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Natty vs. Clandestine
About a year and a half ago I was stumbling around myspace, when on the front page I discovered a band called Clandestine. I decided to give them a listen. Since then they have been a staple on listening radar. When I heard they were in the studio recording I decided to check in with them for an interview and see the makings behind an amazing Cali band. So, without further ado, I give you, Clandestine in all their glory.
Can you please tell us who we have the pleasure of talking with today? Could you also tell us the members of your band, and what your respective role in the band is?
Dan: Guitarist, programmer, songwriter
June: Vocalist, programmer, songwriter
June: Vocalist, programmer, songwriter
How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?
June: I was looking to form a band while I was in a music school in Los Angeles, and that's where I met Dan. At that time I wanted the band to be a Symphonic Goth metal band, but it didn't turn out to be that way in a real life.
What's the origin of your band name?
June: I've always found it interesting that the people you meet everyday are often putting on a mask to deal with even the most common of situations. It can be very fascinating and at the same time, disturbing to find out what's beneath the mask. The band is about expressing those hidden thoughts/feelings - revealing the clandestine person underneath.
When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?
IDan: June came to me with a few original songs and she needed a guitarist. I knew she had an incredible voice and a true talent for the stage so I sat down with her and worked out some parts. She naturally has an ear for great melodies and energetic orchestration whereas I was always into technical progressive rhythms. Our styles brought an interesting balance to the music that we wrote.
June: It was about 3 years ago that the band was formed but obviously it took a while to find a permanent line up, that is if such a thing exists. Clandestine's sound was like an accidental discovery in my kitchen-putting different things in a pot without looking into a recipe book, and being very happy with the result!
June: It was about 3 years ago that the band was formed but obviously it took a while to find a permanent line up, that is if such a thing exists. Clandestine's sound was like an accidental discovery in my kitchen-putting different things in a pot without looking into a recipe book, and being very happy with the result!
What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
Dan: Hate to sound cliché, but we really do have a hard time pinning down our style. We're more dynamic and dimensional than "metal" and we're heavier and more dramatic than just "rock". As far as recent influences, I've been listening to Porcupine Tree, Apex Theory, Mudvayne, and Michael Jackson lately. Yes, seriously… The guy truly is the king of pop, even if he is also the king of creepy.
June: To make it simple, we would call it progressive hard rock, but of course there are different elements throughout such as electronica and heavy metal. Currently I'm into Katatonia, Tool, and Porcupine Tree. I especially like Katatonia's latest album, "The Great Cold Distance". It has a great balance of intricate rhythms, structure, and catchy melodies in a dark atmosphere, which are the materials for great music in my book.
June: To make it simple, we would call it progressive hard rock, but of course there are different elements throughout such as electronica and heavy metal. Currently I'm into Katatonia, Tool, and Porcupine Tree. I especially like Katatonia's latest album, "The Great Cold Distance". It has a great balance of intricate rhythms, structure, and catchy melodies in a dark atmosphere, which are the materials for great music in my book.
Who writes your songs? And how have they evolved since the band started?
Dan: June and I have been the songwriters since our 2006 EP. The songs on our full length album haven't really strayed from the sound of our EP, rather just expanded. As most musicians do, we've just been bettering ourselves as composers and as musicians.
June: I think our sound is becoming more balanced and complicated in a good way. The key is the open-minded collaboration. I both experienced joy and frustration while learning to collaborate with band members, but the outcome was truly worth it. You always learn something while writing with people. It can be uncomfortable at first, but you need to realize what you are lack of by discussing your creations with others. When you have a band, your songs can't be personal anymore. We all learned that even if your song means a lot to you, if it's not good enough to be heard by many others, it needs improvement or to be omitted. .
June: I think our sound is becoming more balanced and complicated in a good way. The key is the open-minded collaboration. I both experienced joy and frustration while learning to collaborate with band members, but the outcome was truly worth it. You always learn something while writing with people. It can be uncomfortable at first, but you need to realize what you are lack of by discussing your creations with others. When you have a band, your songs can't be personal anymore. We all learned that even if your song means a lot to you, if it's not good enough to be heard by many others, it needs improvement or to be omitted. .
What has been your biggest challenge as a band?
Dan: Keeping a lineup!! Musicians are such a different breed of people, it's so hard to find "the right guy". We're realizing that getting four people together to have the same visions and goals is pretty rare.
June: It's something that every band goes through. But since we need some progressive chops from the drummer, it has been harder to find one who understands the music in our terms. Our songs can't be played through by rocking out hard, but require some thought before figuring out the parts. Not that our songs have a lot of it, but I noticed that there are very few people around our age who really know how to play with odd meter. This is more of a general problem in L.A. area, that there aren't many skilled people here who are genuinely searching for a band to join without a financial interest. It's a good thing that musicians get paid for what they do, but as an unsigned band, that's not what we can offer at most times. In L.A., it's very common that bands don't get paid a penny after playing live. Sometimes they even pay to play at popular places. So it definitely can't be about money, but it has to be a genuine love of music to be in a band like ourselves. It's also unfortunate to see people joining a bunch of bands at the same time to pick the one that takes off. Having a band should be like raising a family. It needs commitment to make it happen. At least we are lucky for that we don't have problems like drug or alcohol addictions.
June: It's something that every band goes through. But since we need some progressive chops from the drummer, it has been harder to find one who understands the music in our terms. Our songs can't be played through by rocking out hard, but require some thought before figuring out the parts. Not that our songs have a lot of it, but I noticed that there are very few people around our age who really know how to play with odd meter. This is more of a general problem in L.A. area, that there aren't many skilled people here who are genuinely searching for a band to join without a financial interest. It's a good thing that musicians get paid for what they do, but as an unsigned band, that's not what we can offer at most times. In L.A., it's very common that bands don't get paid a penny after playing live. Sometimes they even pay to play at popular places. So it definitely can't be about money, but it has to be a genuine love of music to be in a band like ourselves. It's also unfortunate to see people joining a bunch of bands at the same time to pick the one that takes off. Having a band should be like raising a family. It needs commitment to make it happen. At least we are lucky for that we don't have problems like drug or alcohol addictions.
