Start Listening To: CLAMM

In the run-up to their upcoming album Beseech Me, we caught up with CLAMM’s Jack Summers to chat about everything from album production and the return of Australian gigging to mental health and politics to their resident green tree frog, Murray.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from, and a little bit about the music that you make? 

We are CLAMM. We are a three-piece heavy rock band from Melbourne, Australia. We play loud intense music about things we feel passionate about.

What is your songwriting process like?

We generally are pretty loose with the way we write our songs. There isn’t really one way we do it. Sometimes we will be practising for a show and out of boredom just start playing something else. We’ll record that and maybe come back to it at another time. We’ll look around the room and look at each other wide-eyed as if to say ‘wow this is cool.’ Sometimes I’ll be sitting at home with my guitar and find a riff that I like. I’ll generally leave it at that and when we come together we’ll write stuff around that riff. Miles (drums) and Maisie (bass) will sometimes do the same.

We really love your most recent single ‘Liar’. Can you tell us more about the lyrics in this track?

‘Liar’ is about Mental Health. It is referencing a negative internal voice and naming it as something that is sometimes not telling the truth. Perspective is such an important thing and I think, with my own mental health sometimes, I just have to try and be really objective with my thinking and go: ‘Hang on brain… slow down… is that actually the case or are you making that up?’ People really struggle with this I guess and, with mental health in general, I suppose whilst there is a calm and rational way to deal with these things, sometimes it’s just ANNOYING and so making an intense song about it felt appropriate for us at the time.

How did you produce your upcoming album Beseech Me?  

Back before we were even thinking about playing live, we had some really, really scratchy demos recorded. I think we decided that they were enough to base some recordings off. We’d worked with a sonic wizard by the name of Nao Anzai before on some previous projects and thought it would be a good idea to record it with him because we knew he’d do an amazing job. Mikey Young had done a bunch of mastering for records that we’d previously done and so we thought he could have a go mixing it.

What is the origin behind the title of the LP?

There are a few aspects of this LP that are a bit undercooked or not entirely well thought out. ‘Beseech me’ is a track where I found myself accidentally mumbling the lyrics before I had properly written them and just left them as they were for the most part. Sometimes its good to do this, to follow the creative flow and not overthink things; however, why we named the LP Beseech me, I can’t really say.

Can you describe some of the themes behind this LP? 

As mentioned above, ‘Liar’ touches on mental health. There are a few anti-violence messages just in the way of encouraging people to speak before resorting to violence. There is a fair bit of dissatisfaction with the capitalist 9-5 lifestyle. Some questioning of authority and politicians. There’s a track in there that's questioning religion and one that is just about being confused!

What are some challenges you’ve faced in the industry?

I guess we don’t really see it as being in the industry so much… I guess we are undeniably ‘in the industry’ but we just try to focus on writing music and playing it. There are some challenging things about the lifestyle I suppose. Since CLAMM has started we’ve all mostly continued to study or work. We aren’t really seeing much money from the band yet which is fine cause we do it cause we love it. There’s obviously lots of late nights and it’s easy to drink lots but we sort of love it all for the main part. I never thought I would complain about carrying gear around but I have noticed myself starting to do that.

Which is your favourite track so far from the LP and why?

Hmm I think it would have to be ‘Keystone Pols’, just because we’ve been playing it live for quite a while but it’s one that we still really like performing.

What do you hate right now?

Our Prime Minister and the Liberal Party. Politicians in general maybe. I don't know what they do. They just say stuff. They just sit around and argue and say stuff. Recently, while the country tries to retain some sort of post-covid normality and deals with entire towns flooding in NSW, allegations of serious sexual assault have been linked with literal members of parliament. Some of this stuff has literally been happening in Parliament House. Our Prime Minister has not condemned the actions of his ministers and last week he was saying that women in Australia are lucky to be able to protest without being shot! He’s an idiot. I really have no idea how these incompetent idiots get into power and I have no idea how we allow it... That and planes. Hating planes at the moment, I must’ve developed a fear of flying during the covid lockdown. Just the take-off is freaking me out.

What do you love right now?

I love the green tree frog that we named Murray that has decided to live in our laundry sink. He lives in the hole where the washing machine pipe is supposed to go. He’s been there for about two weeks now, poking his little head out of the hole in different ways with his little hands. At night he comes out of the hole and eats all the insects that come in through the window. Sometimes he just hops around the house. He’s a bit lazy now though I think. I keep pouring rainwater on him because they absorb it so he really has no reason to leave the pipe anymore and it doesn’t seem like he will. Sometimes he goes away for a day but he always comes back. Also loving gigs. Australia must be one of the luckiest countries in the world right now to be able to have gigs.  

Do you have any plans to perform live in 2021?

As mentioned above we are lucky enough to be playing gigs and it’s great. We played in Melbourne for the first time in a year. We’ve got a little festival coming up and some little interstate shows that are getting booked. Very lucky.

Is there any new music from 2021 that you’re enjoying?

I think I’m stuck in 2020! There were some seriously amazing releases that came from that hell year that I am still sifting through.

Actually, one album I’ve been listening to from 2021 is Excerpts From Chapter 3: The Mind Runs A Net Of Rabbit Paths by Rats On Rafts. It’s amazing! I’m listening on repeat.

From 2020, I’ve been listening to Hunger for a Way Out by Sweeping Promises, Thibault or not Thibault by Thibault, Pain Olympics by Crack Cloud and Highway Hypnosis by Spill Gold to name a few.

What else can we expect from you in 2021? Any more releases planned?      

There are some things happening, I’m not sure if they will happen in 2021 but if not this year then very soon after I think. We are feeling motivated!

Do you have any final life lessons or tips for our readers?

I’m not sure… look after your people and be nice! Times are uncertain and life is weird. Tell your friends and lovers how you feel about them if you want. If it’s lingering in your head maybe you should say it or at least write it down so then it’s out of your head. Get stuff out! It helps make things clearer and you can make sure you’re on the right track. Stop doing stuff you don’t want to do if you can manage it. And if you have to do it then try hold your head up high, cause you’re amazing ‘n’ great.