Clutch Interview w/Jean-Paul Gaster
"WE PICKED SONGS THAT WERE THE TRUEST TO OUR ABILITIES AND COMPILED AS MANY SONGS AS WE COULD AND THAT'S ALL THERE WAS TO IT " February 11, 2009, 01:09 AM Views: 1130
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 Maryland four piece Clutch have been very busy bunnies. Constant touring, creation of their own label, a live DVD release, single releases, records in the making, side projects, the list is endless. Described as 'rock / metal / blues', these boys sure know how to rock indeed. Altsounds were fortunate enough to get an exclusive interview with drummer Jean-Paul Gaster. Read on and listen to the band, you will be "clutching" at your seat! Ha!
[altsounds] Hello!
[Clutch] HELLO THERE.
[altsounds] What gave you the idea to launch the label 'Weathermaker' and how did you come up with the name for it?
[Clutch] IT WAS DEFINITELY TIME, OUR CONTRACT W/ D.R.T. WAS UP AND THE PROSPECT OF SIGNING TO ANOTHER LABEL WASN'T SOMETHING WE WERE INTERESTED IN DOING. AFTER SOME RESEARCH IT SEEMED LIKE THE INDUSTRY WAS CHANGING A LOT AND DISTRIBUTORS WERE WORKING MORE W/ BANDS SO THE TIME WAS JUST RIGHT.
[altsounds] Back in November 2008 you released your first live DVD/CD on that label, how did you feel when it went out? Did you get the feedback you wanted?
[Clutch] WE WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE RESULTS. WE WERE PSYCHED TO PUT OUT A DOCUMENT OF LIVE SHOWS THAT LOOKED AND SOUNDED AS GOOD AS WE WANTED IT TO. AS FAR AS FEEDBACK GOES, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I TRY TO PAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO. YOU SHOULD MAKE MUSIC FOR YOURSELF AND NOT BE CONCERNED W/ WHAT OTHER PEOPLE LIKE. WE PICKED SONGS THAT WERE THE TRUEST TO OUR ABILITIES AND COMPILED AS MANY SONGS AS WE COULD AND THAT'S ALL THERE WAS TO IT.
[altsounds] Is the band coming over to the Uk any time soon? Have you played the UK scene yet?
[Clutch] YES. WE'VE BEEN TO THE UK SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN GOOD TO US. I DO EXPECT THAT WE SHOULD BE IN THE UK IN JUNE.
[altsounds] What is the best part about the US rock music scene?
[Clutch] THE BEST PART OF THE US ROCK MUSIC SCENE WOULD BE: THERE ARE A LOT OF PLACES TO PLAY. A LOT MORE THAN IN THE UK, YOU CAN PLAY THE UK IN 3 WEEKS AND PLAY EVERYWHERE. IN THE US YOU CAN PLAY FOR THREE MONTHS AND NOT GET TO PLAY EVERY CITY. WE CAN PLAY 6-8 WEEKS IN A STRETCH AND NEVER HAVE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY!
[altsounds] How about clutch @ download festival 2009?
[Clutch] WE DID DOWNLOAD IN 2007 AND 2009 SOUNDS LIKE AN EXCELLENT IDEA. BOOK IT AND WE'LL BE THERE!
[altsounds] Instrumental groups / albums are always tough to get right. Was there a lot of pre-writing involved or was the side project band 'The Bakerton Group' more of an Jam session band?
[Clutch] WELL THEY ARE MORE JAM ORIENTED. THE SONGS ARE WRITTEN AND THEN WE HAVE JAM SESSIONS IN THE MIDDLE. WE CAN STRETCH THE SONG AND MIX IT DIFFERENTLY EVERY NIGHT. BAKERTON GROUP HAS BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR YEARS. WE KNOW WHEN WE PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER WHICH SONG WILL BE FOR BAKERTON AND WHICH WILL BE FOR CLUTCH. WE THINK DIFFERENTLY WHEN WRITING BAKERTON THAN CLUTCH, IT'S A WAY TO KEEP THINGS FRESH AND TRY NEW IDEAS WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY [IN TURN] MAKE CLUTCH BETTER.
[altsounds] Digital singles are obviously the new market for getting your music heard, what are your thoughts on the system? Personally something you can hold and put in your CD collection is better than a few clicks on a mouse.
