Artist Interview: Clipper

Tell us about yourself and your music

I want to be considered an ‘indie rock’ artist, as my music is pretty much on a level that’s not proper folk, not proper rock, not proper country and not proper blues. It’s a mixture of those genres together with something else, which is mine and mine only. I’m country influenced anyway, my old guitar teacher was – and still is – a bluegrass banjo and guitar player. I learned a lot off him and knowing that he actually played with Bill Monroe and Neil Young fascinated me. I then traveled a lot before writing my own songs, I lived in Ireland and Scotland, where I met lots of musicians. I lived on the road and I absorbed the road. I also lived in Boston, USA, for a while and went to listen to folk, blues and country bands playing in bars every single night. Then I picked up my guitar and started strumming.

Talk to us more about your latest release

My latest record – yes I still call them records – is a funny work. I wrote those songs during eight years and they reflects different times of my life and different sounds. It’s some sort of a compilation of different styles, much different from the previous one, which was written in one year and recorded soon after. But I have to say that this album features Clipper, specially the first two songs. I didn’t write all that’s in here anyway, the music of ‘Wife Killer Blues’ is Dave’s.

 

 

What inspired you to write this release?

Wow, that’s a good question! Well, I have to say that I love recording and I love our recording sudio. It’s not ours of course, but we …I feel at home there and Alessandro – the sound engineer – is a genius! As I said then, I wrote these songs during eight years … I needed to record them properly.

Any plans to release a video?

Yes. Actually we don’t like videos at all, but just last night our drummer said he got a call from a good guy who wants to shoot as a video right at our loft. I now fancy the idea as our room is filled of music relics, lots of amplifiers and old guitars on the walls. We also have four big posters of the Beatles right from the sixties, a portrait for each one. They’re scratched of course, but that’s exactly what makes them cool.

 

 

Any plans to hit the road?

We don’t have many upcoming shows yet, but we’ll have our usual gigs in the Alps in June for sure!

As an indie artist, how do you brand yourself and your music to stand out from the rest of the artists out there?

As I said I think I’m standing on a line that’s only mine. Tell you a story. Sometimes when we play bar venues they advertise our show as a ‘country night’ or ‘folk night’. When some people come over just because they’re into those genres they feel very disappointed. Viceversa when we do advertise our shows!

Who have you been listening to lately?

I’ve just bought an old delta blues box set. Five cds with original recordings of old bluesmen like Robert Johnson or Blind Lemon Jefferson. I play these songs over and over again.

Tell us about your passions

I love books. I’m a book worm, I read continually. First thing in the morning is the Bible though. A couple pages per day. I’m a Christian.

I also write novels. One has been published, it’s called ‘Old Town’.

What else is happening next in your world?

I try and help my friends as much as I can, any given day. If they’re happy, I’m happy.

Thanks for an awesome interview, Lorenzo!

 

 

Connect with Clipper

Website: http://clipperpeople.comxa.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clipperpeople/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/clipperpeople

Reverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/clipper

Genres: Alternative, Blues, Folk, Rock

Source: ArtistPR Indie Artist Interview