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| Photos by Kelly Lloyd |
It isn't easy to write songs. Certainly, writing about sensitive topics that are personal in an extreme nature can't be any easier. But Clint Lowery isn't afraid to be honest about what he's been through. As a matter of fact, he'll tell you it's a part of the whole process of recovery.
Back in 2008 I ordered Clint's first Hello Demons Meet Skeletons CD online, called Chills. I thought I had a pretty good idea about what to expect because I'd heard it would be an all-acoustic, toned down, mellow version of some songs Clint wrote and recorded. So naturally, since I'm a decade-plus Sevendust fan, I figured we'd get some songs that were similar to "Xmas Day," "Angels Son," "Skeleton Song." Things like that. What I didn't know was that the lyrical content would be so excruciatingly honest and sorrowful, while remaining tangibly awesome.
With the new release on April 19 of Clint's CD WORDS THAT SING WELL, I wasn't expecting anything this time, other than great music. Will this one be sad and reflective as well? Is this one different, more upbeat? Now that Clint is married and he and Tara have a beautiful baby, how will this reflect in the music? I won't give anything away other than to tell you that I find this CD utterly hopeful and it makes me smile a great deal. It's been written over the times that Clint has come to find more happiness than he'd expected, so perhaps that will shed some light on things, until you go get the CD yourself. If you already have it, as I suspect most of you reading this DO, then I'm certain you will agree that he has not only outdone himself, he's earned a great deal of respect.
It would be remiss of me not to mention that the songs are beautifully sung with some of the most touching harmonies and melodies in the music. If you have not ever heard him sing or play acoustic guitar, you're truly missing out, and I hope that you will at the least go to www.clintlowery.net, check out his new, awesome website (built by Natural Synthetic) and check out the samples of the songs on Itunes under HELLO DEMONS MEET SKELETONS! If you prefer the hard copy CD, they are hand signed, so get one while they're still available, and you'll also get all the tracks from Chills on the new CD, Re-Mastered!
Clint was very gracious to spend some time sharing some of the background as well as the inside of this project that means a lot to him and has come to mean a great deal to many of us...
ANGELA:
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| Clint Lowery's Hello Demons Meet Skeletons Words That Sing Well www.ClintLowery.net |
CLINT:
I’m so flattered. It was a success, to me, just to finish it. I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it because there were so many different things happening with the baby coming, etc. To me it’s such a personal thing, and the people that get it are really connected. I just feel like I have this (little) bond with all the people that support it.
(You know,) It’s not a big project; it’s done by me and a few were able to help me do it and) there were a few people that put the word out. It’s a very tight-knit little “family” we have. (To me) It’s a success just to have that small group of people that can relate to the lyrics. It feels good to have so many different responses for something that’s so “under the radar.” Not a lot of people know about it.
ANGELA:
You've been able to "network" this on the internet...via your Facebook & Twitter and especially by word of mouth.
CLINT:
It’s a powerful thing, especially in that you get a lot more exposure than in the old days. It’s still a little bit of work, but when I started this I didn’t want it to be a bunch of work. I wanted it to just be something I did out of love. I’ll put it out on the social networks. A couple other people tell how different things have been released, individually, to kind of help spread the word. I’m real thankful for all those people. It’s cool; we’re literally mailing it out from my house. It’s one of those cool things; it’s like that little “cult” following.
ANGELA:
Just having an official website isn’t enough in this era; you need a Twitter and a Facebook account, Myspace, etc to keep everyone updated on what’s happening with your website. Have the social media tools at your disposal been increasingly beneficial to spreading the word about your new website, the new Hello Demons Meet Skeletons CD, and the merch? Do you think, in this day & age that doing something so very DIY would even be possible without the use of things like Facebook and Twitter?
CLINT:
I don’t think it would be possible at all, as far as people even knowing it exists, not without a label or something like that. You know, back in the day, hip hop artists would sell mix-tapes on the streets and that kind of thing. That would be, literally, what I would have to do, I’d have to physically sell them to people if I didn’t have it. I honestly think I would do that as well, I would still really want to put this out there.
ANGELA:
This is a DIY project for you...you pressed 1000 CD’s to begin with, and you’re handling the “distribution” on your own, with your wife, Tara, packaging up CD's at home even now, and that's not easy for you guys. Why did you choose to go this route?
The thing is, I had an opportunity to release this on a label, and to release it on a small Indie, but I didn’t want to do it; I didn’t want to deal with the process of getting things green-lighted, and doing this, and then who was going to get this money…It’s not a big thing; I didn’t want to make money off of it. I mean of course, money is always good but I just wanted to cover what it costs to make it and make a couple extra bucks but that’s not a motivation. It’s just about getting the message out, and expressing myself musically.
