Photo by Piama Habibullah
So, we are honoured to have a DeClunk Q & A with Aaron Louis. Have a read then treat yourself to a listen of the latest single by The Clamor, it’s below for your convenience. It’s tough and gritty so don’t give it a listen whilst rocking the baby to sleep or chopping vegetables. Crack on.
Hello Aaron, welcome to the DeClunk universe.
Thanks for having me!
Please describe your surroundings right now so we can all get cosy.
In a folding chair on my stoop in Brooklyn with a beer. This will be of no surprise to any of my friends or neighbors.
What were you doing before you settled into this Q & A? Anything interesting or something boring, like the ironing?
Just got home from an always-dodgy bicycle ride home from Manhattan to Brooklyn. I’ll be sufficiently tense for this interview until this beer starts to take effect.
What are your first memories of music and theatre?
For music, it was both the rock n’ roll doo-wop group Sha Na Na from the States and the tartan pop group The Bay City Rollers from Scotland. They both had TV shows running at the same time in the 70’s and I was obsessed. The Bay City Rollers LP was also the first vinyl record I bought. My sister bought the Leif Garret LP to match her pillowcase.
For theatre it was my tryouts for a role in The Sound of Music in some city I can’t remember in Florida. I think I must’ve been kinda’ pretty or had a high voice or something because they wanted to cast me as one of the girls but the parents said “no.” I think I would’ve been a lovely Von Trapp girl. Who knows where my career could’ve gone from there?
You seem to be a very busy person. Not only are you a musician and a songwriter but you are an author, a producer in music and theatre. Please tell us the most satisfying achievement of your many.
That’s a hard one, but I’m going to go with The Clamor. I had played music all my childhood and into my mid-twenties but took a 20-year break to explore other things before coming back to music. It’s a much more selfish project than I am used to but I have to admit it is satisfying.
Please tell us who makes up The Clamor and what they play etc. and are the songs yours or are they written as a band?
I write all the songs and lyrics, lead vocals, sometimes on guitar, organ, or synth and I’m joined by the core group of Gary Atturio on bass, Jeff Berner, Omer Leibovitz, and Kirk Schoenherr on guitars, Layton Weedeman on drums, and then a team of contributing musicians- Sydney Anderson on backing vocals, Robert Cimitile on marimba, Aleida Gehrels on viola, Wells Hartman on synth, Will Raines on organ, Nicole Williams on cello, and Shin-Yi Yang on guzheng. Bet you weren’t expecting that run-on-sentence!
There are four singles due for release over the next few months. The first is ‘Trick & Bout’, a cracker and we love it. Are the next 3 as energetic? What has been the inspiration behind them?
Thank you, David. Sincerely! 3 of the 4 are pretty energetic but the 4th is a bit more up and down.
Will there be an album with the four new tracks on it? Are you coming to the UK?
That’s the goal! And I would love to go to the UK with The Clamor but it’s not on the schedule at the moment.
A couple of times a year my friend and I do a spot of fishing overnight. This also involves copious amounts of beer and by 11pm a two-man drunken bankside dance half hour breaks out. If you were with us what would be on your playlist for the drunken bankside dance half hour?
I love fishing! Sounds like a night for The Pogues, no?
Yeah, you’re invited.
If we were to come to your neck of the woods for a weekend, where would you take us for good times? You are the Entertainments Committee!
Coney Island for sure! We have decrepit roller coasters, Friday night fireworks with beers on the beach, and even a fishing pier. Or more probably we just meet up on my stoop for drinks.
I heard a discussion on how important a triangle is in music, for example it’s the last thing you hear on Ok Computer by Radiohead. Any chance I could tap one in one of your songs and get in on the video?
No way, you’re not stealing my clangy thunder. That’s my job. I do remember the teacher giving me one of those in elementary music class. She obviously didn’t think much of my music abilities.
Thanks Aaron, for taking the time with DeClunk. We look forward to those new singles and we hope to catch up sometime soon.
Thank YOU! I love DeClunk!
DeClunk 