Caolin Clay
FAULT: How has 2010 been for you?
Fraser: 2010 has been our debut year as the band we are now and so has been very exciting and full of energy but it’s also a lot of hard-work getting the band started and being creative while juggling it with university.
FAULT: Could you tell us some more about “Caolin Clay” How did you meet and start making music together”?
Fraser: We are on a music performance course together (excluding the bassist), and I think it was during the first week I was wondering round the practice rooms, and there was this tiny cupboard with a drummer in there who was properly grooving (that was Dave), so I listened for a couple of minutes out of sight, then went inside plugged my guitar into this Marshall stack (also crammed in there). I just nodded and didn’t say a word and he carried on playing, and we just hit it off and jammed for about 2 hours in this tiny little sweaty room. Finally we stopped and my first words were – “do you wanna be in a band with me”, and he was like “YES!” It’s been that way ever since. Kim was a later addition, she was the loud mouth, everybody happy person on the course and she skipped into one of our practices one day, and said “wow you lot are really grooving” or something, and so we said – “sing-a-long”. She didn’t but she came to the next practice. Toby is the newest addition to the group adding his stonkin’ bass riffs, he also completes the look; now we have two gingers either side of a black woman on stage.
FAULT: What is it like being an artist based in the UK?
Fraser: It’s a fine place to be for music; there are loads of independent labels, tour circuits and places to play. It’s also a relatively small place and doesn’t seem too daunting to conquer.
FAULT: What sets you apart from other artists?
Fraser: Well the rhythm section has elements of jazz fusion blended with fractious rock and funk. Then Kim comes in and sings something Soulful over the top and changes your expectations. It’s a strange mix, but it works a treat! Some of the songs are quite obscure but they’re only 3 or 4 minute long and so are easy to take in.
FAULT: What is your creative process, when writing a new song? Is it a collaborative effort?
Fraser: Usually Me or Dave have written some chords and sometimes a simple melody at home. We bring it to the group in its rawest form ready to be moulded, and then we jam it out until the other members have got their parts to it. The songs I bring in usually turn out completely different to how I imagined them when playing them at home so each member is imperative to the sound and creative process.
FAULT: Do you write from personal experiences?
Fraser: Yes. Some of them are written about dreams that one of us may have had the night before some are just make believe things. Kim usually does the writing, no doubt from slightly obfuscated personal experiences, but occasionally we write in a room together just composing lines that amuse us.
FAULT: What are you currently working on?
Fraser: Lots and lots of new material – some that’s been lying round for a few years and some fresh stuff too. As part of our uni course we’re doing a collaborative project, which basically involves getting the band up and running and noticed. So right now we’re just working our arses off to get some recognition by playing gigs and networking.
FAULT: Do you have any live shows coming up?
Fraser: Yes, all in Southampton city centrish – Hamptons Bar on the 15th January, Talking Heads and The Joiners soon after that. And The Joiners again in march – the finalised dates for those will be put up on our Myspace and website etc. very soon.
FAULT: What is your FAULT?
Fraser: Dave? Nah it’s probably all our fault…
Photographer Mathis Hanspach
Fore More on Caolin Clay – http://soundcloud.com/caolinclay
http://www.myspace.com/caolinclay