What's your ultimate direction for your band?
June: First of all, keeping it honest is what we want. We don't want to make music to impress certain people or follow trends because that's just not us. We understand that our type of music is not what is considered to be marketable these days, and we are fine with that. It's not because we don't need money, but because we need to be true to ourselves as musicians. And let me tell you that I'm a terrible liar.
Dan: Also, we plan on adding a lot of new ideas to live shows. We want to be able to be so much more than just four people recreating music from their album. We want fans to get more than what they pay for when they come to our show.
June: We realized that even if we were watching one of our favorite bands live, after a few songs we were getting bored. So we thought that could easily happen with our fans too which we obviously don't want. We are always thinking about the ways to make our stage more interesting. I can't share it right now because it's still work in progress, but I can tell you that we are pretty excited about it.
Dan: Also, we plan on adding a lot of new ideas to live shows. We want to be able to be so much more than just four people recreating music from their album. We want fans to get more than what they pay for when they come to our show.
June: We realized that even if we were watching one of our favorite bands live, after a few songs we were getting bored. So we thought that could easily happen with our fans too which we obviously don't want. We are always thinking about the ways to make our stage more interesting. I can't share it right now because it's still work in progress, but I can tell you that we are pretty excited about it.
As an unsigned band, is there a struggle to get your name and music out there?
Dan: Yes but there are plenty of ways to expand your fanbase. Networking with similar bands, innovative marketing techniques, communicating with band-promoting webzines (You guys rock!). Sure, having a distribution company or record label do all the legwork for you is the way to go. Being independent just means you have to work harder.
I understand that you are currently working on a new album, how is that coming alone? When can we look forward to possibly hearing some new stuff from you guys? And look forward to a possible tour?
Dan: We just got out of the studio, although not done with the album yet. Just taking a few weeks break and then we'll be back in to finish up. We're very excited about how well the production is going. We're working with a very talented engineer who has worked with Velvet Revolver and A Perfect Circle, among others. Even more exciting is that Sammy Watson from The Apex Theory will be drumming on the album. It's a good sign that even after all the writing, tweaking, and recording we're still just as excited about the songs as we were a few months ago. We envy bands that go to the studio and record 20 songs and only use 10 of them on the album. I can't even fathom doing that. We put so much time and effort in to every song that each one has every intention of ending up on the album. Look for the CD and MP3's to be available in October. Of course there will be some sneak previews. Check out the website to stay tuned in. A tour is a bit different to predict as we are still looking for a live drummer.
What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
June: Really think about why you are in a band. You should understand that you can't count on being lucky, but remember that we are already in a lucky situation that anyone can have a band as long as they work hard. There are a lot of successful DIY bands out there. Of course, if you define "success" as becoming a millionaire, that's not applicable.
Dan: Yeah, it's one thing if you want it to be a fun hobby. But if you want it to eventually be your career, it's a completely different animal. You NEED financial stability and you need to throw every dollar you make into the band. You have to treat it as a long-term investment because you surely won't be making any money early on. Writing good music is only half the battle, but of course you still have to make sure that the music is perfect in your mind. The industry can be so ugly that sometimes the only thing that keeps you going is the fact that you still believe in your music.
Dan: Yeah, it's one thing if you want it to be a fun hobby. But if you want it to eventually be your career, it's a completely different animal. You NEED financial stability and you need to throw every dollar you make into the band. You have to treat it as a long-term investment because you surely won't be making any money early on. Writing good music is only half the battle, but of course you still have to make sure that the music is perfect in your mind. The industry can be so ugly that sometimes the only thing that keeps you going is the fact that you still believe in your music.
How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
www.clandestineband.com – Still being designed but it will directly link you to our myspace page where you can hear our entire EP. Stay tuned here to sample the new album when it's done!
The Sound Faction is make up of six staff members who are random at best, love to laugh and make others laugh. We try to ask all of our interviewees five random questions at the end, so here goes.
If you could have any non-standard superpower (flying, x-ray vision, etc... comic book stuff), what would yours be?
June: I want to be able to transform myself to many different animals and experience different lifestyles.
Dan: Ha! Well, similarly I'd want the ability to talk to animals. I find animals to be much more interesting than most people are so being able to talk to them would definitely interest me. Or at least turn me into a total tree-hugger. hmmmm… maybe not, then…
Dan: Ha! Well, similarly I'd want the ability to talk to animals. I find animals to be much more interesting than most people are so being able to talk to them would definitely interest me. Or at least turn me into a total tree-hugger. hmmmm… maybe not, then…
If you were a flavour of Potato Crisp, what kind would you be?
Dan: Original – I have fairly simple tastes. Music being the exception.
June: The purple tortilla.
June: The purple tortilla.
If you could be the champion of anything, what would it be? (and if you say The World, I might have to die of laughter!)
Dan: The Champion of Beer Brewing.
June: I'm sorry but I can't imagine myself being so good at something.
June: I'm sorry but I can't imagine myself being so good at something.
What's your favourite 5-letter word?
June: Puppy.
Dan: Balls.
Dan: Balls.
If you could be any old school rock god for a day, how would you abuse the power?
Dan: Fainting Goat races.
June: I would drink to death and still be alive.
June: I would drink to death and still be alive.
Thank you again to Dan and June for taking time out of their schedules to talk to us. Keep an eye on their music and their MySpace.
