The Smashing Pumpkins are bringing their The World is a Vampire Tour to North America this summer. Support comes in the form of Interpol, Stone Temple Pilots, and/or Rival Sons, depending on the date. Tickets available at smashingpumpkins.com.
7/28 – Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
7/30 – Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
8/1 – West Valley City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre*^
8/3 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre*^
8/5 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre*^
8/6 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater*^
8/7 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre*^
8/9 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre*^
8/10 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre*^
8/11 – Highland, CA – Yaamava’ Theater*
8/13 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Resort & Casino^+
8/15 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion^+
8/16 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP^+
8/17 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater^+
8/19 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre^+
8/20 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre^+
8/22 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion^+
8/24 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center^+
8/25 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion^+
8/30 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater^+
Clay Soldiers hail from the UK and blend elements of alternative, grunge, and stoner rock in their music. Formed in 2020, the band consists of vocalist/guitarist Leon, bassist Stu, and drummer Pablo. They have already seen a few notable achievements, including 16,000+ all-time streams across the various services and listeners in forty different countries.
I recently chatted with Clay Soldiers about their backgrounds in music, influences, playing live, and their debut EP, Life After Death.
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First and foremost, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule for this interview. Let’s start with the story behind the band’s name. I always find those interesting.
Stu: Initially, we were talking about Greek mythology and we were looking for names along the lines of mythological beasts and history. However, Leon states that “Clay Soldiers” came from the idea that people are molded in terms of their way of thinking, their resilience – they are not as strong as they think they are and are made to believe they are invincible.
Clay Soldiers’ sound encompasses multiple styles. Who are the band’s influences?
Stu: Our biggest influences are the bands and sounds of the 90s, such as Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Queens of the Stone Age, and Faith No More. We also take inspiration from classic rock, like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, and lately we’ve drawn from some newer bands on the scene, particularly our friends in Dunes, The Grudge, and High Desert Queen, in terms of their performance and style.
So, if you don’t mind, can you tell me how you got started in music? What made you decide this is what you wanted to do?
Stu: We have always been interested in music in a big way. However, truly thinking about it, we lived through the 80s and 90s, where the music was an inspirational element in our lives. So, seeing bands that had grown considerably from the late 80s to the mid-90s and beyond, it was something that we had always felt that it wasn’t out of reach to do. It was a case of finding the instrument that we could share the rocking vibes with and over time, learning what it means to write songs, what it means to write from the heart through our own lived experiences that listeners can relate to.
And now, y’all have released your debut EP, Life After Death, and have garnered some well-deserved attention with it. Can you tell me a little about the writing and recording process? From where did y’all draw inspiration?
Stu: We tried to make music to reflect life experiences and take to heart how the lyrics can resonate to a wider audience. We wanted to write in a more thoughtful way and build connections with people as they find they can relate to it.
In terms of the recording, we often lay down all our demo stems on an app called Bandlab. It is a piece of software that really helped us to lay out and structure our ideas for the EP. The artwork was an awesome piece hand-painted by UK tattoo artist Jeep Bluezone (who is originally from Thailand). Initially, it was painted on canvas, then she offered to let us use it for the EP cover. We felt the image reflected every song on the EP, which is all about death and recovery – hence the name ‘Life After Death’. In other words, the day the world halts and then we start again.
On a personal level, what’s your favorite song on the EP?
Leon: All songs are very meaningful. If there was one overall song, I would choose “Ghost,” as that is the most epic sounding song.
Stu: I would choose “Ghost,” as it was one of the first tracks we actually wrote by accident and became one of our most evolved tracks. It has quite a cinematic, epic sound to it.
Pablo: “Ghost” for me.
I saw that you guys just played a show with Elkapath, Doomicidal, and At War With the Sun.What is your favorite thing about playing live?
Stu: That was a great show. Our favourite thing about playing live is seeing people enjoying and sharing the moments with us where the music is creating a positive atmosphere like no other. In that moment, we are family!
And on the topic of playing live, how is playing live and writing music in the studio connected? When you write, do you think about how it will translate in a live performance?
Stu: Everything we do in the studio is connected to live shows because everything we work for in the studio, it all comes to a conclusion in live shows. We want everyone to get a first glance of our music. For new fans who are seeing us for the first time, it is about how we can connect to those people and make new friends. For existing fans, it is showing how our music evolves and the fans grow with us.
What is next for Clay Soldiers? I saw y’all hinting at new music on Facebook (I say hopefully).
