On July 7th, Maryland's CLUTCH will release STRANGE COUSINS FROM THE WEST, their ninth studio album, and the first on their own label, Weathermaker Music. After almost 20 years, CLUTCH is one of the rare bands that has managed to maintain a loyal fanbase that has been there since the beginning, while gaining new listeners with each new record.FANGORIA MUSICK caught up with guitarist Tim Sult, one of the key players behind the distinctive CLUTCH sound, to discuss the new album, the band's change of business model, and to talk a little horror.
JAMES ZAHN (FANGORIA): After being on numerous labels over the years (ATLANTIC, EASTWEST, EARACHE, DRT) you guys are going out on your own with WEATHERMAKER MUSIC. I’ve seen the CLUTCH DVD (FULL FATHOM FIVE) that you recently released, and now STRANGE COUSINS FROM THE WEST will be the first full-length CLUTCH album released on your own label. Can you tell us a little bit about the decision to take the leap into going it alone?
TIM SULT (CLUTCH): We’ve been on so many labels over the years, that it was just time to try doing it ourselves. The last label we were on [DRT] we thought it would be this awesome 50/50 type of situation, you know?FANGORIA: Right…
SULT: Of course it didn’t end up being like that and things turned sour , so then we just decided that we’d start doing things ourselves, forever.
FANGORIA: A lot of bands are starting to go that route, and many of them are starting to eliminate physical product and go strictly with a digital format. Is that something we’ll see in CLUTCH’s future?
SULT: No, I don’t think we’ll try to eliminate physical product whatsoever. Honestly, it seems like in the past couple of years stuff like vinyl has gotten way more popular.
FANGORIA: Vinyl’s making a huge comeback. I’ve been seeing vinyl promos show up here on a weekly basis of late.
SULT: Yeah, they’re even selling vinyl at Best Buy out here. I don’t know where that comes from. I think that people listening to your music online and downloading it is probably a good thing. I don’t think you lose sales, I think you gain sales, regardless of format.
FANGORIA: Who are the “Strange Cousins From The West?”SULT: You know what, I’m not sure yet. I’m trying to figure that out myself. I’ll ask Neil [Fallon, vocalist], because that’s the man who would know.
FANGORIA: Going back throughout the history of CLUTCH, the band’s sound, particularly your guitar tone has a definite groove that most bands tend to lack. How do you keep it fresh and find a new groove with each album without simply rehashing what you’ve already done in the past?
SULT: We just do what we do. I don’t really feel that it’s changed as much as people seem to have perceived it to. The way I look at it, it’s all the same to me. We just get in a room and try to write the best songs that we can, you know?
FANGORIA: Indeed. I just listened to the new album for the first time over the weekend, and I personally felt that where with previous CLUTCH releases, as you said - people think are very different and represent “change” - and if you go back to the early 90’s there’s certainly an evolution that has happened, but this latest album really feels cohesive with the past three or so albums. Almost as if they fit together somehow.
SULT: Fair enough.
FANGORIA: I don’t know if that’s an intentional thing, but the past three really have a grimy, bluesy feel, that’s still very much CLUTCH.
SULT: Yes. Definitely!
FANGORIA: Another thing that I think is unique about CLUTCH that perhaps you can elaborate on for our readers, is that your band is very much carrying the torch - almost in a Folky sense - of being storytellers. Whether it be an individual song, or a thematic album, everything tells a story.
SULT: Lyrically, I’m not really up on it, to tell you the truth.
FANGORIA: Fair enough.
SULT: Neil, our singer is a very well-read guy. He was an English Major in College, so he brings that into the band. It’s just more interesting to tell a story than to sit around screaming about how your dad didn’t like you.
FANGORIA: When you set out to make a new CLUTCH record, does the music come first, or does Neil bring the lyrics in right away?
SULT: The music usually comes first.
FANGORIA: On your 1995 self-titled album, your name made it into a title on the instrumental “Tim Sult Vs. The Greys” - In the spirit of “Vs.” which horror icon would you like to go head-to-head with ala FREDDY VS. JASON?
SULT: I kinda want to go up against - what’s her real name? - the girl that get’s possessed in THE EXORCIST?
FANGORIA: Linda Blair, Regan was the character name.
SULT: Yeah, that’s it, Regan. To me that was the most frightening thing that I’d ever seen in a horror movie as a child. She was way scarier than Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers, or any of that.
FANGORIA: So it’s safe to say that THE EXORCIST is your all-time favorite?
SULT: Yes. Absolutely.
FANGORIA: One question our readers seem to always enjoy pertains to real-life, so I’ll toss this one at ya. What has been your most horrific experience as a member of CLUTCH?
SULT: We’re lucky enough that we haven’t had to experience anything too horrific like other bands. We haven’t had any deaths or anything. Jesus Christ, I need to make this one good! (chuckles)
I don’t know about anyone else in the band, but we stopped in the middle of nowhere up in Canada once, and there were moose about a hundred yards away. So, we decided to walk up towards the moose, and wound up having to run about a hundred yards back to our bus from these moose that were about ready to kill me. That’s the closest I’ve ever been to death, being chased by wild moose!
FANGORIA: So “death by moose”, definitely one we haven’t heard before.
SULT: (laughs)
FANGORIA: If you had to pick a favorite child, what’s your favorite CLUTCH song?
SULT: Right now it’s definitely “Abraham Lincoln” off of the new album.
FANGORIA: Least favorite?
SULT: Least favorite CLUTCH song? That’s easy, because I have about 6,000 of those! There’s nothing I hate too much, but “Willie Nelson” off SLOW HOLE TO CHINA is certainly not my favorite song of all time. There’s a couple that never came out, and those were so bad we simply couldn’t release them. So I’m saying “Willie Nelson” off the top of my head.
FANGORIA: In your own tastes, what have you been diggin lately?
SULT: As far as newer, heavier stuff goes I’ve been listening to a lot of HIGH ON FIRE, and I like OPETH a lot. I’ve also been listening to the new Les Claypool a lot.
FANGORIA: OF FUNGI AND FOE?
SULT: Yep!
FANGORIA: That was actually partially inspired by a horror movie he worked on…
SULT: Really?
FANGORIA: It’s called PIG HUNT.
SULT: I haven’t heard of that one.FANGORIA: It’s not out yet, but it was directed by Jim Issac, who did SKINWALKERS and the FRIDAY THE 13TH sequel, JASON X. Claypool plays a preacher in the movie, and did some music for that and a couple of other projects that basically spawned ‘FUNGI.
SULT: I need to tell our sound guy about that, because he worships Les Claypool!
FANGORIA: In general, what’s the next step for CLUTCH?
SULT: We’ll be back on the road for probably the next two years!
CLUTCH is currently prepping for their 2009 European Tour which kicks off on June 13th in the UK. On July 3rd, the band will be back in the ‘States to kick-off their U.S. Summer Tour, (which includes a FREE SHOW at Kuma’s Block Party in Chicago, July 11th) running through August.
For the latest CLUTCH, check out:
Comments (5)
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|2009-06-14 12:12:26 Tommo
Can't wait for the gig in Newport this week...and to hear the new album. Sweeeet!
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|2009-06-10 11:34:13 Jeremy
Nice work! Clutch is such and amazing show, looking forward to the new stuff!!!
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