation
with their amazing follow up release 'Robot Hive/Exodus' (which was
released in 2005).
On the back of the critical acclaim that followed the
release of the album, Clutch have toured the U.S. and Europe extensively
(playing alongside a whole host of diverse acts such as Corrosion
Of Conformity, Fireball, Ministry, High On Fire, Opeth and Lamb Of
God), and with the tour drawing to an eventual close, Clutch have
finally turned their sights towards Australia.
Sitting back in his living room at home in Maryland,
I caught up with Clutch's lyrical/vocal genius Neil Fallon to attempt
to debunk the myth surrounding the band by discussing their current
label relationship, people's misconceptions of Fallon's somewhat unorthodox
lyrical approach and the success of their latest album 'Robot Hive/Exodus'.
"If you're talking strictly on a sales basis, 'Robot
Hive/Exodus' is selling a lot more than 'Blast Tyrant' than what it
did around the same amount of time of its release. That's not to say
it's sold a whole lot more, but it's a bit more than we expected.
If you're counting clams, I suppose you could say it's a good thing!
(Laughs) But more importantly, the album seems to be very well received
on an artistic level, which is ultimately what we really get off on."
Part of the reasoning behind that increasing success
may be down to pure luck but the difference between the recording
techniques used for both 'Blast Tyrant' and 'Robot Hive/Exodus' also
may have been the actual deciding figure for most fans.
"It was intentional right from the start that 'Blast
Tyrant' was going to be the first record that we did one hundred percent
digitally from beginning to end. It was something that we had always
shunned in the past, but we finally broke down and accepted the inevitable
future. We learned a lot from that experience, especially when to
pull the reigns back a little bit on the whole thing before going
too far and sounding too clinical. There's still a lot of digital
recording on 'Robot Hive/Exodus', but we made certain that we were
getting everything analogue in a tradition sense that we could. So
the digital side of the recording was only used when necessary."
Another aspect that separates both of the said albums
is the differing nature of the album's overall feel. While 'Blast
Tyrant' had a very diverse mix of tracks (everything from straight
ahead rock and roll, to expansive moody numbers to groove laden instrumentals),
'Robot Hive/Exodus' actually seems to sound a little more straightforward
and balanced all the way through in its rock and roll approach. But
there's also a greater presence of the blues coming through, especially
noted with covers of both Howlin' Wolf's 'Who's Been Talking' and
Mississippi Fred McDowell's 'Gravel Road'.
"I totally agree with that. We've been really conscious
of the blues over the last couple of years, and you have to admit
that the blues really is the source of all rock and roll. I think
it's important to go to the source to find that inspiration. Another
important factor in bringing those influences to the fore is having
Schauer join the band in time for this album. With his Hammond B3
organ sound, it kind of influenced all of us to play that way and
bring them out more this time around. I guess what a lot of people
don't realise is that I'm a huge blues fan. I listen to a lot of old
folk and country blues, like Nehemiah Curtis 'Skip' James and Buck
White. I don't listen to a lot of blues-rock bands, even though I
do like a lot of bands like Humble Pie and Canned Heat. I guess those
bands are kind of like somewhere at the halfway point between being
blues and rock. Howlin' Wolf was a another very blues and rock and
roll guy, and you can definitely hear the rock side of himself coming
through within his music. He had an amazing voice, and great hooks.
It's all about good times. You just can't help but get into it."
Another success story that isn't largely recognised
by most is Clutch's partnership with their current label DRT Entertainment.
Having never recorded any more than two albums for any one label (either
independent or major), Clutch seem to have found a partner that works
for them for the present time, and beyond it would seem.
"Well we're going to do a third album with DRT Entertainment
if that says anything! (Laughs) We've never had any more than two
records in a row with any of the labels we've dealt with in the past,
so this is a new record for us! I think a lot of that has to do with
the fact that they're a smaller label, and that they understand what
the band is about, where as your Columbia's and Atlantic's of the
world are only interested in selling platinum records. It's a very
typical thing that when a label talks to their band, they just want
to use the band to help feel good about themselves and stroke their
egos. It's hard to know at the best of times just what they're thinking,
but having said that, we've never looked to a label to mother us.
