Neil Fallon of Clutch

[HARD ROCK UNIVERSE]

Neil Fallon Of Clutch







One of the most uncompromising bands of the past decade and a half, Clutch have consistently done things their way. The Germantown, Maryland rockers first came on the scene with the 'Pitchfork' EP in 1991, and throughout their career have steadily metamorphosed. Starting out as somewhat of a hardcore influenced band on their initial releases, the band has continued to mature, refining their sound, adding diverse influences which range from metal, funk, progressive rock, blues and classic hard rock from the 70's. Thus, mere labels or categories don't fit with them. As of late you're likely to see an extended, almost Santana meets Deep Purple- like, Hammond organ inflected jam sitting next to heavy Sabbath or Zeppelin styled riffs, followed by a Howlin' Wolf cover, such as what was on display on 2005's 'Robot Hive/Exodus'.

A trend which has continued with their latest offering, the stellar 2007 release 'From Beale Street To Oblivion'. Featuring heavy riff rock alongside straight ahead blues boogie rock, even delving into a Southern stoner rock vibe at times, this is the work of a band at its creative peak. Far reaching in scope, this is an album which has the potential to have mass appeal, able to be enjoyed by metalheads, jam band afficionados, modern and classic rockers alike. Truly there's something for everyone, provided one has the musical taste to appreciate such diversity that is.

Now, with the album reaching a career high peak at #52 on the Billboard Album Charts in its first week of release, the debut single, "Electric Worry" is getting play on MTV2's 'Headbanger's Ball' and a world tour which will see the band take in dates in Australia as well as the Bonnaroo Music Festival. With the aforementioned single hitting #38 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Singles Chart, the band is on an upward swing which is long overdue. One of the hardest working bands in rock, playing over 100 dates annually, Clutch has earned their audience the old fashioned way : By releasing quality music then touring their asses off afterwards.

Fronted by vocalist Neil Fallon, consisting also of founding members Tim Sult on guitar, Dan Maines on bass and Jean- Paul Gaster on drums, amazingly this is a long lasting union. In a day and age when bands get together, then break up at a dizzying rate, they have, with the exception of the addition of keyboardist Mick Schauer in 2005, kept the lineup the same as it was 16 years ago. A fact which has allowed them to grow as musicians together, developing an almost jazz like telepathic sensibility between them in the process.

Recently I had the opportunity to catch up with Neil at home in Maryland during a break in the tour schedule, where the topics ranged from the new album, the band's philosophy on music, what's next for the band plus a lot more. Join us as we have a conversation with one of rock's most creative personalities, vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Neil Fallon of Clutch...
Special thanks go to Jen Farwood and David chipster for coordinating, and a BIG thanks to Neil for doing this interview for Rock N Roll Universe!

June 7th, 2007

Interview and text by Nightwatcher for Rock N Roll Universe

Rock N Roll Universe : First off Neil, we'd like to thank you for taking the time out to talk with us it's a pleasure....

Neil Fallon : The pleasure's all mine.

RNRU : You've just released a new album, 'From Beale Street To Oblivion' on DRT, which debuted at #52 on the Billboard Charts the first week of release, which has been the best chart placing of the band's career thus far. Are you pleased with the response for the album?

NF : Yeah. As far as getting in the charts, we don't pay too much attention to that. We mostly thrive on the crowd's reaction to the songs when we're playing them live. That's kind of the soul of it for us.

RNRU : The album was leaked onto the Internet in March, several weeks before the release date. What affect do you feel that has had upon sales, and what's your take on downloading?

NF : Well, you can try and stop it but you're not going to succeed. Of course, it's a lot harder to sell records these days because of it. I can't really point any fingers because I've done it myself to other artists. That would be pretty hypocritical for me to not want it both ways. At the end of the day, a band of our size...we're not making money selling records. We never have, and probably never will. What we do is make our money on tour selling t shirts. That's how we're able to continue what we do. So, if someone downloads a record and they like it so much that they actually decide they want to go check out the band live, then I think it's a positive thing. One of the good things about the Internet is that it kind of levels the playing field quite a bit. A band who 15 years ago, their only outlet would be to get a distribution deal, now they can put their music out on the Internet and have a worldwide distribution deal for free. It's not all golden, it does kind of make life more difficult to be lucrative, strictly financially speaking. But there's other ways to make up for that I think.