It’s different from Sevendust. It helps with Sevendust because it kind of gives me an outlet in between Sevendust records that’s completely different and it keeps me motivated to go back into the heavier world of music.
ANGELA:
There have been many people that have been sharing photos of themselves with the Words That Sing Well CD when they get it in the mail, and also sharing pictures of the “personal thank you notes” that you’re sending out with some of your shipments. That’s very kind of you, and your fans are providing some overwhelming responses to it. Perhaps it’s things like this that make it seem like such a close, tight-knit family?
CLINT:
The beauty of the whole thing is being able to do that. It’s a small enough level to where, going to work to do that is not the easiest thing to go through each one of them. But it’s a small thing that I think means a lot to people. If it were me and the shoe were on the other foot, and someone (if I was interested in their music), wrote me a little personal note, it’d be like “MAN!” It’s small enough to where there’s no excuse for me not to do it. People spend their money, and they could spend it on a lot of different things, they could be into a lot of different bands. At this level, I want to connect with them in anyway I can. There have been a lot of good responses, there have been a couple of people that are not really into what I’m doing and they’ll voice that. I can take that as well; I can’t just take the good stuff, I have to listen to people’s critiques and absorb them. Some people say “Well, I don’t care what other people think; I didn’t do it for them.” I do the music for myself and I want people to enjoy it, I want to impress people with music and lyrics.
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| Photo by Kelly Lloyd |
Do you feel like there’s a very broad crossover with Sevendust fans and the people that get what’s going on with your side project, or do you feel like perhaps its two different worlds?
CLINT:
That’s a good one, I always think about that. Because of the ways that I can expose with the social networks and kind of piggyback on the Sevendust fan-sites and stuff, it’s weird to me. A lot of the Sevendust fans are really cool and they’re open to it being a lighter kind of music, that’s acoustic. A lot of them have said that “Angel’s Son,” and “Xmas Day” and those kinds of songs kind of bridge the gap a little bit. But there are definitely the harder-edge Sevendust fans that say “I don’t buy it, this is not me.” Initially, I’m not trying to make it for Sevendust fans either; I know that it’s a lot different than that.
I’d love to market it to other types of music listeners but I’m kind of limited on how I can do that. Sevendust fans are more into the melodic structure of our band, they embrace that. There are some Sevendust elements to it just because I write Sevendust songs as well, so they’re similar to the music. It’s definitely interesting to see. Sometimes people are open to it, sometimes not so open. But that’s the cool thing about Sevendust fans; they are a little more open to it than your typical “metal” listener.
ANGELA:
After listening to both, it's clear there are vague but distinguishable difference between the music and lyrics on the old and now the new CD. I'll go as far as saying that the first CD is dark, sad and very subdued. This one's a little more uplifting, even though it doesn't shy away from the darker and more raw aspects of living. The songs you wrote, where you were when you wrote the songs on Chills and now on Words That Sing Well are in the same vein, but still different, especially since your life is very different now..
CLINT:
The songs on “Chills” are based on kind of getting yourself out of the nightmare or a kind of recovery; the state of mind that I was in that darker place. This (WTSW) is more of an observation of what’s going on around me, things I see.
“Summertime” is basically a song about wasting a summer, wasting a beautiful thing and not appreciating just seeing life in general. It’s a song to address summertime as a person - ”I wish I would have appreciated you more.” It’s just a time I wasted doing a lot of knuckle-head stuff. “December” is based on when I left Sevendust – the state of mind that I was in. I wanted to kind of address that situation that we had when I left in December. It was a really strange time. It’s about me leaving Sevendust, the way I left, and the observation of what I saw going on with the band then, that’s kind of what that songs based on.
“Summertime” is basically a song about wasting a summer, wasting a beautiful thing and not appreciating just seeing life in general. It’s a song to address summertime as a person - ”I wish I would have appreciated you more.” It’s just a time I wasted doing a lot of knuckle-head stuff. “December” is based on when I left Sevendust – the state of mind that I was in. I wanted to kind of address that situation that we had when I left in December. It was a really strange time. It’s about me leaving Sevendust, the way I left, and the observation of what I saw going on with the band then, that’s kind of what that songs based on.
It’s looking back on life, some of the songs I’m using to address certain things that happened in my life. Then some of the songs: “Sweet Insecure” I’m a lot better as far as my spirituality and all those things are concerned but there are still songs that address my insecurities. The song “Done For” is basically another song about Sevendust; about how with all the crazy stuff that we’ve done and to still be able to be here…for me to be more into spirituality and into God and all those things…I enjoy writing songs from a darker side in a sense. It’s not a negative outlook; it’s just more like…realistically looking at it. I like to write lyrics in the way I speak. It’s not even poetic, I’m not talking like Yoda, and I’m just basically telling words like I would tell someone the story.
