Clutch is an American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band from
Germantown, Maryland. Since its formation in 1991, the band line-up has included
Tim Sult
Richard Timothy Sult is an American musician best known as the guitarist for rock band Clutch. He is also the guitarist for an instrumental side project, The Bakerton Group, and an occasional member of the reggae rock / stoner rock
Stoner ...
(lead guitar), Dan Maines (bass),
Jean-Paul Gaster
Jean-Paul Gaster (born June 19, 1971) is the drummer for American rock band Clutch.
Style and influences
Jean-Paul Gaster learned to play drums by playing along to 1960s and 1970s heavy rock bands like Jimi Hendrix, Cream, ZZ Top and Black ...
(drums), and
Neil Fallon
Neil Fallon (born October 25, 1971) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and occasional rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for the rock band Clutch. He is also the lead singer for The Company Band and Dunsmuir, and joined The Bak ...
(vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards).
To date, Clutch has released thirteen studio albums, and several rarities and live albums. Since 2008, the band has been signed to their own record label,
Weathermaker Music.
History
Early years and breakthrough: 1991–2003
Clutch was formed in 1991 by Dan Maines (bass), Jean-Paul Gaster (drums), Tim Sult (guitar), and Roger Smalls (vocals)
in
Germantown, Maryland. Before settling on the name Clutch, the band used the early names Glut Trip and Moral Minority. Smalls soon departed and was replaced by Neil Fallon,
a longtime schoolmate of the other members at Seneca Valley High School. The band's name was chosen due to the band's interest in cars at the time, and it being a one-syllable name like many bands at the time, including
Prong
Prong or Prongs may refer to:
* Prong, synonym of tine (structural), a branch or spike of various tools and natural objects
* Prong (band), an American metal band
* Prong (company), an iPhone accessories company in New York City
* Prongs, British ...
, who the band was fans of.
The band quickly gained notice through constant touring. The 12" single ''
Passive Restraints
''Passive Restraints'' is the second EP by American rock band Clutch, released in April 1992 via Earache Records.
Recording and release
It was a three-song EP with some early punk/metal tracks that don't make the live set list much anymore, ...
'' on the
Earache
Ear pain, also known as earache or otalgia, is pain in the ear. Primary ear pain is pain that originates from the ear. Secondary ear pain is a type of referred pain, meaning that the source of the pain differs from the location where the pain i ...
label was Clutch's first commercial release, garnering attention from other labels.
Their debut LP, ''
Transnational Speedway League
''Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes and Undeniable Truths'' (often shorted to ''Transnational Speedway League'') is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Clutch. Recorded at Razor's Edge Studio in San Francisco, Califor ...
'', was released in 1993.
It was followed by a
self-titled album two years later that gained Clutch mainstream exposure.
The band moved to the larger Columbia label for the 1998 album ''
The Elephant Riders
''The Elephant Riders'' is the third full-length album by the band Clutch, released April 14, 1998 on Columbia Records, the only album Clutch made for the label.
Recording and release
It was produced by Jack Douglas (whose other credits includ ...
''.
They followed it in 1999 with a self-released groove-based album ''
Jam Room
''Jam Room'' is the fourth full-length album by the American rock band Clutch, released in 1999 on the band's own label River Road Records.
Album information
The initial limited release contained 12 tracks in 1999 and was a European release o ...
''.
The album ''
Pure Rock Fury
''Pure Rock Fury'' is the fifth full-length album by American rock band Clutch, released on March 13, 2001, and is the only album release with Atlantic Records. The album liner notes state that it is dedicated to Ronnie True.
Album information
...
'' was released by
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
in 2001. The title track was initially released as the first single. The program director for North Carolina rock station
WXQR
WXQR-FM (105.5 MHz) is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. Originally based in Jacksonville, North Carolina, the station is headquartered in New Bern.
History
WXQR-FM is one of the oldest rock stations in America. It was ...
(Rock 105), Brian Rickman, suggested that the label switch singles to another track from the album, "Careful with That Mic". Atlantic did so, and Clutch achieved a surprise hit single. The follow-up tracks, "Immortal" and "Open Up the Border", were also well received by American rock stations. In 2003 they issued ''
Live at the Googolplex'' and the rarities record ''
Slow Hole to China''.
Commercial and critical success: 2004–2011
![Clutch on Stage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Clutch_on_Stage.jpg)
The album ''
Blast Tyrant'' was released in 2004, their first for
DRT Entertainment
DRT Entertainment was a New York City based independent record label founded in 2003 by Derek Shulman, Ron Urban, and Theodore "Ted" Green. The label is defunct.
The label advertised itself as an "artist friendly hard rock music company for ban ...
