Melbourne based shoe-gazin’, intenstine-shakin’ grunge rock trio Claws & Organs are about to embark on their 7″, seven date tour to plug their new singles; ‘Alphabetti Spaghetti’ and ‘No Teeth, No Stamina’. Guitarist Dave Crowe stepped away from his pedals long enough to participate in a Q&A with us.
What was your first guitar?
I learned on my dad’s old nylon string acoustic for a few months, and once I’d proven I actually wanted to play guitar, my mum bought me a Mexican Stratocaster for Christmas from her friend’s son. I actually still use it now, but I’ve upgraded the pick ups to give it a bit more punch.
What’s your main guitar now?
The Strat still gets plenty of love now. It has a couple of Dimarzio humbuckers in it, which I like because it really fills out the sound and I think that’s pretty necessary in a three-piece. My other main guitar is a Jaguar that has a similar pick up configuration to the Strat. It’s a beast. The feedback is insane, especially if you play behind the bridge. The main riff of one of our early songs is just played behind the bridge, so I NEED that guitar to play that song.
Through what amp and why?
My main amp is a 30W Orange Rocker combo. I used to play through a Marshall stack but it kept breaking down on me, and a lot of bands I really loved played through Oranges. I originally had a 50W Rockerverb head that I played through my old Marshall cab, but it was too loud for the venues we were playing, so I downsized. Now I can crank it a bit more, but Oranges are loud as hell, so it usually doesn’t go too far beyond half way.
Which pedals are your standards?
I am a pedal fiend and I make it worse by not actually having a proper pedal board, so I spend a lot of time plugging them all in before we play. I am a bit of an EHX fan; I have a Holy Grail running at all times, a Bass Big Muff for my main fuzz, a Small Clone chorus and a Frequency Analyzer ring mod, which I tend to use in solos to make shit sound fucked up.
Your fave guitar solo?
While I’m not a huge Pumpkins fan anymore, the solo in Soma is hands down my favourite of all time. Just the right amount of showiness, melody and feedback.
What’s your latest recording and when will you be back in the studio?
We’ve just put out two new singles, Alphabetti Spaghetti and No Teeth No Stamina. They’re coming out on a 7” through Listen Records. There are a few other songs floating around right now, but no concrete plans on what we’ll do next.
What gigs have you been playing lately?
We’ve played a few shows around Melbourne following our Alphabetti Spaghetti single launch in September. We’re gearing up for a national tour at the moment kicking off in October.
Most memorable gig?
We played with Adalita earlier this year as part of her Melbourne residency. That was an incredible experience. Getting to hang out with her, playing to a crowd of her fans and having them enjoy it. It was rad.
Worst stage nightmare?
Probably just when my stuff isn’t working, which has happened a couple of times. You spend ages dicking around trying to figure out what is wrong. It can definitely bring down the mood, but I think I’ve gotten better at handling it over time.
What gigs are coming up in the next few months?
We have a national tour kicking off on October 31st (Halloween!) at the Happy Trails Festival. It’s in Creswick, which is just outside of Ballarat. There are loads of other great bands playing and it should be a fun time. We’re heading up to Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide after that.
A guitar tip for the kids?
1. It’s never too late to pick up a guitar.
2. Don’t focus too much on technical stuff. If people tell you you’re doing something wrong, that’s their problem, not yours.
Making your own style could be key to your sound, and sometimes naivety wins over proficiency.
3. Go start a band. I guarantee you will improve way faster if you’re playing with other musicians.
4. Get a good amp. A piece of shit guitar through a good amp will sound good, but the opposite is never the case.
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ALPHABETTI SPAGHETTI / NO TEETH NO STAMINA TOUR
October 31 – Happy Trails Music Festival Creswick VIC w/ Dead, Tangrams and more
November 5 – Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney w/ Royal Chant, Red Gazelle
November 6 – Captain Cook Hotel, Sydney w/ Service Bells, Jugular Cuts
November 7 – Trainspotters, Brisbane w/ Gazar Strips, The Bear Hunt, MessMess
November 14 – Bar Open, Melbourne w/ Cull, Loobs, Ghost Dick
November 20 – The Exeter Hotel, Adelaide w/ Charlie Monsoon, Invisible Mantra
November 27 – The Eastern, Ballarat w/ Milkk