Before you read this interview, let me get a few things out of the way. Brent Johnson, the lead singer of The Clydes, is one of my best friends, and he co-founded Pop Break with me back in September 2009. He was a pall bearer at my father’s funeral, I officiated his wedding, and we’ve run up down the roads together personally and professionally for over 15 years.
However, after 100 shows, multiple records, and changes in line-up, sound, and label, it makes sense that we talk with the band. And this has band has come on hell of a long way since they debuted at the former Court Tavern in New Brunswick. I caught up with Brent over the weekend to talk about the band’s journey over the past 100 shows, if new music is on the horizon, and what it’s meant for them to be on Mint 400 Records.
The Clydes Are (Band Members & Instruments They Play): Brent Johnson: lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, Brian Johnson: lead guitar, synthesizer treatments, Andrew Cougar Orlando: bass guitar, keyboards, vocals and Pete Gambino: drums, vocals.
Year We Formed In: 2010
We’re Based Out of: New Brunswick, N.J.
Our Sound Has Been Likened To: The Smiths, Radiohead, The Pixies, R.E.M., Oasis, Pulp, The Smithereens.
You’ve Seen Us Before in Other Bands Such As: Rest Assured, Cap’n Geech & The Shrimp Shack Shooters.
Famous/Awesome bands We’ve Shared the Stage with: The Dunwells, Dinosaur Eyelids, Fairmont, Alpha Rabbit.
The Story Behind Our Name: We’re named after basketball legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier. We actually met him last year, and he was the coolest guy. He walked by us in the hallway later, nodded at us, and said, “The band.” He’s our hero.
It’s been two years since you guys released a full length ‘So the Story Goes,” and an EP, ‘Lucid Garden’ — can we expect new music from the band in 2019?
We’re recording a new album right now for Mint 400 Records. It plays to a very modern crowd and is different than anything we’ve done. We’re a little more than halfway done. It’ll have a group of songs we love more than anything we’ve written. We also have a new drummer, Pete Gambino, who has given us a new dynamic and edge.
In that two years time, how do you guys feel you’ve evolved musically, and lyrically?
We’ve been using keyboards and synthesizers more, but not in an overt way. It colors the music. And we’ve simply gotten tighter. The music we’re recording now sounds robust. And one of the songs may or may not be about hating the Royal Wedding. The lyrics have become more biting, much like our earliest work.
You recently performed your 100th show at the Wonder Bar in June. Can you talk about your experience — both positive and negative — in your run as a band?
The music industry has changed so much. And we’d sadly seen so many cool venues in New Jersey close — the Court Tavern in New Brunswick, Maxwell’s in Hoboken. But Asbury Park is booming, and so is the North Jersey scene in Jersey City. And we’ve been lucky to make seven records filled with songs we love and play all over the Northeast. Writing songs and playing is what we do — and we’ve spent a decade making it. We feel like we’re in the prime of our playing abilities and can do things musically that falls in line perfectly with what we’re writing. Live, we’ve never been better.
You signed to Mint 400 Records a few years, can you talk about how being on this label changed the band?
Neil Sabatino, the owner of Mint 400, pushes us to think differently, to try new arrangements, and to edit our songs. We made our first few records on our own. But Neil challenges us. And we think it’s yielded some interesting results. We’ve grown for sure — and that’s all you are looking for in many ways. Who wants to be the same band every record?