. The band once again enjoyed more rock radio airplay and heavy rotation on the Music Choice cable service thanks to the single "The Mob Goes Wild". Its accompanying video was directed by
Bam Margera
Brandon Cole "Bam" Margera ( ; born September 28, 1979) is an American former professional skateboarder, stunt performer, television personality, and filmmaker. He rose to prominence in the early 2000s as one of the stars of the MTV reality ...
and featured Margera's ''
Viva La Bam
''Viva La Bam'' is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. The show is a spin-off from MTV's '' Jackass'', in which Margera and most of the main cast appeared. Each episode had a specific theme, ...
'' co-stars
Ryan Dunn
Ryan Matthew Dunn (June 11, 1977 – June 20, 2011) was an American stunt performer, television personality, actor and comedian. He was best known as one of the stars of the MTV reality stunt show ''Jackass (TV series), Jackass'' and its fi ...
,
Brandon DiCamillo
Brandon DiCamillo (born 1976) is an American former television personality, actor, stunt performer, filmmaker, and musician. He was a founding member of the CKY crew and rose to fame through appearances in the ''CKY'' video series and MTV's ' ...
, and
Don Vito
Vincent Roy Margera (July 3, 1956 – November 15, 2015), commonly known as Don Vito, was an American reality television personality. He was known for his appearances in ''Viva La Bam'', '' Jackass'', ''Haggard'', and the ''CKY'' series alongs ...
. The video was filmed at Rex's in
West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester is a borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania. Located within the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,461 at the 2010 census. West Chester is the mailing address for most of its neighb ...
. The 2005 release ''
Pitchfork & Lost Needles'' combined Clutch's 1991 ''Pitchfork'' 7-inch release with previously unreleased demos and early tracks. In 2005 the band saw their first lineup change since the early 1990s with the addition of organist Mick Schauer, who performed on the albums ''
Robot Hive/Exodus'' (2005) and ''
From Beale Street to Oblivion'' (2007). The later album was produced by
Joe Barresi
Joe Barresi (nicknamed "Evil Joe") is an American record engineer and producer who has worked with Kyuss, The Melvins, Tool, Chevelle, Queens of the Stone Age, Coheed and Cambria, Tomahawk, L7, The Jesus Lizard, Parkway Drive, New Model Army, ...
who has also produced for
Kyuss
Kyuss ( ) was an American rock band, formed in Palm Desert, California, in 1987. The band disbanded in 1995, and since then, members of Kyuss have gone on to form or play in several notable bands including Queens of the Stone Age, Fu Manchu, D ...
,
Melvins
Melvins (sometimes The Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Initially, they performed as a trio but later also sometimes appeare ...
,
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple line- ...
, and
Tool
A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...
.
The band's first live DVD, ''
Full Fathom Five'', and
accompanying CD, produced and directed by Agent Ogden, were released in September 2008. The band also released a remastered version of ''
Slow Hole to China: Rare and Unreleased'' on April 28, 2009. The band's ninth studio album ''
Strange Cousins from the West'', was released on July 14, 2009. Songs from the album were played live on tour prior to the album's recording. A two-disc DVD set ''Clutch Live at the 9:30'' was released on May 11, 2010, by the band's own label,
Weathermaker Music. The set includes the entire December 28, 2009, show at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 club, in which the band performed its entire 1995 self-titled LP.
On May 10, 2011, Clutch reissued their 2004 album ''
Blast Tyrant'' on Weathermaker Music. The new edition contained a bonus album known as ''Basket of Eggs'' that includes unreleased songs as well as acoustic versions of previous hits. In its first week of release ''Blast Tyrant'' sold close to three thousand copies nationally, landing it at No. 26 on the Billboard Hard Rock Top 100, more than seven years after the original version debuted at No. 15.
Recent releases: 2012–present
On June 10, 2012, the band released a new single, "Pigtown Blues", backed with an acoustic version of "Motherless Child" from ''
Strange Cousins from the West''.
On March 16, 2013, Clutch released their tenth album ''
Earth Rocker
''Earth Rocker'' is the tenth studio album by American rock band Clutch. It was released on March 15, 2013 by Weathermaker Music. ''Earth Rocker'' is the first studio album to be released by Clutch since ''Strange Cousins from the West'' in 200 ...
'' which entered the
Billboard Top 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artis ...
chart at No. 15 giving Clutch their highest chart position to date. It remained on the chart for a total of five weeks. The album also reached No. 4 on iTunes' overall Top 100 album charts and was No. 1 on their rock chart. ''Earthrocker'' won Album of the Year 2013 from British publication ''
Metalhammer
''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form a ...
'', and was rated highly on many rock and metal magazines' and websites' end-of-the-year "top-tens".
