Cloth - Questions for the Band
This weeks Questions for the Band features Glasgow trio Cloth, I caught up with them just before we went into full lockdown !! As usual I will let them introduce themselves.
A gentle start, for those that don't know you that well. can you tell us a little bit about yourself ?
We're a Glasgow based band who initially met at the Academy of Music and Sound, which is part of Stow College. We started playing shows in 2018 and have been gigging and releasing music since. We are twins Rachael and Paul Swinton and Clare Gallacher.
Who are your musical influences ?
A lot of the music we love and has influenced our writing actually comes out of Scotland. Bands such as The Cocteau Twins and The Blue Nile, and the space and innovation within their music, have had a really profound impact on how we approach writing songs. Further afield, some of our favourite artists are Beach House, Warpaint, and in particular Sleater-Kinney, whose dual-guitar set-up was something we loved and studied when we were beginning things with Cloth.
What is your writing process ? Music or Lyrics First ?
We tend to start by writing the music for our songs first. This normally stems from one riff or melodic idea that we build upon, and once things are really fleshed out we’ll start thinking about vocal melodies and lyrics.
What is the biggest problem you have had in your music career ?
We’ve actually been quite fortunate as a band so far, and haven’t encountered any real issues apart from trying to find cheap parking in London! I guess the uncertainty Coronavirus has thrown over so many live music events is a concern. We have shows booked for later in the year, which we’re really excited about, and the possibility of not being able to play to the people that want to come and see us is a horrible thought. That being said, safety first.
If you had the opportunity who would you most like to collaborate with and why ?
We would love to work with David Wrench. He’s made so many amazing records that are full of really interesting novel sounds that you just don’t hear on other records. The new album he worked on with Caribou, for example, is tremendous.
Which venue would you most like to headline and why ?
It has to be The Barrowlands. The sound in there when the room is full is phenomenal. We’ve been going to gigs there for years and very recently saw Sleater-Kinney play an absolutely incredible show. Getting to the stage where we could headline a hometown show there would be a real dream.
You released your self titled debut album late last year, how has that been received ?
It’s been received really well. We feel that there’s been a really warm organic reaction that’s built up in the last couple of months. We’ve been lucky enough to enjoy the support of some great independent record stores, including Monorail in Glasgow, who really pushed the record and opened us up to a new wider audience. The record’s also been getting a lot of airplay on 6 Music and Guy Garvey from Elbow loves it, which is something we’re chuffed with.
Looking ahead for this year, what are your plans ? can we expect new music ? and do you have any ambitions that you want to fulfill this year ?
We’ll mainly be focusing on writing this year rather than releasing music, with the hopes to put out some new music next year. There are a few exciting shows that we can’t yet talk about but will announce soon, which we can’t wait for.
And finally, if you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be and why ?
Hats by Blue Nile. It’s legitimately a record that I (Paul) never get tired of going back to. It sounds like a cliché but you do notice something new every time you listen to it. I (Rachael) found this question too difficult to answer, but would like the record to state that I love The Cocteau Twins and am very into the new Caroline Polachek album!
Thanks to Rachael and Paul for giving us a fascinating insight into Cloth and I for one can’t wait to hear the fruits of your writing.
Their eponymous debut album came out late last year and was one of my favourite albums of 2019 it can be bought here:
https://shop.lastnightfromglasgow.com/products/cloth-cloth-vinyl-lp-cd-dl
Or here (a little plug for my local record store):
Cloth can be followed Facebook, Instagram and Twitter:
https://www.facebook.com/clothband/
