Despite hailing from New Zealand, you’ve probably heard a tune or two from Clap Clap Riot across the pond here in Oz. With two albums under their belt and a third on its way very soon, this summery three-piece seems to keep striking a chord with audiences everywhere.
They’re just over a fortnight away from touching down here on their Tired Of Getting Old tour, so we though it was high time to catch up for a chat.
Silky, summery and dripping with golden surfie vibes, Clap Clap Riot’s breezy coastal sound will easily find a home in your saltwater dreams.
HAPPY: Hey guys, how are you? What are you up to at the moment?
CLAP CLAP RIOT: Doing well thanks, just rushing around in preparation for the album release and tour. Had a photoshoot today and going over the test pressing of the vinyl tomorrow as well as rehearsals for our upcoming Aussie tour.
HAPPY: Last time we spoke you named your 5 favourite tunes from back home in New Zealand. Has anything come out since that you’re crazy about?
CLAP CLAP RIOT: Yeah our drummer Alex has a new solo project called A.C. Freazy which is great. Our friend Merk released a great debut record and Amelia has been putting out some great tunes ahead of her Fazerdaze album release. Lots of great stuff going. The Beths are putting out some great stuff as well.
HAPPY: In that vein, any Aussie artists you have on repeat at the moment?
CLAP CLAP RIOT: I’ve been thrashing old Regurgitator at the moment actually – such a great band. We actually just missed their secret show in Brisbane the last time we were all over.
HAPPY: It’s been a while since you came to Aus, any fond (or opposite) memories from past times here?
CLAP CLAP RIOT: Last time we were over was for BIGSOUND – it was a great trip. We had some really great shows there – the crowds and the bands we played with were all very enthusiastic. In Brisbane we stayed at a great pub that held dildo racing every Sunday night as well.
HAPPY: How’s the album looking? Happy with the result?
CLAP CLAP RIOT: Yeah we’re really happy with it – we put a lot of work into getting the songs how we wanted them and think it’s our most grown up record.
HAPPY: Are there any cuts which didn’t make the final release?
CLAP CLAP RIOT: Yeah there were a couple of demos that didn’t work out when we worked on the pre-production of the record, they may see the light of day at some point in the future if we apply a different approach to them with a fresh mindset.
HAPPY: Will your Aussie shows be the first time you’ve taken these songs to the stage, or are there some classic live jams that made it into Dull Life?
CLAP CLAP RIOT: Many of them are really fresh, we’ve played them out live a few times now and are really starting to get a feel for them – we’ll be hitting our stride with the new songs by the time we get there.
HAPPY: What’s your number one tip for us Aussies as we’re preparing for a Clap Clap Riot show?
CLAP CLAP RIOT: Wear comfortable shoes and be ready for a dance, and possibly a hangover.
HAPPY: Lastly, what’s next? After you head back home and finish the tour, what’s the plan?
CLAP CLAP RIOT: Hopefully we’ll be getting back together with Buzz to work on some new material with him. We had a great time with the last song we put together with him a couple of years ago so would be good to pick up where we left off.
Catch Clap Clap Riot as they embark on their Tired Of Getting Old Aussie tour. Dates and deets below:
Thursday 27th April – Bearded Lady, Brisbane – Tickets
Friday 28th April – Grace Darling, Melbourne – Tickets
Saturday 29th April – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney – Tickets