In an interview on January 7, 2015, with music and entertainment company 88 Miles West, Fallon stated that the band was heading to Dripping Springs, Texas, to record their upcoming eleventh album. Fallon states the venture to Texas was due to the relocation of
record producer Machine, with whom they worked on ''Blast Tyrant'' and ''Earth Rocker'', and who recently opened a new studio there. He stated in the interview that "Septemberish, give or take a couple of months" is when they hope to release the new album.
![13-06-09 RaR Clutch 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/13-06-09_RaR_Clutch_02.jpg)
Their eleventh studio album is titled ''
Psychic Warfare
Psychic Warfare is the eleventh studio album by the band Clutch, It was released on October 2, 2015 through the band's own label Weathermaker Music.
Album Info
Psychic Warfare has been released on: CD, Black & White, Newbury Comics Exclusive ...
'', and was released October 2, 2015. Fallon said the concept is influenced by
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
author
Philip K. Dick. "His general philosophy and questions have always crept into my lyrics, because I share an interest in it", he added. "On ''Earth Rocker'', 'Crucial Velocity' was definitely a Philip Dick song for me. On this record, 'X-Ray Visions' certainly is." Gaster described the new material as more diverse than ever.
In April 2018, Neil Fallon announced through the radio station The Eagle Rocks that the band's twelfth studio album would be titled ''
Book of Bad Decisions
''Book of Bad Decisions'' is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Clutch, released on September 7, 2018, through the band's own label Weathermaker Music. It was released on CD, regular black vinyl, limited coke bottle clear vinyl and ...
''. The album was released on September 7, 2018. The album was recorded at Sputnik Sound Studio in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
, with producer and engineer
Vance Powell
Vance Powell is an American six-time Grammy Award winning record producer, engineer and mixer. His credits include Phish, Chris Stapleton, Jack White, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, The White Stripes, Arctic Monkey ...
.
Former keyboardist, Mick Schauer died of cancer on September 15, 2019, at age 46.
In an August 2020 interview on the Detroit-based radio station
WRIF
WRIF (101.1 FM) is a commercial active rock radio station licensed in Detroit, Michigan and serving Metro Detroit as well as bordering city Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The station is currently owned by Beasley Media Group. WRIF is a grandfathered ...
, drummer Jean-Paul Gaster stated that Clutch would "probably" begin recording their thirteenth studio album in the winter. In an interview with ''Metal Kaoz'' in April 2021, Gaster offered an update on the new album, saying: "Over the last year, we've written a lot of songs for our new album, and we've done some streaming shows too, which was something we knew nothing about prior to the pandemic. But we educated ourselves quickly, and that kept us busy for a lot of last year as well. We've been writing now for our new album that we will record in the fall, and I think we're spending more time than ever in the studio, just trying out different ideas. And most of the ideas don't ever really make it to the end; we try 10 things and we keep one." Gaster also stated that their new album would likely not be released until early 2022. The resulting album, ''
Sunrise on Slaughter Beach'', was released on September 16, 2022.
Other projects
In the late 1990s, Clutch and its sibling project
The Bakerton Group (an
instrumental
An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
jam band
A jam band is a musical group whose concerts (and live albums) are characterized by lengthy improvisational "jams." These include extended musical improvisation over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns, and long sets of music which often cr ...
composed of all four Clutch members) formed an independent record label, River Road Records, to release their own music. River Road does not sign any other artists. The Bakerton Group has released one three-track EP titled ''Space Guitars'' and two full-length albums titled ''
The Bakerton Group'' and ''
El Rojo'' respectively. Clutch/Bakerton Group now runs its own independent record label for its own releases,
Weathermaker Music.
The Company Band
The Company Band is an American heavy metal band. Formed in 2007, the band is a supergroup featuring vocalist Neil Fallon (of Clutch), guitarists James A. Rota (of Fireball Ministry) and Dave Bone, bassist Brad Davis (of Fu Manchu), and drummer ...
was started in 2007 by
Neil Fallon
Neil Fallon (born October 25, 1971) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and occasional rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for the rock band Clutch. He is also the lead singer for The Company Band and Dunsmuir, and joined The Bak ...
(from
Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
),
James A. Rota (from
Fireball Ministry
Fireball Ministry is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1999.
Biography
Formed in Cincinnati in the late 1990s by James A. Rota II and Emily Burton, Fireball Ministry moved to New York City before settling in ...
),
Brad Davis (from
Fu Manchu
Dr. Fu Manchu () is a supervillain who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author Sax Rohmer beginning shortly before World War I and continuing for another forty years. The character featured in cinema, television, radio, com ...
),
Jess Margera
Jesse Margera (born August 28, 1978) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the rock band CKY, which he co-founded in 1997. Prior to CKY, Margera performed in the band Foreign Objects with former CKY vocalist and guitarist ...