RNRU : One of the impressive things about this album is its diversity. You have really heavy songs, but at the same time you also have almost straight blues boogie songs such as "Electric Worry" as well. Although it's identifiable as the band, you haven't stuck to just one sound throughout. Is there a conscious effort on your part to be so diverse, or does it just happen naturally?

NF : Both. I think if we're at a writing time where we've written a number of up tempo, straight ahead rockers, we might say, "Well, we need to write one that's got more of a mellow vibe to it". A bit more bizarre. Knowing ultimately in the writing process that we're going to be writing a record. You want to hear dynamics in any record. We do that on purpose, but it's also a reflection of moods. It's hard to write slow songs if you're all charged up.

RNRU : Speaking of "Electric Worry," that's just been released as the album's first single and video, it's getting airplay and has been on MTV's 'Headbanger's Ball'. Now, I remember reading a recent interview where you were quoted as saying that particular song was one which you were already tired of playing live. How will you reconcile that fact when quite possibly that will be the song that will draw a lot of people to come out and hear the band play?

NF : Well, you've got to keep it in perspective. Performing a song is not digging a ditch. If that's all I have to complain about then it's a good thing. There are a lot more repetitive jobs than playing a rock n roll song. I have to look at it that way. The thing is, when an album's released, some of those songs are over a year old, there's already a history with them. I do enjoy playing the song regardless. You've got to work for it.

RNRU : What led to your decision to release that particular song as the first single? That in itself was a pretty ballsy move, because let's face it, pretty much straight forward blues boogie rock isn't exactly at the top of the charts these days...

NF : (Laughs) I guess we've always been anomalists in certain regards in trying to put something out there that would be, quote unquote, appropro, would probably not be in our own favor. I don't know what a single's supposed to sound like. I have no clue. With every record, the decision for the single I've never been involved with. Because one, I'm too close to the music, and two, I don't know what sounds good. I would always pick the wrong one. It's good to somebody, namely someone at the record label, be removed from that process and kind of listen to the album objectively, and say, "This song," or "Not that one".

RNRU : That's what the A&R guy's there for...

NF : Exactly.

RNRU : There's a very 70's type vibe to this release not only in the sound but also in terms of the production, which is a very refreshing aspect, in contrast to the majority of modern heavy rock bands who have this huge, "Wall Of Sound" production-wise. Did working in analog this time around versus digital lend itself to that type of sound? There seems to be more depth to the soundscape this time around...

NF : I think so. That was always our intent. We rehearsed these songs on tour knowing that we were going to go directly to tape without a click track and forego Pro Tools and all that stuff. Which has its own merits I think more for the writing process. But for recording, I think still to this day there's some kind of mystery about tubes and tape that all the digital 1's and 0's in the world can't replicate. It's gotten really, really close, but I think if you're worried about playing to a click track and clicking and dragging it's very easy to suck the soul out of a song. Joe Barresi can do either one, but he's definitely of the old school philosophy that if you put the right microphone, in front of the right amp, in the right room, then you've pretty much already won your battle right there.

RNRU : Was that kind of a way for you of going back to the music you listened to when you were growing up like Deep Purple and Zeppelin, the way they recorded? Was there a conscious effort of "I'd like to sound like that?"

NF : I think so. Personally, my favorite records that I listen to were all recorded on either two tracks or four tracks. I've got to keep in mind that the Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath...and even The Beatles records were done with limited resources. Yet at the same time it forced them to think real technically about what they were doing, and not have a "fix it in the mix" philosophy. I guess we did want to emulate that because that's what we like listening to.

RNRU : Do you think that in a way that technology has made it too easy for people in a sense? That a lot of bands don't have to put the effort into it?

NF : Absolutely. There are programs out there with which you can make any monkey sound like a pro. I think it's good for writing because you can write something, then click and drag bars here and there. But, it's a slippery slope and it can become a crutch. You can find yourself having created something that is a wall of sound, which may sound great, but there's no way on God's green earth that you're going to sound like that on stage.

