Neil Fallon

 

CLUTCH

 

Interview by Cameron Edney

 

Hailing from Gaithersburg, Maryland, musician Neil Fallon was certainly put on this planet for one thing, and one thing only… to rock our world!

 

As vocalist and main songwriter for American hard rock group Clutch, Fallon has been fortunate to live out his dreams, and see the world whilst performing his own brand of ballsy hard rockin blues to adoring fans around the globe. Earlier this year Clutch released their ninth studio album ‘Strange Cousins from the West’ which was met by an overwhelming amount of positive reviews… both fans and critics raved that Clutch are “a band that just gets better with age” and for those who have followed this bands career, you know exactly what they mean! Becoming familiar with the bands work in 2001 with the release of ‘Pure Rock Fury’, I too agree that Clutch continue to push their musical boundaries, live performances and songwriting to levels that can’t be matched!  Clutch’s most recent studio effort is by far the bands best work to date and sports classic tunes like ‘50,000 Unstoppable Watts’, ‘Abraham Lincoln’, and ‘Let a Poor Man Be’.

 

I recently had the pleasure of catching up with the bands amazing vocalist to discuss ‘Strange Cousins from the West’, the bands return to Australia in February to play the Soundwave festivals, spoke about the first song Neil ever performed in front of an audience and much more!

Kick back as we get ‘Struck Down’ by Clutch’s Neil Fallon!

 

Hi Neil, firstly I want to thank you for putting the time aside to speak with us today! Congratulations on the success of your latest album ‘Strange Cousins from the West’, you guys must be thrilled with the response and reviews from fans and critics alike?

 

Hey, no problemo! Yes, we are pleased that the record has gone over as well as it has. We try not to pay any attention to criticism, whether positive or negative. It's important to never rest on laurels, nor give audience to smart asses.

 

It had been two years in between studio albums and you guys had spent plenty of time on the road and involved with other projects… when the time came to write and record for ‘Strange Cousins from the West’, did you find it hard to get motivated after spending so much time out of the studio?

 

Not really, making the record was a breeze. [Producer] J. Robbins is a pleasure to work with! He has a way of Jedi mind tricking one into getting a song done (i.e. "These are not the riffs you are looking for.  Move along now...").

 

[Laughs]

 

We do a lot of work at JP's place, always recording or just playing for its own sake, so when it came time to roll into J's spot, it wasn't too stressful. 

 

Now that the album has been out for a few months and you’ve had time to digest it, is there anything you would have changed?

 

Picasso used to sneak into museums and touch up his works. If that were an option for me, I would do the same. 

 

Neil, this is studio album #9, as time goes on are you finding it harder and more challenging to come up with fresh sounding material, without falling into the trap of repeating yourselves?

 

It can be easy to fall into routine. Writer's block sometimes plagues the process… but in order to get over those things, it's important to try to learn new things, expand the vocabulary, and take risks. It's a matter of never being satisfied and of always trying to learn new things.  

 

 

Mate, let’s move on and discuss the upcoming Australian tour… fans are thrilled that you guys are returning in 2010 to play the Soundwave Festivals, in your opinion what is the best thing about being a part of Soundwave 2010?

 

The first thing that comes to mind is we will be playing a number of places for the first time. Coupled with the fact that the festival will introduce us to a lot of new ears, it should make for a good time. 

 

The 2010 Line-up list the likes of Faith no More, Anvil, Afi, Him and many more! Will you guys be setting time aside to check out any of the other acts on the bill?

 

Oh yeah, I want to see Baroness and Isis!

 

There’s no doubt that when you’re playing on the large festival bills such as Soundwave, it can be a fantastic way to expose the band to a lot of people who may have never heard you before as you mentioned a moment ago… for those punters attending the festival who plan on checking out Clutch… in a few words how would you describe the band live?

 

We play rock and roll… Not much else to it!