ANGELA:
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| photo by Kelly Lloyd |
CLINT:
What I lack in vocal skill I try to add that little interest in lyrics and then it’s fun to do it. To me, they kind of write themselves if I do it that way instead of trying to be all clever with the “rhyming” scheme and all that. There are still rhymes and traditional stuff, but its fun for me. Writing lyrics is the funnest part; I feel so much weight lifted off after I do them. Some of that stuff is touchy subjects “December” is a touchy subject. “Done For” is basically me calling myself out but calling out these guys - I love ‘em to death – but looking at how we live our lives and sometimes, (with the selfishness that comes with it) how we can kind of lose perspective. That’s all it is; if I call out those defects in my character, I like to at least be able to say “OK, I pinpointed it. Now what do I do to change it?” A flaw with your self within a song - you’re really putting your finger on it, and the next natural step is to fix it and to change it, for me.
ANGELA:
For as long as I can remember, you have not hesitated to genuinely claim your mother as a huge part of your life. How has your relationship with her throughout the years influenced this particular project? Do you feel like you rely on her and that bond the two of you have to help keep you humble and get through things?
CLINT:
Oh yeah, I rely on my mom; I’m definitely the mama’s boy in my family. My mom’s just got a lot of gems of wisdom, she tells me a lot, and she calls me randomly. She’s got so much spirit. She was pretty much a single mom; my dad wasn’t around (the way that she was) and I don’t fault him for that. He was just a musician and that’s the nature of what this is. But she gave up a lot; she sacrificed a lot of her own musical dreams to raise us.
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| photo by Kelly Lloyd |
ANGELA:
You grew up in and with a “musically charged” family, and you and your brothers are still close, that’s kind of rare.
CLINT:
My family is amazing: my brothers, Corey and Dustin, my dad. I don’t really see my dad or talk to him a lot but you know – I love him. My brothers are just amazing, to me. Corey…I get to see him a lot more than I see Dustin; Corey’s has just been everything to me. He helped me with all the Hello Demons and he helped me discover what it was I wanted to do musically and he helped me obviously on engineering and recording it. He’s just a great part of the whole thing. I would not have been able to do it without Corey.
ANGELA:
For those that don’t already know, your brother, Corey Lowery, was there to record, engineer, and produce Chills in its entirety. Did his role differ with this CD, especially with his recent recording and touring with his own band, Eye Empire?
CLINT:
We did Chills and it was just him and me, we did everything. I played drums, bass, sang everything. He recorded it, and engineered it, helped produce the lyrics, we really got into how we were gonna lay the vocals and all that.
He flew up to where I live and he recorded all the guitars and all the vocals that I did. He wasn’t that involved in Words That Sing Well just because he physically couldn’t be there, but when he did come up, he recorded all of it; everything I sang on there, he was there with me. But I already had it pretty mapped out when he got there. But he was there and he helped me get it. I had another team of guys up in NJ (at Architekt) that put the rest of the music behind it.
ANGELA:
How did you meet the people at Architekt?
How did you meet the people at Architekt?
CLINT:
You know, it’s funny; I met this guy, George Roskos, on Twitter. We were talking about studio monitors and I’d said I wanted to get some good ones. He said he had some really good ones, etc and we started talking, struck up a friendship. He told me about his studio, what they did, and he told me about Kurt Andrews and how he was a programmer. I told him “Man, here’s what I’m tryin to do. I really can’t do it like on Chills and go in the studio.” I had the baby on the way, so I couldn’t really leave the house. George is the guy that kind of orchestrated everything. He said, “Just send me the vocals and the guitars and let me try to put the rest of the music, the landscape behind it.” So we tried out “summertime,” that was the first song that we did. After that I said “Man, this guy really gets it!” The only way I could have really gotten this done was through them.
You know, it’s funny; I met this guy, George Roskos, on Twitter. We were talking about studio monitors and I’d said I wanted to get some good ones. He said he had some really good ones, etc and we started talking, struck up a friendship. He told me about his studio, what they did, and he told me about Kurt Andrews and how he was a programmer. I told him “Man, here’s what I’m tryin to do. I really can’t do it like on Chills and go in the studio.” I had the baby on the way, so I couldn’t really leave the house. George is the guy that kind of orchestrated everything. He said, “Just send me the vocals and the guitars and let me try to put the rest of the music, the landscape behind it.” So we tried out “summertime,” that was the first song that we did. After that I said “Man, this guy really gets it!” The only way I could have really gotten this done was through them.
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| AVAILABLE @ ITUNES $0.99, CLICK HERE |
ANGELA:
You’ve done a “cover” of U2’s song “Pride” in your previous acoustic live show and the response to the fan-filmed“youtube.com” videos as well as the requests for it on your social networks has been both noticeable and positive.. Do you think you’ll ever release your version of “Pride” as an mp3 on Itunes or somewhere that it can be downloaded?