RNRU : What expectations do you have, sales-wise for the album? What would make you happy sales-wise this time around?

NF : Who knows. I don't really give that an ounce of thought. I don't have any delusions about this band. I don't see myself hanging up any Gold records on my wall. For me, I judge us...the only tangible thing that I can see are crowds. If we're getting good crowds, to me I see that as a better litmus test. Album sales? Sure, it'd be great to sell millions of records, but NOT doing that doesn't lead to disappointment. If that were the case we would've given up a long time ago.

RNRU : Another subject I'd like to get into is the album's artwork, which was designed by Nick Lakoites. The band just recently released a statement apologizing for the album being released here in the States in an unapproved form versus the digipack which is available in other countries. What was the situation for it being only released as a jewel case, and are there plans to come out with a digipack as you originally intended in the future?

NF : Well, I've been told that the digipack will come out, but I'll believe it when I see it. Even the digipack wasn't exactly what we had approved. We're still sorting out the series of events that occured to make this happen, but it's honestly probably the single most embarrassing thing that's happened to us in 16 years. I think someone was trying to save a buck and pulled the rug out from under us. It's pretty infuriating. At the end of the day, it really is all about the music, but at the same time there's some kind of artistic principle that's violated. In this day and age, kids don't have to buy a record. All they have to do is download it. I think one of the saving graces of a CD, or that kind of a unit for lack of a better word, is if it has cool packaging. You want to look at it. It's almost like buying stock in a band. But we've been doing this for 16 years, and the album as it was released in the United States looks like a high school band's first demo. It sucks, because Nick Lakiotes really did an awesome job of making what would've been a phenomenal package, and it turned out looking bush league. We'll figure out why this happened, then we'll take appropriate action, to put it diplomatically. (Laughs)

RNRU : It seems like with every album you've been progressing towards the sound that you have on this album. Is the music which is on the album what you feel that you were born to play?

NF : It comes along more naturally. Our early stuff, a lot of it was just kind of figuring it out. When we came out with the self titled record it was sort of like a watershed moment where we realized we wanted to do more of a rock n roll thing than a harder, aggro sound. Because you can burn yourself out on that very easily. I think ever since then we've kind of been on that same course, maybe going into other directions briefly, but this seems the right thing to do. We've never questioned it.

RNRU : As you have moved forward with your music, has there ever been any concern along the way of "We may have gone too far" and might stand to lose your audience at any point? Have you ever given thought that fans might at some point not want to take the journey with you?

NF : I think you have to do that. I think there are bands that do one thing and they do one thing well, and that's what people want. I guess a good example of that would be The Ramones. I think, if we truly just started rehashing one thing because it worked in the past, that would be the sure fire way to lose fans. You've got to take a risk. That's what art's all about.

RNRU : Well, it gets stale after awhile, you need to break new boundaries with your music...

NF : I think once you do that...if you start playing the same thing over and over again, it can lead to boredom, and then disillusionment, then you get a floodgate of negativity which will be pervasive in everything you do artistically. So even if it's a risk that you fail at, I have more respect for that than repeating the success twice.

RNRU : Along those same lines Neil, as the band has continued to change its sound and you've gained popularity, inevitably, and this happens with every band as they become more successful, you'll have a portion of long time fans crying out "Oh, Clutch has sold out". Have you prepared yourself for such a backlash, and how would you respond to a fan making such claims?

NF : The first time I heard that we'd sold out was around 1992. I heard it again in '93. I heard it again in '94. With every record there's always going to be someone who says that. With every record there's always going to be a group of people that don't like it and decide they're going to bow out from their "allegiance". Usually with a lot of melodrama attached to it. Selling out...I don't even know what that means anymore. I guess if you were intentionally trying to sound like something to make a quick buck, that would be selling out. But being successful, I don't think that's selling out. There's always going to be people that don't want to see you succeed for spiteful reasons, or don't want to see you succeed for selfish reasons. Because they think they have priority over everybody else. Who's to say? We can cross that bridge when we get to it. I would think someone who was truly a fan of the band would only want the best for us. But like I said, I don't think we're going to be hanging any Gold records on our walls. (Laughs)

[HARD ROCK UNIVERSE]

RNRU : You have the die hard fans whom have been there from the beginning, and it happens with every successful band. As soon as they get more popular away from their core audience, the ones who have been there from the start tend to get very possessive...

