Clutch

by Jeff Jolley

Earlier in the summer (northern hemisphere), this overly dark band, "Clutch," took to the venues to support their latest album, "Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes and Undeniable Truths." We I say dark, we're talking like Type O Negative or some serious Misfits classics. Unlike the more lathargic Type O Negative (and more like the Misfits), Clutchs packs some serious energy into it. I wonder how little Neil (the lead singer and chief songwriter) does it. But they definatly rock quite well. Check out their latest East/West Records release on CD and read about them here...

RAD: How do you guys like being on Elektra or EastWest?
Tim: Well, it's definitely a record company.
Dan: Nice bus...
Tim: ...yeah, the record company gave us a nice bus. Well we got to pay it back. Everything's just a whirl...we're making fun of ourselves.
RAD: What label were you on before?
Tim: The only label we were on before was this label called Inner Journey. It was from kind of Maryland, kind of from Delaware, and we put out a 7 inch. That was the only other label we were on. We had a release on Earache, but we were on EastWest at the time. I don't know what it was, I don't know why we did it.
RAD: Was it a 7 inch?
Dan: Well, it was a 3 song cd, it was on a 12 inch too in Europe. It was pretty nice.
RAD: Have you guys been to Europe?
Tim: One time with Biohazard two years ago. It was awesome.
RAD: How much longer do you have on this tour? You've been out a week now?
Tim: I think our last show's about six weeks from now.
RAD: Who else are you linking up with?
Tim: I have no idea, hopefully someone like AC/DC or Ozzy.
RAD: Are those some of your influences?
Tim: Yeah! Definitely.
RAD: I must say I really do like the album.
Tim: The new one?
RAD: Yeah...
Tim: Thanks.
RAD: Who was the genius behind the artwork on the whole layout?
Tim: Adam
Dan: Most of the artwork is...artwork as far as the album goes and tshirts and things like that usually ends up being a group effort but I think Neil's usually the catalyst for most of the stuff. He's the one who came up with the logo and pretty much for each album we have. We try to go different directions - you know we just sit around, talk a little, then we do it.
RAD: What do you guys think of healthcare reform?
(They both laugh.)
RAD: What are your favorite canned foods? And this is a serious question.
Dan: Favorite canned foods? Right now, I'm on a real Campbells soup kick, anything.
Tim: Canned tomatoes, no I mean canned carrots. Canned pears.
Dan: Cream of corn?
Tim: Oh yeah, cream of corn.
Dan: He eats it twice a day. By the end of the week, it's a couple of gallons, it's pretty sick.
RAD: How do you feel that creamed corn has affected his musical abilities?
Dan: He can't sing as much. Well, he's focused all on cream of corn. I don't know what he does, he just shows up for recording. He pretty much writes all of his lyrics right before he records them. It turns out pretty cool. He doesn't think about them too much.
RAD: Do you demo the tunes themselves and put the words to it or does he come up with everything?
Dan: We jam. We used to have a big practice space...
RAD: Where at?
Dan: In Maryland, five miles from our houses. Up till recently we did it there. Now we just practice at John Paul's house. But we usually just set up a couple of mics into a stereo and record the music on the new stuff. Just use that as a rough guide. We don't really talk about lyrics.

OK. At this point in the interview, one of the guys in Tad comes racing onto the bus. He says that Tad recently got a special copy of this video that shows an "actual" encounter with a U.F.O. So, instead of continuing the interview (or sound- checking for that matter) Clutch and a few of us sit in front of the bus' VCR and watch this tape. I should say that we watch this piece of dog-turd on the screen. At first you don't what to think about the film, except for the fact that the people in it seem to be over-emphasizing everything and that it's strange that they never turn the camera off no matter what happens. But then you just realize...wait, the video's over...back to the interview...

RAD: Did all of you grow up together?
Dan: We didn't necessarily grow up together. I was born in DC. Neil was born in Virginia. We all kind of spent the first half of our lives in other states and then around 8th grade, everybody moved to pretty much the same neighborhood. Neil and I live literally about 5 houses from each other. Tim just lives in the community next to ours, and John Paul is not that far away. We hung out together in high school.
RAD: Were you in other bands before Clutch?
Dan: Not really, we had like different inclinations like punk, more metal stuff. By the time we started playing shows, we pretty much started gelling together as a band.
RAD: You rather tour or be in the studio.
Tim: Either one's fine with me.
Dan: Studio's cool. Then you get a tape to listen to. Touring's great. It's being at home and doing nothing that sucks. You can't get jobs. When we're not touring or in the studio, then we don't have any kind of income. We were off the road for six months until we got this tour and we're really learning how to stretch the dollar. Cuz when you blow your money on pot it goes fast.