[Clutch] I STILL PREFER TO HAVE A CD MYSELF THAT I CAN LOAD INTO ITUNES. MORE AND MORE I FIND MYSELF FINDING STUFF DIGITALLY [USUALLY THROUGH ITUNES]. IT DOES TAKE SOME OF THE EXPERIENCE OUT OF IT. THAT WAS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE THING. PAGING THROUGH BOOKLETS, RESEARCHING, SEEING WHO PRODUCED THE RECORD, THAT KIND OF THING. UNFORTUNATELY YOU DON'T HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE THROUGH ITUNES. IT DOES MAKE MUSIC MORE ACCESSIBLE. THERE ARE PLENTY OF TIMES WHEN I'M SITTING AT HOME WISHING I HAD A RECORD. SIX MINUTES LATER I'M ACTUALLY LISTENING TO THE RECORD. I THINK I LISTEN TO MORE MUSIC NOW THAN I USED TO BECAUSE OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT THAT THE INTERNET AND SITES LIKE ITUNES HAVE BROUGHT TO THE WORLD.
[altsounds] Do you have a big CD collection?
[Clutch] YES. I'VE GOT A TON OF RECORDS. I LISTEN TO ALL STYLES OF MUSIC. RARELY DO I LISTEN TO ANYTHING HEAVY OR LOUD. USUALLY I LISTEN TO JAZZ. LEE SCRATCH PERRY. I PRACTICE DRUMS EVERY DAY AND DUB IS GREAT TO PRACTICE TO. IT MAKES PRACTISING MORE FUN!
[altsounds] Who are your top five artists at the moment?
[Clutch] AN ARGENTINIAN GUITARIST : PAPPOS BLUES HE WAS AMAZINGLY CONSISTENT ALL THROUGHOUT THE 70S... GREAT BLUES ROCK. I STILL LISTEN TO THE BAD BRAINS. I JUST DID A GIG W/ WINO FROM THE OBSESSED AND ST VITUS SO I HAD TO LEARN SOME OBSESSED. LUNAR WOMB WAS A GREAT RECORD. PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM BY WINO PROFESSOR LONGHAIR CRAWFISH FIESTA ETC
[altsounds] What was the last record you bought?
[Clutch] ROBIN TROWER AND JACK BRUCE "SEVEN MOONS"
[altsounds] There is a lot kicking off with the band at the moment, tour dates, releases, new album. How do you fit it all in? Especially now you have your own label involved.
[Clutch] WELL I THINK HAVING OUR OWN LABEL MOTIVATES US TO RECORD MORE. THAT WAS ALWAYS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART, GETTING THE RECORD DONE. THE TYPE OF MATERIAL WE WERE RECORDING, THE FINANCES, A LOT OF TIME LABELS WOULD PAY FOR THE RECORDING SO THEY WANTED THINGS A CERTAIN WAY. THAT'S ALWAYS A DRAG, THOSE KIND OF THINGS ALWAYS SOUR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BAND AND LABEL. THIS WAY IS REALLY EMPOWERING. THE BAND IS EXCITED AND ENTHUSIASM IS THROUGH THE ROOF.
WE'RE EXCITED TO PUT OUT RECORDS AND PLAY SHOWS. THE LABEL THING IS ALWAYS TOUGH. IF WE CAN CONTROL THINGS IT MAKES IT THAT MUCH EASIER TO BE CREATIVE. IT'S HARD TO BE CREATIVE WHEN YOUR BICKERING WITH A LABEL.
[altsounds] Here in the UK the Myspace culture seems to have deteriorated rapidly, how is it in the states?
[Clutch] I DONT KNOW, I DONT DO MYSPACE.
[altsounds] Do you use it more than your own website?
[Clutch] NO I DO NOT USE MYSPACE!
[altsounds] Bakerton group and Clutch are two very unique names, what do they mean?
[Clutch] WE CAME UP W/ THE NAME CLUTCH ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE OUR FIRST GIG IN THE 90S. AT THE TIME, ONE-NAME BANDS WERE VERY POPULAR. FOR EXAMPLE, FUGAZI WAS A BAND WE WERE INFLUENCED BY. BANDS LIKE PRONG, HELMET, QUICKSAND ETC ARE FURTHER EXAMPLES. WE JUST LIKED THE IDEA. IT WAS EITHER CLUTCH OR BELT, AND I THINK CLUTCH SOUNDS BETTER. THE BAKERTON GROUP WAS REAL EASY, WE WERE LIVING IN BAKERTON WEST VIRGINIA AND TOYING W/ THE IDEA OF AN ALTER EGO SO WE CALLED OURSELVES THE BAKERTON GROUP.
[altsounds] Anything else you would like to say?
[Clutch] THAT SHOULD DO IT, VISIT PRO-ROCK.COM
[altsounds] Thanks Jean Paul
[Clutch] THANK YOU!
Last edited by altsounds : February 11, 2009 at 01:29 AM.
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