NF : I think what happens is...the core fans for any band, they are truly fans of a band. Then if you enjoy some success you get a mass of peripheal people who are fans of a song or two. And as quickly as they come, that's as quick as they'll leave. In that time if you're enjoying that success it's important to enjoy it with a lot of humility and remember who was there before that. Because they may not be there afterwards.

RNRU : I know that when the band was with Columbia and Atlantic there was pressure on you to come up with a big, million selling album. Do you feel that being on a smaller label such as DRT the past few albums has liberated you in a way to pursue what you want to do musicially speaking versus what the record label feels you should be putting out, and how has that affected your music?

NF : I think the single most beneficial thing was being able to put records out with the frequency that we desired. Atlantic and Columbia, and any major label doesn't want a band to put out records any sooner than 2 1/2 years apart. Why? I don't know. I never understood the logic. But I think if we put out records with a greater frequency it's better for us. At this point because we were with those major labels we eventually became self sufficient after having used their tools and then left. We kind of see at this point being with a record label as being a business partnership. We don't look to a label to be a mother, a family or a home. I think that's kind of silly. It's strictly business.

RNRU : You've become a very big blues fan in recent years, which has manifested itself in the band's music. What initially drew you towards the blues?

NF : I always kind of liked it, but never really knew about the great body of work that was out there. I remember hearing...I got this one compilation, Jesus, probably around '91, called 'The Roots Of Robert Johnson'. I think Yazoo put it out. It's a collection of different artists, and ever since I've been researching it and trying to learn how to play guitar somewhat remotely similar to what those guys played. I think the older I get the more cogniscent and appreciative I am of the larger history and context of rock n roll. By the past you can understand the present a lot better. In the blues... I think classic rock bands like we talked about earlier, the blues guys were the ones that they listened to. That's what informed their music, and I'd like to think that's what's happening with us. It's kind of like going to the source for inspiration, as opposed to looking towards your peers. I think there's a lot more to be drawn from the roots.

RNRU : How important do you feel that it is for a musician to listen to diverse styles of music? Just like you touched upon, a lot of bands just listen to what's popular in order to try and figure out what's going to be a hit, and don't listen to other styles, and that's one reason a good majority sound all the same...

NF : I think if you do that you're really doing yourself a disservice. If anything the opposite's the case with us. When I go home I don't listen to aggressive hard rock. It doesn't give you a good enough point of reference. If you want to triangulate your position, you have to look towards distant points. Whether it be jazz, country, hip hop or blues...world music for a lack of a better phrase, you're getting a bigger vocabulary. If you're only listening to 5 variations on one theme, then you're kind of running with blinders on.

RNRU : Speaking of the blues Neil, what in your opinion are five blues albums everyone should own?

NF : I would say the Howlin' Wolf double CD, 'Howlin' Wolf/Moanin' In The Moonlight,' that record's awesome and you can hear like six different songs covered by classic rock bands in their original form. One guy that I just got into the past couple of years is Ali Farka Toure. He has a record called 'The Source' which is awesome. He's from West Africa. I would also say...and this isn't an old blues band but a new blues band, and I don't know if you could call them a blues band, but blues in its contemporary form, would be this band from Sweden called Kamchatka. They're more of a rock band, but you can definitely hear the blues in that. Skip James' 'King Of The Delta Blues Singers' and maybe Charlie Patton's 'Father Of The Delta Blues' album.

RNRU : I know that you guys are obviously big Deep Purple and Zeppelin fans, and there's an obvious Purple influence on a couple of tracks on the new CD. What's your favorite Deep Purple album?