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| AVAILABLE @ ITUNES $0.99 CLICK HERE |
I’m gonna figure out how to get it out there. I think I’m gonna put it up on soundcloud.com and you can just download it or whatever. I think there’s an option where people can actually download it. It’s a U2 cover and it’s a song that I always loved that they did. Corey and I were in the studio one day and we just said “let’s just try the song, it’s really easy.” I love the words so much; I love the melodies a lot. Just like the song “Hurt” that I covered – those 2 songs were really meaningful to me. It seemed like those particular versions of those songs really went well with the “Hello Demons” thing. The “Hurt” cover actually kind of sparked, as far as direction that was why I chose to do acoustic, cause it was so fun doing that.
UPDATE: Since doing the interview, Clint has made the cover of "PRIDE" available for Download on SoundCloud.com HERE - on the top of the "play" bar, click Download!
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| AVAILABLE @ ITUNES $0.99 CLICK HERE |
ANGELA:
Are there “unreleased” tracks you’ll cut loose for us over time?
CLINT:
The only thing that’s unreleased (in EP/CD format) are “Bitter” and “Kicking Tree” and “The Drive.” Those three songs are actually out there on Itunes under Clint Lowery but they’re not under Hello Demons Meet Skeletons. But I’ll make sure I get that (“Pride”) out, I want people to have it, for the people that want to hear it.
The only thing that’s unreleased (in EP/CD format) are “Bitter” and “Kicking Tree” and “The Drive.” Those three songs are actually out there on Itunes under Clint Lowery but they’re not under Hello Demons Meet Skeletons. But I’ll make sure I get that (“Pride”) out, I want people to have it, for the people that want to hear it.
ANGELA:
There's been quite an amazing response and I see that you posted on your Twitter & Facebook that there are 'only a few signed copies remaining'….Will you do another run of a thousand and possibly make them available at the Sevendust shows?
CLINT:
I’ll definitely do another do another pressing. If Sevendust is on an acoustic tour, I’ll actually open up the set and I’ll be opening for my own band, Sevendust. So I’ll take some hard copies on that tour, when we do it, end of the year.
ANGELA:
That's funny you say that, because there have been many people (myself included) wondering if you’ll do some “one-off” acoustic HDMS shows or an acoustic set on a Sevendust tour...
CLINT:
Yes, I’ve just gotta figure out some things. We’re (currently) doing the uproar tour, and there’s gonna be a lot of time after I get done, to do something like that. I’m gonna do a bunch of dates on that.
ANGELA:
Sevendust has evolved as one of the most relevant and influential hard, heavy rock bands of the past decade. Professionally, the band has done well, and personally you’re happily married, have a beautiful, healthy baby boy... Did you ever imagine, in all your years that your life would become this fulfilling, not just as a “rock star” but as a person?
CLINT:
I did not. I thought I was gonna be dead, you know. I thought I was gonna die of alcoholism. Just to be clean and sober and to have that baby in my life and to have Tara in my life, she’s such an amazing girl - I don’t know. There are some days I can’t believe, from where I came, that I ended up in this position. I’m very respectful of it; I have no illusion on how lucky I am and how blessed; how I need to continue doing the certain things, my daily things I gotta do and humility, to keep it this way. I know it’s a gift to have and good to have. If I keep trying to keep trying to do things for other people and doing the next right thing, then I can keep this life; I don’t have to give it away. You know, it’s not always easy but it’s a hell of a lot easier than it used to be.
ANGELA:
What is it that you want people to know about your Hello Demons Meet Skeletons project and the music you’ve made under this name….with both Chills and Words That Sing Well?
CLINT:
HDMS is very real topics, very sincere outlooks on life on a relaxing musical landscape. It’s hard to describe, I know it is what it is…but trying to put it into words; basically it’s a testimony of what I was going through when I was in recovery, that’s what the subject matter is. Musically it’s a very relaxing dark minor of acoustic music. I’d say it could be sad; it’s a lot of the sad, but that’s the reality of what it is.
ANGELA:
It’s uplifting too, though, for people that have been there. Misery isn’t the only thing that likes company, recovery and coming through struggles likes company as well. It’s not just sad, it’s also hopeful.
CLINT:
The music sounds that way (sad), but to me it’s hopeful. To me, its step 1 of getting better - talking about it and other people relating to what it’s about. That’s the biggest gift of doing this whole thing, when people say “Man, I really understand, I really enjoy what you have to say about that.” To me that is the whole goal. That’s powerful to me.
Written by Angela Villand
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ang@hard-rock-reviews.com
Hello Demons Meet Skeletons WORDS THAT SING WELL cover art copyright © 2011 by Clint Lowery, with permission from Natural Synthetic. Please do not use photos without permission. Thank you!
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