We know most of the staff at DRT Entertainment, and they don't do
that. It's very much a business relationship, and so far both parties
seem to be happy with the way things are going. It's as simple as
that."
That third release for DRT Entertainment isn't all that
far away from being started either as Clutch already has plans to
enter the studio sometime in the coming months.
"We have some tour dates booked here and there
over the spring, but I think everyone is of the mindset that it's
time to do a new album. We've kind of beaten 'Robot Hive/Exodus' to
death over the past year, and I think it's time to lock ourselves
in and come out with something new in the next six months. We don't
have anything in the way of songs put together at the moment, but
all have a lot of ideas here and there that we've collected over the
last twelve months on the road. We don't really write on the road
that much because I really believe that we do our best work when we
have a looming deadline. Procrastination is sometimes a great inspiration."
One thing that isn't slated to appear anytime soon is
the much talked about, but little known DVD that Clutch have been
working on.
"We've had a DVD in the works for about the last
seven years! (Laughs) So when it comes out, it will come out. There's
definitely no targeted deadline. There are a number of reasons why
it hasn't happened yet. One is that we've never had the funds to film
some great concert footage. Another reason is that we're also not
the kind of band that has a video camera in the van. No one in the
band wants to be that guy. Besides, when the camera goes on, we all
clam up. It's something that's hard to understand because we're all
so preoccupied with other things, so it's been kind of very piecemeal
collecting footage for the DVD. I think the best thing for us to do
would be to simply bite the bullet, find someone and hire them to
film the footage we need. If we don't do that, I don't know if it
will ever get done."
That's not to say that there isn't enough footage lying
around to put together a Clutch DVD however.
"I think that's a very good question. We do have
enough footage now that we could easily put a DVD out there on the
market, but I wouldn't feel very proud of it. I think putting out
a DVD is a pretty powerful thing because it allows the outside world
to get to know you, and if you give them a piece of crap, it's not
much of a leap to have them thinking of you in the same way. We don't
want to do that by simply putting out a DVD just for the sake of putting
one out."
Clutch isn't exactly a household name, but those who do follow the
band are obviously diehard fans, which inevitably gives the band a
cult like status. While most would crave to break out of the underground
into the major league, Fallon admits that their current level of success
is something the whole band are more than happy with.
"You can look at the situation as the glass being
half empty, or half full. We do great considering that we get to do
this full time. I mean this is all we do. We've managed to stick together
because we enjoy what we do, and because we're a democracy. At this
point, we can't imagine jamming with somebody else under this name.
That would simply be too bizarre. Humour and a fear of a day job drive
us in this band, so we're happy with doing this. A lot of times popularity
is because it's not threatening and an easy thing for people to like
and they don't feel intimidated by it. Most music fits into that equation.
There are a lot of people out there with a lot of different tastes,
and I don't think anybody is right or wrong about those tastes. We
just choose not to follow those particular tastes. We do what we do,
and I think it's just a little different to most. Put it this way,
if we sounded like everybody else, we would be pretty damn boring!
(Laughs)"
As mentioned before, one of the most striking aspects
of Clutch is Fallon's ability to come up with some of the strangest,
twisted and memorable lyrics ever to proliferate rock and roll. It's
only one of the band's most misconstrued elements as well.
"I think sometimes the delivery of the music and
the lyrics combined lead people to assume that there's some element
of violence there. Early on, when I wrote that stuff when I was around
nineteen years old, some of the lyrical content was very juvenile
I think. They were aggressive, and I think that set a somewhat of
an unfortunate precedent. But these days, it's all about good time
rock and roll. Another thing that people don't realise is that there's
no real clear-cut issue I'm voicing. If there is a message, then I'm
unaware of it! (Laughs) A lot of times I'll put words in because I
like the sound of those words. I understand that a lot of the lyrics
I write are hard to figure out just what they're all about, but I
too have trouble finding out the meaning behind those words too! I
think in that element of being vague, it leaves a lot of room for
interpretation, so in the end, nobody is right, and nobody is wrong."
