Clockwise (formerly known as Andy Clockwise) has been recording, performing, producing, and mixing his own brand of “schizo pop” for over a decade. His upcoming EP Dancing World, is set for digital release on July 15th and is the first of a two-part “ode to conflict, both internal and external.” Tomatrax caught up with Clockwise to ask a few questions.
Why did you drop “Andy” from your name?
I dropped a lot of things from my life, this was one of them. I felt it was done for right now. I wanted to keep my past at arms length for a bit, not forever but just for now. Make it a little less centered on me and more centered on the music.
Your bio states at your latest EP will be the first of a two part, what made you decide to make a two part series?
Oh really? It’s actually the prologue to a 2-part album. T he 2-part album has a working title of WAR STORIES at the moment and has for a while. Why did I make a 2 part series? I work well under traditional forms and this is all written in 2 acts, it just worked that way.
How will the second EP compare to this forthcoming one?
The second EP will be a little darker (its part of the story) ha ha ha ha and uplifting I suppose….Oh what an annoying answer right?
What made you pick Dancing World as the single for the EP?
Well it’s just the first showing of what the new music might be like. I just really liked the song a lot and it wasn’t your typical “single” material…which I liked about it….So I thought fuck it to single material and go with something I like… Its an important sentiment to me the words of dancing world, even though I think a lot of the music press completely miss the point of the lyrics (which I secretly like to be honest) but I don’t think its my job to spell it out to people, they can make of it what they will…Maybe I should have been more obvious, that’s what everybody seems to need these days isn’t it? (and I’m not excluding myself)
You recently relocated to LA. How does making music in LA compare to making music in Australia?
Actually making the music is not different at all, its all spending hours and hours burning the midnight lamp in front of a laptop or in some studio. More that’s different is the things that surround the music I suppose. It’s just a little bigger.
You recently wrote a piece on vinyl, will your upcoming EP be available on vinyl?
Man I hope so……. When I don’t know, but we will definitely make that happen.
Where did you get the idea for the covers EP Gower Mixtape Vol 1?
Well at the beginning of this year I decided to do a lot of things that traditionally would make me a little uncomfortable….One of these was flipping some covers actually in the studio and picking certain songs from a list I was sent from my record company, but I decided to pick a bunch of songs that I never really liked (besides the go betweens one which I have always loved) and try to make something completely different that I like and that hopefully gives a new outlook on the track…..It turned out to be really fun and I got to collaborate with a lot of friends of mine from LA ….Why is it called gower mixtape? Because I live in this house that has been passed down from generation to generation of Hollywood/east Hollywood people that has kept the fire burning between all of our friends…Its on gower street in Beachwood canyon, some crazy nights, some crazy people and some crazy songs have been written in these walls, so I thought I would pay homage to that tradition.
Will there be a Gower Mixtape Vol 2?
Yes I am slowly working on it right now
You’ve been putting out music for over a decade now, is it hard to continue to produce new music?
Really? Wow…..no its not its awesome…. it gets easier and funnier and better and greater and harder and different and tiring and disheartening and energizing and mind blowing and cooler….I’m honored to do this for my life
You record, perform, produce, and mix all your music. Is it hard to do all of these jobs when putting an album together?
The hardest thing is self-motivation, which gets harder with Netflix and facebook and every other distraction of life. The actual act of doing it I do not find hard I find it rewarding but it’s the up and get go to work on something just for the sake of working on it, not for a paycheck on Friday, but just for the sake of it.
You’ve also worked in a number of side projects, how does doing these compare with doing Clockwise music?
They all suck ha ha ha ha ha ha….Just jokes ……I love doing that stuff because it lets me escape my undying un yielding fire and ambition and just be a dude in a band…Its therapy
If you could appear on anyone’s tribute album who would you choose?
Stephen Merritt, Cole Porter, Prince, Bob Dylan, Kraftwerk, The Cure, Daniel Johnston, David Bowie.
Do you ever listen to your own music?
No not really, I always feel like I should have mixed it again. I’m sure when I get old I will listen to it all and see if it was worth it ha ha ha ha
What do you plan on doing once the EP is out?
Going on tour round the states!
Dancing World out digitally July 15th, 2014 via ABC/Universal. Check out his website to find out more!