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TECHTONES - That Girl (1980/NEW ZEALAND)

#nz punk #nz rock #new wave #70's punk #powerpop #mod revival #rock n roll #techtones

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TECHTONES - That Girl

#new wave #nz punk #nz rock #70's punk #powerpop #mod revival #rock n roll #techtones #1980 #urbanenemy

Ticket - Awake, NZ 1972

#ticket #nz rock #new zealand music #kiwi music #70s rock #hard rock #rock n roll #acid rock #psychedelic rock #psych rock #proto-metal #proto metal #70s #70s music

Clap Clap Riot interview

The kiwi rockers have just wrapped up a nation-wide tour spanning the length of the country to herald the release of their first single in two years, ‘Help Me’. This new single shows the undisputed masters of energetic and lively indie-rock effortlessly incorporating a fresh blusey sound into their work. The hard working bunch of lads released their sophomore album Nobody / Everybody in early 2014 and whizzed around New Zealand on tour before popping over the ditch to grace Australia with some shows. Since then, they’ve set to work and continued to work on new material for their album.

Before the group headed off on their recent national tour, Craccum had a quick chat to guitarist Dave Rowland.

Originally known as Band Theft Auto, the band was formed by three high school mates in Christchurch. Dave recalls CCR’s first gig as having the potential to go either way; “Steve our singer was a real quiet guy and we had no idea what he’d be like when he got on stage. But when we hit the first chord it was great, a pleasant surprise.”

While their lives now revolve around music, the guys wouldn’t have thought they would end up in music; “None of us took music at school,” says Dave, “we kind of fell into it. We decided to play some live shows which went really well and decided to make the most of it.”

CCR’s upbeat and carefree sound makes sense when Dave names acts like John Lennon and The Kinks as some of the influences of the band; “We like their style of writing – short, snappy songs and really catchy lyrics.” Compared to their indie-rock orientated earlier work, new single ‘Help Me’ really shows this Lennon vibe. “We never want to try and pigeon hole ourselves by churning out the same stuff over and over again,” Dave says, “You learn a lot more as you go along, learn how other people write. The best way to write is to learn lots of different ways to approach things, so if you get stuck doing one thing you can approach it in a different manner.”

The band shares lyric writing duties, with Dave having a hand in the lyrics to their new single ‘Help Me’. He describes the song as being about isolation, a place where “most people end up at that point and that’s what inspired the lyrics.” The band is dedicated to delivering a genuine performance; “Steve will be quite particular with performing my lyrics, I understand that because he’s the one who has to deliver it. If he doesn’t get something he has to get it before singing the lyrics”

Playing gigs has been an interesting experience, with Dave recalling how the band “did a small show in Hamilton and a sixty year old man up the front did the splits in a pair of jeans….and old man jeans don’t have stretch in them.” Despite their riotous (puns, anyone?) live shows, the guys behind the instruments are proper gentlemen – “we signed a boob once in Christchurch. It’s the kind of thing you don’t really want to do it, but its kind of a bucket list thing. It wasn’t a pleasant experience and I wouldn’t do it again. I think that when you envisage it as a teenager you think it’s going to be the most awesome thing.”

For any of y’all toying with the idea of pursuing a musical career, Dave suggests you do it for the right reasons; “do it because you love doing it, not in the context of being rich and famous.” As with any career, there are ups and downs, but definitely lasting highlights; “It’s awesome as well when you see people who are inspired by what you do.”

So, what’s next on the agenda for Clap Clap Riot? The lads will continue working towards releasing their new album in 2017 and touring, with another single due to be dropped before then. Keep an eye out for any news on the band, which is sure to come –“everything’s lined up and it’s all go from here.”

#clap clap riot #craccum #jean bell journalism #jean bell #nz rock