 

Neil, are you a fan of playing on the larger festival bills or would you much prefer the smaller more intimate venues, no doubt both have their advantages!

 

We're certainly more comfortable in nightclubs, as God can be a merciless lighting director. But, there's no sense in only preaching to one's own choir. 

 

It was recently announced that Clutch would also be doing some side-shows whilst in Australia, for the Die-hard Clutch fans that will be in attendance, in comparison to the festival shows…. do you guys have anything special planned for us this time around?

 

Longer sets and more jams.

 

What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you whilst onstage?

 

I once curved the fabric of space-time by the sheer heaviness of a riff. 

 

Mate, there is no doubt that you are an amazing and certainly unique vocalist! Before hitting the stage do you do anything specific to warm up and prepare for a show, and after so many years on the road, do you feel it’s more important now to do vocal exercises etc before hitting the stage as opposed to in the early days?

 

I only recently started doing some vocal warm ups actually… the Fa la las and me me mees…. that type of crap! Its sounds a bit ridiculous, but it's worth it in the long run. 

 

I couldn’t agree more! As most Clutch fans would be aware… this isn’t your first visit to Australia, what fond memories do you have from your last Australian tour?

 

Coopers Green, Coopers Red, and VB!

 

[Laughs] That’s a pretty good way to remember Australia! Neil, there is no doubt after touring across the globe for so many years you would have witnessed some amazing crowds, how do the Australian audiences stand up when you look at all the wonderful places you have been able to play?

 

Oh, the Australian crowds know how to get down! I definitely got the impression that the average concert goers were there to have good time, to forget about life for awhile. Some cities, Los Angeles for example, seems to be more interested in scrutinizing a band and looking cool while doing it. Aussies though… seem pretty damned serious about cutting loose. 

 

Neil, we’ve hit the part of the interview where our readers get to find out more about the real you… what was the first concert you attended and how much of an impact did that have on you musically?

 

It wasn't the first concert, but the first one that left the biggest impression was Bad Brains. That show, in Washington D.C. around 1988, changed everything for me. It showed me exactly how powerful live music can be. If there is such a thing as mass hypnosis, that was it. I’ve never seen anything like it since!

 

 

 

Growing up did you always envision yourself as someone that would end up in the music industry or were your goals different?

 

Nope, not at all! It took me a long time to finally accept that this is what I do. For many years it was always something I was doing before I got a "real" job.  That was a foolish attitude. 

 

What was the first song you ever wrote or performed called and what was it about?

 

When I was in elementary school I participated in a school play about the four food groups. I was a mushroom. My lines were: I am the mushroom, skinny in the body and fat in the head, and if you eat the wrong kind of me you might be dead. Lyrics are off the hook, right?

 

[Laughs] They certainly are! Looking back to 1990 when the band got together, what amazing memories come to mind from those very first jam sessions and conversations about where you guys wanted to take your visions?

 

My most fond memories are of the first couple tours. The tours were fairly disastrous, but that didn't matter. It was the classic American road trip. Hell, I remember getting excited about being in Ohio the first time. 

 

After almost twenty years of recording and touring and worldwide success, Neil what else would you like to achieve musically in your career?

 

I'd like to see that band go to South America, Asia, and the Mid-East. We've toured a lot, but there's still so much more that we haven't even scratched..

 

 

 

 

To date when you look back on the amazing career you have had, what do you feel have been your greatest achievements? 

 

I think simply being able to make a living while doing something creative is success in itself. It's something many folks dream of to no avail. We're really fortunate in that regard. 

 

Lastly Neil, a question I ask everyone that I talk with… who is the one band you never want to hear again and why?

 

Owl City… or maybe Passion Pit! Does it need an explanation?

 

[Laughs] no, not at all [laughs]! Mate thanks so much again for your time, it’s been a blast and we can’t wait to see you back in Australia in February! Do you have any last words for our readers?

 

Thanks for the opportunity. We’ll see you in February!