From Out Of Nowhere will be featuring exclusive interviews with some of the bands involved in the SOTU tour. Neil Fallon took a few minutes to answer a few questions concerning the upcoming SOTU tour and their new release Robot Hive/Exodus.

FOON:   Let’s jump right into the Sounds Of The Underground tour; give me a full report on Clutch’s part in SOTU.

We will be playing third to last.  That is all I know.

 
 FOON:  SOTU seems much less “corporate” than some of the other big package tours that have hit the road.  From the lineup to ticket prices it seems like more of a grassroots effort, is it the same feeling behind the scenes?

I can't speak for the other bands, but Clutch have been fairly D.I.Y. over the years.  Sure, we have been signed to major labels, but that has been a mean and not an end.  We have never done a festival tour before primarily because they all seemed to be enormous wastes of time.  This one, however, will serve as our launch pad for global media dominance.
 
FOON: Other than Clutch name one band on SOTU bill that everyone should drop what they are doing and make sure they don’t miss?

High on Fire
 
FOON: Give us the lowdown on the new release, Robot Hive/Exodus.

Produced by Jay Robbins.  I like it for being a bit of a strange record.  Some odd times.  Lots of Hammond B3.  Couple of blues tunes, one of which is a Howlin' Wolf cover.
 
FOON: You are just wrapping up a European tour, how did things go across the sea?

Good times.  Had a blast with 5 Horse Johnson.  JP played drums for them as well.  They like beer and jokes just as much as we do.  First time in Paris and Madrid in ten years.  Finished it off at the Festimad festival in front of 30,000 people.  Nice way to cap things off.

 
FOON:  Clutch has had a fairly good relationship with tapers and traders over the years.  Many bands don’t share the same opinion, I think it shows Clutch’s’ confidence in playing live, what are your opinions on this?

We think it is flattering that folks would want to share those recordings.  It's no skin off of our backs.  There is a danger, though, that it can be taken for granted.  Some time ago, certain jack-offs began profiteering off our good will and consequently we had to put the kibosh on show taping for a while.  We have allowed it again because the few bad apples have been, for the most part, cut out.   
 
FOON: You worked with Jack Douglas on The Elephant Riders; how did this come about and did you sit around the studio and pester him to tell Cheap Trick/Aerosmith/John Lennon tales?

Nope.
 
FOON: Clutch has been on labels ranging from self-financed to corporate giants; give us one instance of a major blowing a wad of cash that made all of you look at each other and go, “Huh, wha?”

Elephant Riders.
 
FOON: Name your favorite Clutch “This is so rock and roll” moment and your “This is so Spinal Tap” moment.

Rock and Roll - Summer 1991, Rapid City South Dakota V.F.W. Hall.  Our first tour and the first show when a crowd went absolutely ape-shit. 

Spinal Tap - Being brought to a Hooters in Indiana by a local rock radio station for a "meet and greet."  Big mistake. 

FOON: Do you have anything that you would like to add about the disc or the SOTU tour?

See you on the parking lot!

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