That hasn't stopped some fans claiming that they understand
a particular message that Fallon is trying to put across.
"It is strange to have someone coming up to you and claiming
that they totally understand what you're trying to say in a particular
song, and knowing full well that you weren't trying to say anything
in particular in the first place. I don't know what they're saying.
There are always those people out there that are going to find what
they want to hear regardless of what you tell them. If it weren't
one of my songs, it would have been the next guy's effort. But hey,
if people are going to spend that much time analysing them, it at
the very least makes me feel good."
Speaking conceptually, the cover artwork accompanying
'Robot Hive/Exodus' on the other hand does have a theme running through
it, but again, it's not what you would assume.
"Well we sat down with Nick Lakiotes, who created
the cover, and one of the things that we were lamenting is the death
of the vinyl record artwork. You can do great things on twelve inches
by twelve inches of cardboard. I remember going home and putting on
the headphones and staring at the album artwork. It was like this
static video that you could lose yourself in. That's too bad, because
you know you don't have to use your imagination much these days because
you can put on the DVD extras and watch the band spit at each other
and what have you. So this was sort of like that. I like the old Yes
artwork, and even bands like Asia and a lot of the old metal bands.
Lakiotes just read the lyrics without listening to the music and drew
inspiration from different metal images he had. He eventually put
together this eclectic mural of a creation about some kind of robot
race. We think it looks great, but there's no real deep meaning behind
the imagery beyond Lakiotes' own ideas."
After numerous missed opportunities and bad timing,
Clutch are finally making their way down to Australia for the first
time ever, and it's obvious that the band are excited by the opportunity.
"None of us have been down there before, unless
of course one of us are leading a secret life! (Laughs) I'm glad it's
finally happening. There has been a few times in the past where we've
been offered to come down, but it's always been a case of the timing
not being right, being either logistically or financially, or other
prior obligations clashing with the schedule. It's only been in the
last couple of years when it's become feasible for us to finally do
this."
If coming down for the first time wasn't exciting enough,
the fact that the first two shows sold out almost instantly only heightened
the bands anticipation to play to fans.
"I was floored. Before that happened I went in
with the attitude of just being happy to be there and play to just
five people at the venue. I thought that would have been cool because
we would be there in Australia. But to hear that these shows went
clean like that is shocking. I have also heard that the couple of
dates added on after the sold out shows have been selling fast too,
so it's fantastic! I didn't realise there were so many fans down there,
but now I do. We promise to put on a sincere straight ahead rock and
roll show. I understand that it's our first time there, but we'll
try and play everything that everyone wants to hear, knowing full
well that we won't be able to of course! (Laughs) But we will try
our damnedest, and make sure that people will remember us!"
While Fallen didn't have expectation on ticket sales,
he's quick to point out that he knows exactly what sort of crowd Clutch
will be playing to here in Australia.
"If there's one thing I've found while travelling
everywhere is that when you get a large group of people into a nightclub,
and they start drinking beer and there's a lot of loud music, everybody,
despite their nationality is exactly the same. It's like an international
language of rock clubs! (Laughs) I'm just looking forward to meeting
people on a very one on one level. That's one of the great things
about being in a band. You get to do a lot of travelling, but you're
never really a tourist. You get to meet people and talk to them, and
get a real grassroots understanding of what the country's like."
Unfortunately, time constraints means that while Clutch
will be in Australia, they're not likely going to see much while here.
"I think what we'll be seeing most of is nightclubs
and aeroplanes because there's a lot of travelling involved in touring
a place like Australia. Given the opportunity I would love to go see
Ayers Rock, but I understand that's a little bit out of the way. Everyone
I talk to that's been to Australia is always stung by the plant life,
so if I manage to get a couple of plants, I'll be happy."
I would like to thank Neil Fallon for his generous
time, and Shannon Keays at Two Fish Out Of Water and Shock Records
for making the interview possible.
For more information on Clutch, check out - http://www.pro-rock.com
© Justin Donnelly - justindonnelly@ozemail.com.au
