Clutch on touring, “Psychic Warfare”, and gangster rap

HPR had the opportunity to chat with Clutch guitarist Tim Sult. Clutch is a hard rock band based out of Maryland that has toured internationally and is headlining the 2015 Roughrider Ink and Iron expo.

HPR: What inspires Clutch’s lyrics -- what do you read?

Tim Sult: Neil really is the lyric guy in the band. I learn a lot about his lyrics from the YouTube videos he’s been doing. He’s been explaining the lyrics from each song in those -- especially from the new album.

HPR: When Clutch start touring?

TS: We played our first show in 1991 and our first tour was 1992.

HPR: Upon further research I see that you’ve been playing together since high school?

TS: I started playing with them the year after high school, but everyone else played together since then.

HPR: Do you have a favorite tour stop?

TS: I always enjoy Amsterdam, or a nice place in Europe is always fun. We don’t have the best shows ever in Italy but it’s the best food of all time. Sometimes the food outweighs the shows...sometimes.

HPR: What are the highlights and lowlights of touring as much as you do?

TS: Well, these days we have our touring schedule down to a much more sane schedule. Back in the early days there were times we would go out for 8-12 weeks at a time, just driving around in a van, which was a little taxing at times. Since we’ve been touring for so long we’ve learned a lot and how to pace ourselves. The lowlights are really not being able to see your family … but I didn’t have kids until just a few years ago, so that didn’t really factor in back in the early days of the band.

HPR: How is having your own record label vs. working for a corporate record label?

TS: Having our own record label is probably the best thing we’ve ever done for ourselves. Back in the early days we put out a few albums big labels. You know we’ve always managed to get out there and tour and make it a go for ourselves without much support from the labels themselves. We hired someone who is very confident to manage the label and that’s very important as well. We started out very slow with our “Strange Cousins from the West” album. We just built it up from there. The “Earth Rocker” album kind of had a better label release. “Psychic Warfare” had more of an effective build up. It seems like all of our fans knew we have a new album coming.

HPR: I’m sure social media has helped get the word out for you too?

TS: It’s more about us learning how to harness the power of the internet. We were already going when the internet came along. That whole social media thing, it took us a while to figure out how to really use that to get our music out there.

HPR: I see that “Psychic Warfare” is your eleventh album--what was your favorite album to work on?

TS: The newest album is the freshest in my mind and the whole thing was very positive. We recorded down in Texas and there was a lot of BBQ involved...on my end anyway.

HPR: Any surprises for your listeners--any different sounds?

TS: There are a couple of vibed out tracks--one has a Johnny Cash vibe. Just the fact that every song is its own entity in itself. We tried to write different feels for every song and not repeat ourselves.

HPR: At what point did you become a master of the fuzz pedal?

TS: I don’t know if I’m a master yet, but for some reason my foot just goes crazy. Sometimes I wake up and I can hardly walk because my leg is so sore. I’m pretty sure it’s because of the wah pedal. My foot starts moving and and I can’t stop moving it. It goes like a million miles an hour, and that’s basically my wah style. Instead of being a funk metal style it’s more of an effect -- or at least that’s my intention anyway.

HPR: What are your top three favorite albums?

TS: This week? It changes every day...probably the newest Iron Maiden, the newest Motorhead album and the most current Black Sabbath.

HPR: What are your guilty pleasures or is there anything that you listen to that would surprise your listeners?

TS: Lots of rap. Wu-Tang, Public Enemy and stuff like that. I wouldn’t say it’s a guilty pleasure. It just might surprise people that we listen to a lot of 90s hip hop.

IF YOU GO:

Who: Clutch with C.O.C. and The Shrine

When: Sun, Oct. 18 at 7 pm, all-ages

Where: Scheel's Arena, 5225 31st Ave S, Fargo, ND

Tickets at jadepresents.com or Tickets 300