NF : I don't know. I have no idea. I think a lot of it is definitely the B-3 sound that Lord played. It was just so signature. We fell in love with that at an early age. Also, when Mystic Crew Of Clearlight did it, we were dying to get somebody to do that, and fortunately we found Mick, just a couple miles down the road.

RNRU : You guys have been going at it since 1991, which amazing as that is, even more amazing is the fact that besides the more recent addition of Mick Schauer on keyboards, you've managed to keep the same lineup since the beginning, which is very rare these days. What do you attribute the band being able to stay together so long to? Most bands release an album or two then seem to disintegrate. The average life of most bands is around 5 years. What's your secret?

NF : Being mule headed. (Laughs) A good sense of humor. I think we're very lucky in that we are a democracy, and we didn't have to talk about being one. A lot of things in this band were just understood from the beginning without even ever having spoken about it. We weren't going to worry about an image, or our expectations of success were more about having fun. As long as it's fun, it's worthwhile, but the minute it becomes a chore that's when you have to start reevaluating.

RNRU : Speaking of that longevity, can you ever see yourself out there doing this in 20, 30 years time? Bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Mötorhead are all out there in their 40's, 50's and in Lemmy's case 60's still rocking. Do you see the band having that sort of longevity?

NF : I certainly hope so. Maybe not necessarily playing nightclubs 4 months out of the year. As long as the band's capable of adapting to new situations, because the older you get, the deeper your roots go, and it gets harder to pick up and leave. So that'll be the big stumbling thing, but creatively you can do that until the day you die.

RNRU : You've done an incredible amount of touring throughout the years, playing with Mötorhead, Marilyn Manson, Pantera, Iron Maiden, Korn, Monster Magnet, System of a Down, just to name several. What has been your favorite band to tour with and conversely, who were the worst?

NF : There's been a number of favorites. The Mötorhead thing was awesome. We always have a good time with Five Horse Johnson. Therapy? was a good one...Sepultura...man, as far as opening for bands, just being able to tour with a band that you get along with is always a plus. Sometimes you can't really explain why you do get along or don't get along, it's just life. Sometimes it clicks, sometimes it doesn't. As far as terrible bands, I'd rather just keep that underneath the radar.

RNRU : What was it like for you touring with Lemmy?

NF : That was fantastic. I wouldn't have dreamt that in a thousand years listening to Mötorhead when I was 15. To be able to tour England was a plus. It was pretty inspiring to see that after all these years that they still play as hard as they can without using age as an excuse. Those guys can play circles around guys half their age. I admire that, it's a very old school work ethic. They're there because that's what they do. It was seeing rock n roll in its most sincere form.

RNRU : Speaking of touring, the band generally plays over 100 shows a year, and by doing so you've built up your audience the old fashioned way by touring your ass off. What are the best and worst aspects for you of being on the road so much?

NF : I do like to travel, and I get to go places that a lot of people only dream about. I get to go there basically free, and see it on a level that's not a tourist level. You get to meet real people in real situations, and make friends across the globe. That's a great thing. You can learn things that you couldn't in any other way. Travel's a great education for insights into human nature and understanding the big picture. The flipside of that is leaving home. We all have our families, and it gets harder and harder each time. Fortunately we're very lucky that we have some very understanding ladies. And, if we're ever in a place...a town...city that sucks and we had a horrible time, the thing is we won't be there tomorrow.

RNRU : What has been your most 'Spinal Tap' moment?

NF : There's been quite a few. One time we foolishly agreed to do an in store appearance, I forget what radio station it was, but they dragged us out to Hooters. They sat us down at this long dais table to sign autographs, on a Sunday afternoon, in Middle America at a Hooters. It was just filled strictly with NASCAR dads watching the race with their families. Then there was us. There's really no punchline to it, other than the embarrassing pointlessness of doing something like that in the first place. You maybe get what you deserve sometimes. I think one guy actually wanted to take a photo with us because he wanted a picture of "The ugly metal band". That was the quote. That's just one of about a thousand that have occured, and I'm sure will continue to occur.

RNRU : What is your take on the current music scene? Do you feel that metal and hard rock is in the process of making a comeback?

