Page 101 - Classic Rock (January 2020)

INTERVIEWS

Clutch

A few choice words from the
band’s frontman Neil Fallon.

Clutch’s festive gigs in Britain are
becoming an institution. What makes
them so special?
Well, we started doing them a few years ago
in Europe, and it seems to be a good time for
people to let their hair and their guard down.
Maybe it’s something to do with the coming
of the dark hours and long nights.

The loss of your friend and manager of
twenty-five years standing, Jack Flanagan,
makes the tour bittersweet. Will you be
honouring him in any way? New Model Army
We’re still wrapping our heads around what
happened. Even doing these shows [after his As one of Britain’s most unique and misunderstood bands prepare
passing in mid-October] stands as a bit of
a dedication, and Jack was always the kind of for their 40th birthday, we talk to frontman Justin Sullivan.
guy who believed the show should go on.

A new version of Electric Worry, a Clutch Some groups record in the took a step back and looked at the In a Classic Rock interview
live favourite from 2007, is being released
as a single. What makes it different? Bahamas or similar glamourous bigger picture, including being talking about NMA’s 2013’s
It’s changed so much since we started locations. Why did New Model stuck on this fucking planet which album Between Dog And Wolf,
playing it live, because it used to feature Army visit the tiny Norwegian we’re slowly destroying. you explained that wilful self-
Mick [Schauer, who left the band a decade island of Giske to record their sabotage has always been a part
ago and died recently] on organ and Five fifteenth record, From Here? From Here reached No.13 in of the band’s DNA.
[Oblander from Five Horse Johnson] on We went there because it’s the most the official chart, which is Our attitude has always been:
harp. Now those elements are no longer extraordinary studio in the world. the band’s highest placed whatever they want from you, fuck
presented, we wanted to put a more up-to-
date version of the song out there. I mean, look at the photos of the album ever in Britain. Do such ’em. We used to have an official
place. It’s so bleak and romantic. landmarks still carry any policy: if ever a song threatened to
The band have also curated As a band we love bleak. weight with you? become bigger than the band, then
a Spotify playlist. Not really. As a young musician we’d stop playing it for five years.
Yeah, it’s taken us a long time to deal with Interestingly, Classic Rock’s I used to talk about ‘making it’, And if that annoys some of the
that whole thing [the streaming of music review described the album as whatever that means. What’s more audience, well, tough. It did the
online]. We’re guys of almost fifty, and we “fascinatingly bleak and sparse”. trick [laughs]. It was commercial
like to listen to albums, but we understand
that there’s a new generation that doesn’t Well, there you go then. But besides suicide, they told us. But in 2019
feel the same way, and we must adapt to the landscapes, it’s a state-of-the-art “Our attitude has we’re a band that can do whatever
deliver to these younger ears. studio. We wanted a record that always been: it wants. There’s no song that we
sounded really big, with an ambient have to play.
Did you pick the two special guests, drum sound, and it was the right whatever they
Graveyard and Kamchatka? place to make it happen. Giske is Is there a single greatest
Absolutely. We’ve toured with both bands like nowhere else on earth. On the want, f**k ’em.” misconception about NMA?
numerous times. It makes for a better show last day we threw ourselves into the It kind of annoys me when some
when we’re into the music [of the supports].
sea – it was the coldest water I’ve important is making a living from people think we’re a Chumbawumba,
What do Clutch have in store for 2020? ever been in. it, and we crossed that line back in a Crass or a Billy Bragg-style of
We’re taking three months off, but because 1984. After that it really doesn’t band, where the politics are more
of Jack’s passing most of our time will be Do the album’s lyrics touch upon fucking matter. I mean, who cares? important than the music. Our
spent circling the wagons. We will make new the current political unrest? Last time I looked there was still agenda is entirely musical. We’ve
music but of course that requires us being in No, not at all. Our last album, Winter food in my fridge. even written a number of songs
the right headspace.
[2016], was written before the from standpoints that we don’t
European referendum and Trump. Have New Model Army ever even agree with – including
Do you make New Year’s resolutions?
On January first I am shaving off this damned But we knew all of that shit was made a record that could be trying to get inside the head of
a nationalist – purely because we
described as ‘cheerful’?
going to happen because we’d been
beard at the request of my son who’s nine
NEW MODEL ARMY: GETTY years old and has never seen my face. DL singing about it for years. This time It all depends on what makes you found them interesting. DL
happy. There are some cheerful
we made a very deliberate attempt
songs on the album, but I’ve always
The last date of the tour is in
not to get involved in what
The first date of the tour is December 17.
Nottingham on December 21.
liked songs in minor keys.
everybody’s screaming about. We
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