Stu: Social media is a massive tool, definitely, and it is helping us to reach more people and all around the world. New music is constantly coming, new songs and new forms of composition are there, and we are taking all different styles to create our own way to make music.
What do you feel is the ultimate goal for the band?
Stu: The goal is to keep growing, musically and as a band. To be able to perform regularly. It is not about being famous but is about being original and offering something to people where they can identify. We are now at a stage where we are building a brand and we invite everyone to the opportunity to get involved and be a part of that process.
Is there any message you’d like to give your fans, old and new?
Stu: We would wholeheartedly like to say a massive thanks with much love and respect for all the love and support everyone has shown us. Absolutely everyone is welcome to come and see us, no-one should be left out, regardless of pronoun, gender, sex, where you are from, etc. We just want everyone to be united in the moment, take care of each other and enjoy good times again! All we ask is just come and support local artists, local music! Keep the dream alive!
And a fun question I always ask, just to wrap this up: what would your dream concert lineup be? Clay Soldiers and…?
Stu: Dream lineup… to play an international open air festival, with bands who would love to play with Clay Soldiers! We would also absolutely love to be on the same lineup as the bands which have inspired us from the start of our musical inception, such as Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, Queens Of The Stone Age, Foo Fighters. Would be nice!
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Clay Soldiers are on a steady upward trajectory, earning new fans and followers with every released single and live show. They bring the best of rock in everything they do. From what I’ve seen, the band will be giving us a taste of their darker, heavier side with their new music. Be sure to find them on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, etc., and check them out! Here is the track that the trio voted as their favorite from Life After Death.
Currents will be touring this spring with Like Moths To Flames and Foreign Hands. Special guests Invent Animate or Unity-TX will be on select dates, as well. Grab your tickets and VIP at currentsofficial.com.
5/11 – Worcester, MA – Palladium^
5/12 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre^
5/13 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground^
5/14 – Detroit, MI – The Shelter^
5/16 – Pittsburgh, PA – Enclave
5/17 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
5/19 – Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck+
5/20 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater+
5/21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell+
5/23 – Sacramento, CA – Goldfield Trading Post+
5/24 – Pomona, CA – The Glasshouse+
5/25 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick+
5/26 – Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater+
5/27 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad+
5/28 – Dallas, TX – South Side Music Hall+
5/30 – San Antonio, TX – The Rock Box+
5/31 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live+
6/2 – Tampa, FL – The Orpheum
6/3 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (Hell)
6/4 – Nashville, TN – Eastside Bowl
6/6 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club^
6/7 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage^ (New date!)
Candlebox is going to be very busy this summer! They are headlining The Long Goodbye Tour and celebrating 30 years as a band. Those shows will be interspersed among dates for the Away From the Sun Anniversary Tour, during which Candlebox will be supporting 3 Doors Down. Tickets for all dates can be found at candleboxrocks.com.
The Long Goodbye Tour
5/5 – Panama City, FL – Frank Brown Park**
6/10 – Evansville, IN – Victory Theatre
6/11 – Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall
6/13 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theater
6/18 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Sweetwater Outdoors
6/22 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe
6/25 – Clear Lake, IA – Surf Ballroom
6/29 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
7/6 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts
7/9 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
7/14 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
8/2 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
8/3 – Ashland, KY – Paramount Arts Center
8/6 – Roanoke, VA – Dr. Pepper Park
8/13 – St. Louis, MO – Del Mar Hall
8/29 – Richmond, VA – The National
9/7 – Tulsa, OK – River Spirit Casino
** Supporting Lynyrd Skynyrd
Away From the Sun Anniversary Tour
6/14 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion
6/16 – Indianapolis, IN – TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
6/17 – Chicago, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
6/21 – Detroit, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
6/23 – Dubuque, IA – Q Casino (Outdoors)
6/24 – Prior Lake, MN – Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
6/28 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
6/30 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
I am so excited!!!! I am finally going to see Bush! Eeek! You can snag tickets at breakingbenjamin.com or bushofficial.com. Breaking Benjamin also offers VIP experiences.
4/26 – North Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues*
4/28 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center**
4/29 – Worcester, MA – DCU Center**
5/2 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center
5/3 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
5/5 – Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Center
5/6 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
5/8 – San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port
5/10 – Park City, KS – Hartman Arena
5/11 – Camdenton, MO – Lake Ozarks Amphitheater
5/13 – Dubuque, IA – Five Flags Center
5/14 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave/Eagles Club (Eagles Ballroom)
5/16 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Van Andel Arena
5/18 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
5/20 – Lexington, KY – Lexington Center (Rupp Arena)
Mostly Music 