NF : I think music, genres and sub genres is very cyclical. When they enjoy success and popularity, eventually it starts mimicking itself, then it becomes a parody of itself, then it becomes pointless. Then it gets replaced by something. Then that new something does the same thing, and it goes back and forth for decades. Metal...definitely it's coming back. I see a lot of nostalgia for the 80's...the early 80's style metal. Most by kids who don't remember the 80's. But that's alright. I think my generation did that with the late 60's. There will always be a regurgitation of old stuff, but in the process something new will occur. And, that's alright, that's cool.

RNRU : Are there any bands in the current music scene who have particularly impressed you?

NF : We did a couple dates with Witchcraft on the most past tour, they rip. I think Tim the other day was playing Isis, and I don't really kind of go for that type of metal too much, but I really dug that record. I think it's their most recent record. Those are the first two metal bands that come to mind. They do two very different things but I do like it. We're doing a couple of dates with the Bellrays, they're awesome. And I've got to admit that I heard a couple of these Amy Winehouse tracks, and that might be one of the greatest things I've heard in a long time.

RNRU : What's next for you? Where would you like to take your music in the future?

NF : I don't know. I think that's the joy of it, not knowing where it's going. It's kind of figuring it out as you go along. If I knew what was going to happen it wouldn't be that exciting. I guess it's the process of learning stuff in the process of discovery is what's enjoyable about the writing process. It'll always be the same band, the same group of dudes, so it'll always have that sound, but hopefully it'll continue to entertain each other.

RNRU : As a lyricist, where do you get your inspiration for songs?

NF : You can get inspiration anywhere. Sometimes it's harder to see because of one's mental attitude, but I try to jot things down in a notebook when I hear someone say something ridiculous. A lot of times it's just listening to the music with headphones on, tapping my pen and waiting for one line to come to mind. Then if that one line is intriguing enough, then building up basically an enormous lie around it. Kind of approach it strictly from a fictional standpoint, as opposed to reflections on real life.

RNRU : Has your process changed at all throughout the years or has it pretty much stayed the same?

NF : I think early on it was a lot more emotionally driven. You can chalk that up to adolescence I suppose. But I think it's pretty much the same. I try to play tricks with myself, like I'm not going to write this song using the first person, because the last three songs I used the first person. It's more about trying to put the mood of the music into words. Sometimes a riff sounds like a party. Sometimes it sounds like a funeral. It's about trying to flesh out some manifestation of those moods. That's when it works the best.

RNRU : What advice, if any would you give to someone who's just starting out in the business?

NF : Understand it's not a talent show. There's no golden ring. There's no one point where you say "Oh, I did it". Because if you think that's the case then you're setting yourself up for a lifetime of disappointment. You've got to do it because you feel compelled to create something. If you have that, then the rest is gravy. Of course, making a living at it is a difficult thing, but if your music is as good as you think it is, then people are going to want to listen to it too.

RNRU : Over the past seven years or so there's been talk of the band putting out a DVD. Are there still currently plans for something of that nature coming out in the near future, or has that been shelved?

NF : No. (Laughs) I've talked about it in the past, and probably led people to believe it was imminent. And I shouldn't have done that. Once there's actually something in an editing suite, then we can have a release date. But at this point it's just us trying to find the right people and getting enough footage together on our own. The thing is with us, when someone puts a video camera in front of our faces, we just clam right up. That's not very exciting.

RNRU : Is there a sense of since the band is always progressing, that by the time something like that would come out that you'll have already progressed past that point, and it won't be an accurate representation of the band?

NF : Sure. I guess there's a couple different ways of doing it. You could do a DVD about the making of a record. Or a DVD of a single tour, which would be more of a retrospective, or will immediately become dated because that's the idea. Who knows? I don't know the first thing about making a DVD. (Laughs)

RNRU : Is there anything else that you'd like to say to all the fans out there?

NF : Well, it's appreciated and definitely not taken for granted. We'll be hopefully rolling through your town, chances are we probably are, and you can always find out about it on our web site, pro-rock.com, with tour dates. That's all I've got to say about that.

For more information on Clutch, including updated tour dates, go to www.pro-rock.com/