The Weekly Volcano (11/24/05) by Mike Stasiak

 

Explaining how he fell in love with music, guitarist/vocalist Michael Hochstatter says, "My dad got a new van when I was in seventh grade that had a CD player in it, and my dad says, 'Well, we've got to get our first CD, then.' We got two CD's- my dad picked out The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper, and I picked out Nirvana's In Utero. Sgt. Pepper blew the Nirvana record away."

Sumner-based pop band The Cloves have come across a revolutionary music making concept- you can't rush art. They've released two stunningly beautiful EP's, performed live in-studio performances on legendary Northwest radio stations 90.3 KEXP Seattle and 103.7 The Mountain, played sold-out shows at The Showbox, The Triple Door, and Tacoma's own Jazzbones, yet they are holding off on recording a full-length album. Says Hochstatter, "I just don't think we're ready."

Their recorded material may convince music lovers everywhere otherwise. The breezily dreamy debut EP, Waiting for the World to Be (one of the best records to surface from the murky depths of the local music underworld in 2005), provides a snapshot of the Cloves in a formative, developing stage- learning about themselves and the dynamics of their fellow bandmates, and feeling out their enchanting sound. The combination of Hochstatter's Norman Blake-influenced rhythm guitar and Chris Walbridge's flowing lead guitar provide the trance-like melody lines that wrap around every song, with Hochstatter and Poleskie's sugar-sweet harmonies adding texture and weight to the jangle and sway of the tunes. The Cloves recently picked up Alan Kropf on keyboards, to add yet another dimension of richness and quality. The songs are lovingly crafted, with a pace and timbre that are purposeful and masterfully orchestrated- they have succeeded in creating something unique, original, and utterly perfect. With this running start, the Cloves have shown all of the qualities of a group that has arrived, full of piss and vinegar, to conquer the music industry. So why the hesitation to record a full-length?

As of now, I have yet to mention a drummer, and rightly so- they simply don't have one. The drummer who worked with them on the EP, Jason Maybell, left the band on friendly terms when he was offered the chance to tour with up and coming alt-country starlet Brandi Carlile. After Maybell, a slew of local session drummers have filled the post for shows, but the Cloves are still waiting for, as Hochstatter puts it, "that lucky guy to fall into our laps."

Another contributing factor to the unrushed attitude stems from Hochstatter's Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a disability that has limited their exposure in the local music scene. Whereas many local bands will play shows in the area every weekend in varying venues the Cloves are unable to play back to back shows, month-long West Coast tours, or even play a set over an hour long due to Hochstatter's condition, which was diagnosed late in his high school career. "Right now," says Hochstatter, "with where we're at, its nothing but a hindrance. We're at a very formative stage, where exposure means everything, so of course it's frustrating."

Despite the limitations, the Cloves are not a group to be backed into a corner. They have been hard at work perfecting and refining their craft, evolving and changing to constantly bring something new to their growing fan base. Says Hochstatter, "If you don't change, that'd be boring, and if you didn't keep moving it would suck because what do your fans have to look forward to? Like the Beatles. I'm not saying we're the Beatles, but the people who grew up with Love Me Do also grew up loving the Sgt. Pepper stuff."

Expect extraordinary things from the Cloves in the coming months- in the meantime, you can catch them at Hell's Kitchen on November 25, with Arper and Some by Sea.