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| The Black Clouds at House of Independents |
This Is Independent Rock
Asbury Park's The Black Clouds are getting ready to release their third album, After All, on their own Capacitor Records this Saturday, November 5th, at The Stone Pony. Over the course of their more than a decade as a band, The Black Clouds have remained staunchly independent while sticking to making the kind of music they love: loud, hard, alternative rock.
I had a chance to run some questions by singer / guitarist Dan Matthews. He talked about staying independent, working with some legendary producers, what it was like to record at Dave Grohl's Studio 606; and he held forth a little bit on the current state of rock music.
The Black Clouds are committed to being a self-funded, DIY band. You've managed, though, to put out 3 albums with some legendary producers (Jack Endino, John Agnello) and to go on some extended tours. Can you talk about how you make that all work while doing everything yourselves?
We just really enjoy making records. We built a studio a while back, so we record the records ourselves generally (Until this one). It's allowed us to spend money on working with people we love in the mixing stage. We were really fortunate that they agreed to do it at a price we could afford when we reached out. Jack and John are really great guys.
What additional advice do you have for other bands who want to continue to play music and put out records while maintaining their independence?
Anyone can do it. Tons of bands do it all the time. If you really care about the music that you're making, you'll find a way to make it happen. I guess if there was any advice that I'd give, it would be not to be afraid to ask people that you think are out of your range. The worst they can say is no.
After All, which you're releasing on November 5th, will be your second time working with Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden). How did that partnership come about?
I wrote him about mixing our first record (Wishing Well) and to my surprise, he wrote me back. He agreed to mix it and since then we've become good friends and done a bunch of work together. Jack is really good at what he does. He's one of my favorite people to work with and one of my favorite people on earth.
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| The Black Clouds' Dan Matthews |
That's why we love working with him so much. We love a lot of the same things about music and sound in general. Working with him is a breeze for that reason. He could easily be a member of the band. When you work with Jack, you feel like you're working with one of your bandmates.
You recorded the record at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 near LA. In addition to Foo Fighters, other bands who have recorded there include Them Crooked Vultures, Anvil, and Motörhead. Now, The Black Clouds. How does that feel?
I think it was the obvious next step for 606. Haha. It was absolutely unreal. Cory (Our drummer) actually played Dave's drum set that he used for all of the Them Crooked Vultures stuff. Completely unbelievable.
What were those sessions like?
Really amazing. It was a mix of extreme excitement and stress. We had 7 days and only ended up using 5. We rehearsed A LOT! We actually pre-recorded the whole record in our studio before we went out so we knew exactly what we wanted to do. It felt like we were recording in Abbey Road or something. I can't say enough nice things about the guys that run the studio (Scott and Lou). They took great care of us and made us feel like we were family the entire time.
You guys are an unapologetic, hard rock band. You played with Mudhoney on their last trip back east, and Mark Arm even makes an appearance on After All. You're working with Jack Endino. So that Northwest, hard rock sound is an obvious influence on The Black Clouds. Who are some current rock bands that inspire you — or that you just really dig?
Thanks for the kind words! Why would anyone apologize for their music??? There are way too many bands that inspire us to name. Recently, we've been listening to the new record from Noiseheads. Really digging the new Holy White Hounds. Metz and OFF! have been on pretty steady rotation. The Vansaders just put out a pretty killer record. GayGuy/StraightGuy's new record is a personal favorite. The list would change if you asked next week. Good music is everywhere if you're inspired to look. I could write a novel in reply to this question.
More broadly — and I'm sure we could both write a dissertation on this — I would like to get your impression on the state of the world in terms of rock and roll vs indie rock vs everything else? Your home base of Asbury Park vs the rest of the country? Have you seen changes during your time as a band?
That's a loaded question! I think that there are a ton of people making great music all over. We've seen it firsthand while touring the US. The thing that I hear pretty consistently is that the music industry sucks and it's impossible to get a record deal. Personally, I think it's a good thing. Bands that are making great music and really give a shit will keep finding ways to make records and get them out there. The big difference is that it's in our hands now. Depending on how inspired you are, that could be a huge positive or a huge negative. 15 years ago, you had no chance of getting your music to someone in foreign countries unless you were signed. Now it's possible. That's a huge thing for independent artists as long as they're inspired and inventive.
The Black Clouds definitely don't over-saturate their local market with shows, which makes a Black Clouds show in New Jersey something special. You do have some good ones coming up in the area as the release of After All gets closer. You did the Makin Waves Rock Circus at Roxy & Dukes on October 22nd. That sounded pretty wild. How'd that go?
I never really understood the idea of bands playing a ton of shows in the same town all the time. We love playing locally with friends but no one wants to hear us every other week. I sure as hell wouldn't! We love to travel and play/hang with friends out of state as much as possible. Overstaying your welcome is never a good idea in any scenario. With that being said, I'm going to totally contradict myself… Well, not exactly...
The exception is when close friends ask us to be part of cool stuff. Bob Makin (One of the coolest guys that exist) asked us to play the Rock Circus. That show was so much damn fun. Bob really gives a shit about music. We're all lucky to have him around, and Roxy & Dukes Roadhouse is a killer place that's run by great people.
We're also playing an amazing show at House of Independents on November 18th with our good friends Chemtrail to celebrate their 10 year anniversary (Old Fuckers!). Dentist and Yawn Mower are playing as well. It's gonna be a crazy night in a great venue. We're really excited to be a part of it.
Then you’ve got your hometown record release show on November 5th at The Stone Pony. Who else have you tapped to play that one, and do you have anything special planned for that night?
We're really excited about the record release. We've never released a full-length on vinyl so that's a trip! It's translucent Blue! We also haven't headlined the Stone Pony in a couple years, so that's pretty cool as well. It's gonna be a great night. The Obvious, Experiment 34, Collective Man and Yorkshire Tenth (our labelmates) are playing as well. We're psyched and completely honored to have so many good friends supporting us.
Finally, are there any plans to tour for After All in 2016/17?
We have a bunch of tour plans in the works for 2017. We’ll be announcing the schedule soon at our website.
The Black Clouds play The Stone Pony this Saturday, November 5th, with The Obvious, Experiment 34, Collective Man, and Yorkshire Tenth.
On November 18th, they play Asbury Park's House of Independents for the Chemtrail 10th Anniversary Show. That one also features Dentist and Yawn Mower.
You can grab The Black Clouds' previous releases over at Google Play Music:
Wishing Well
Better Days
Look for After All on November 5th via Capacitor Records.
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