THE CLIENTELE

The story goes something like this. London based three piece the Clientele release a string of singles on various independent labels, then compile them to make up their debut album ‘Suburban Light’ and no-one in the UK seems to notice. Meanwhile, New York’s press are going crazy over them and they end up signing to Merge (Superchunk, Lambchop, Magnetic Fields) in the US.
Although ‘Suburban Light’ came out in 2000, it was easily my most played record of 2001, even though I just discovered it in the summer. Most of their obvious influences are American (Galaxie 500, west coast psychedelia) but there is something very English about them as well. The music and lyrics are very evocative of London (and in particular North London, where myself and the Clientele both live), and the whole thing has a reflective rainy-day feel about it. Kinda like an autumnal flipside to the Kinks ‘Waterloo Sunset’ if you like.
I fell completely in love with it so I trekked them down for an interview. I grabbed them just before they played at Strange Fruit’s Saturday club Upstairs at the Garage - not the best atmosphere for an interview it has to be said! Answering the questions - Alasdair MacLean (gtr/vocals) and James Hornsey (bass).

What are the Clientele up to now?
Alasdair: "we're recording a new single for a Spanish label called Acuarela, and then we've got another album to do, as we're signed up to Merge records in the States.”

Is it a bit strange being well looked after in America but really unknown back home in Britain?
A: "It's not so much strange as infuriating! Basically a tiny little label called Pointy put out our stuff here, they also license the Ladybug Transistor. We'd be into doing something with someone bigger but the opportunity hasn't arisen so far."

So how did Merge find the Clientele?
James: "A friend of ours over there gave them a tape and they really liked it, although there was a bit of a buzz going round at the time anyway."

What magazine did I see you where you were top 5 album of the year, or record of the year or something?
J: "That was Time Out New York, yeah, our second 7" single was their record of the year!"
A: "Yeah, but we can't even get on the radar in Time Out London though!"

Why do you think that is?
A: "I've NO IDEA! In moments of self-hatred I think it's because the Americans want a kind of jolly hockey sticks English band. and the English people just don't want that, but really I don't know. Partly it's timing as well. It's fashionable to play our sort of music in America at the moment and it isn't here, so we fit in better over there."

So are you spending more time there now?
A: "Well, we've done a tour there and we've never done a tour in Britain! We did manage to do London and Wolverhampton in a row when we were supporting Damon and Naomi, but we have actually done a coast to coast US tour.”

A lot of your releases have been bits and bobs on other labels (Fierce Panda, Elefant etc), and even your debut album Suburban Light is basically a collection of singles. Are you ever tempted just to release stuff yourselves?
A: "We should have done at the start but at the time we thought it would be a bit of a climb down to do it, like vanity publishing in a way, but you realise as you go on that loads of people have done that and it has been a real success and they've got loads of respect for it, so it was just another idiotic career choice really!

Surburban Light was a collection of songs - is there going to be an all new album at any stage?
A: "Yeah, we've signed a deal with Merge so we're not worried about that side of it, it's just a question of getting the songs written"

Would you ever be tempted to move to America?
A: "I don't know. We're kind of falling between two stools really, because I think that the moment we did move, we'd lose all our mystique!"

Do you feel an affinity with American bands rather than British bands?
A: "Bands like Yo La Tengo, Palace, Damon and Naomi, and Galaxie 500 are a big inspiration to us, but British bands like Broadcast and Boards of Canada are also important - and Billy Mahonie as well of course!"

With the Merge deal would you be given a bigger budget to extend things?
A: "As opposed to no budget at all ! It's possible to bring in other instruments and big arrangements, it just depends how badly we squander the money. Nearly all of Suburban Light was recorded at home, only 'Monday's Rain' was done in a studio. We nearly always have recorded at home just cos we've never had budgets to do anything else, so with Merge at least we'll be able to record in a studio."

I discovered you through the internet - I found a few glowing reviews and then downloaded some songs from www.epitonic.com - so how do people find out about the Clientele?
A: "I know that people have read the press- the odd thing we've had in the Guardian or Mojo, otherwise I guess it’s word of mouth.”

Without a UK record company, booking agent or press agent behind you, how do gigs come about?
"There's a second tier of London promoters, with the Mean Fiddler being top dog and Strange Fruit and Track and Field being the lower tier, and they (Strange Fruit) have just heard your records and invited us to play. In that way it's quite good. it's not a complete dead loss being in London because you can still play well promoted shows that people come too, and some good records get played at them as well. There's just a little bit of a sneaky feeling behind it all that's it's a bit of a clique and a cult, but still it's better than nothing!"

Finally are you always this weary when you’re being interviewed?
"This is pretty dull of us tonight, not cos of the questions, it's just us! We did one with a Swedish girl at a soundcheck and I think I was the most boring I've ever been in my entire life! We also did a radio interview in Spain were we forgot to mention that we were playing a gig and that we had a single out, when the guy who was putting it out was sitting right next to us! The only way we could do a worse one than that is just stay completely silent!"

Interview by Jonathan Greer