(from
CKY CKY may refer to:
* CKY (band), American rock band, formerly "Camp Kill Yourself"
** ''CKY'' (video series), named after the band
**CKY crew, people involved in the video series and related projects
*CKY-DT, a television station in Winnipeg, Manito ...
) and
Dave Bone,
The Company Band
The Company Band is an American heavy metal band. Formed in 2007, the band is a supergroup featuring vocalist Neil Fallon (of Clutch), guitarists James A. Rota (of Fireball Ministry) and Dave Bone, bassist Brad Davis (of Fu Manchu), and drummer ...
. Initually the bass was played by
Jason Diamond
Jason B. Diamond, M.D., F.A.C.S. (born December 21, 1970 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey) is an American facial plastic surgeon(ENT) and television personality.
Early life
Diamond attended the University of Rochester School of Medicine.
Career
Diam ...
(from
Puny Human).
Members
*
Tim Sult
Richard Timothy Sult is an American musician best known as the guitarist for rock band Clutch. He is also the guitarist for an instrumental side project, The Bakerton Group, and an occasional member of the reggae rock / stoner rock
Stoner ...
– lead guitar
* Dan Maines – bass
*
Jean-Paul Gaster
Jean-Paul Gaster (born June 19, 1971) is the drummer for American rock band Clutch.
Style and influences
Jean-Paul Gaster learned to play drums by playing along to 1960s and 1970s heavy rock bands like Jimi Hendrix, Cream, ZZ Top and Black ...
– drums, percussion
*
Neil Fallon
Neil Fallon (born October 25, 1971) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and occasional rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for the rock band Clutch. He is also the lead singer for The Company Band and Dunsmuir, and joined The Bak ...
– vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, keyboards
13-06-09 RaR Clutch Tim Sult 06.jpg, Tim Sult
13-06-09 RaR Clutch Dan Maines 04.jpg, Dan Maines
13-06-09 RaR Clutch Jean Paul Gaster 03.jpg, Jean-Paul Gaster
13-06-09 RaR Clutch Neil Fallon 11.jpg, Neil Fallon
Former members
* Mick Schauer – keyboards (2005–2008; died 2019
)
* Roger Smalls – vocals (1991)
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Transnational Speedway League
''Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes and Undeniable Truths'' (often shorted to ''Transnational Speedway League'') is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Clutch. Recorded at Razor's Edge Studio in San Francisco, Califor ...
'' (1993)
* ''
Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
'' (1995)
* ''
The Elephant Riders
''The Elephant Riders'' is the third full-length album by the band Clutch, released April 14, 1998 on Columbia Records, the only album Clutch made for the label.
Recording and release
It was produced by Jack Douglas (whose other credits includ ...
'' (1998)
* ''
Jam Room
''Jam Room'' is the fourth full-length album by the American rock band Clutch, released in 1999 on the band's own label River Road Records.
Album information
The initial limited release contained 12 tracks in 1999 and was a European release o ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Pure Rock Fury
''Pure Rock Fury'' is the fifth full-length album by American rock band Clutch, released on March 13, 2001, and is the only album release with Atlantic Records. The album liner notes state that it is dedicated to Ronnie True.
Album information
...
'' (2001)
* ''
Blast Tyrant'' (2004)
* ''
Robot Hive/Exodus'' (2005)
* ''
From Beale Street to Oblivion'' (2007)
* ''
Strange Cousins from the West'' (2009)
* ''
Earth Rocker
''Earth Rocker'' is the tenth studio album by American rock band Clutch. It was released on March 15, 2013 by Weathermaker Music. ''Earth Rocker'' is the first studio album to be released by Clutch since ''Strange Cousins from the West'' in 200 ...
'' (2013)
* ''
Psychic Warfare
Psychic Warfare is the eleventh studio album by the band Clutch, It was released on October 2, 2015 through the band's own label Weathermaker Music.
Album Info
Psychic Warfare has been released on: CD, Black & White, Newbury Comics Exclusive ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Book of Bad Decisions
''Book of Bad Decisions'' is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Clutch, released on September 7, 2018, through the band's own label Weathermaker Music. It was released on CD, regular black vinyl, limited coke bottle clear vinyl and ...
'' (2018)
* ''
Sunrise on Slaughter Beach'' (2022)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clutch
Rock music groups from Maryland
American blues rock musical groups
Hard rock musical groups from Maryland
American alternative metal musical groups
American funk metal musical groups
Heavy metal musical groups from Maryland
American stoner rock musical groups
Atlantic Records artists
Columbia Records artists
Earache Records artists
Musical groups established in 1990
Musical quartets
East West Records artists