Picture Credit score: Paul Haggard
Few rock artists of the fashionable day stay as constantly busy – or a member of as many initiatives – as singer/bassist Les Claypool. Finest recognized for his work with Primus, Claypool has additionally been noticed over time in a wide range of different bands – Sausage, Holy Mackerel, Oysterhead, Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains, Duo de Twang, and Claypool Lennon Delirium.
And starting in Might, one other one in every of his initiatives, Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, can be returning to the highway for the primary time in 20 years with the 41-date Summer time of Inexperienced Tour 2023. And as that they had carried out on their 2001 launch, Reside Frogs Set 2, Claypool and co. can be masking Pink Floyd‘s 1977 basic, Animals, in its entirety.
Claypool spoke with AllMusic shortly earlier than the launch of the tour, and chatted concerning the present Frog Brigade lineup, Pink Floyd, Primus’ most neglected album, his vineyard, and just lately acquiring his pilot license.
AllMusic: What made you determine to reunite the Flying Frog Brigade now?
Claypool: “There have been simply a whole lot of requests over time. My supervisor, Brad, stored speaking about how there was an entire era of parents that felt they missed the unique Frog Brigade, missed the Animals factor. So, we might at all times talked about it, and we had an enormous ‘Primus couple of years,’ so it was time to take a bit of breather and it simply appeared like the appropriate factor to do.”
AllMusic: Who can be within the band?
Claypool: “As a result of Frog Brigade and the Claypool initiatives normally have been diversified over time, it is type of a blended solid of characters. I’ve bought Sean Lennon on guitar this time, I’ve bought Harry Waters on keyboards, Skerik on sax, Mike Dillon on his numerous marimb-eye, vibraphone-age, and percussion, after which Paulo Baldi on drums.”
AllMusic: You are additionally in one other band with Sean [The Claypool Lennon Delirium], however how did he get entangled with Flying Frog Brigade?
Claypool: “Properly…I wanted a guitar participant. And Shiner and I’ve been engaged on a 3rd Delirium report, so I simply mentioned, ‘Hey, do you need to do that factor?’ And he mentioned, ‘Sure.’ So, it was fairly easy. We will be doing stuff from my entire catalog, so theoretically, we are able to dip into some Delirium now. It will be a smorg-e-bob of Claypool materials.”
AllMusic: You simply referred to Sean as “Shiner.” How did he get that nickname?
Claypool: “As a result of he is ‘Shine Lemons.’ He is been Shine Lemons for a very long time, so I’ve at all times known as him Shiner. We’re like brothers now – he is very shut with my household. It is very uncommon for somebody to exist in my world and never have some pseudonym that is thrust upon them by my warped sensibility.”
AllMusic: How was Animals chosen to be lined in its entirety and what does that album imply to you?
Claypool: “Properly, a few years in the past once I began Frog Brigade, in response to the Primus hiatus [from 2000-2003] – which was only a fancy approach of claiming, ‘Hey, we’re breaking apart…however we would do it once more’ – I bought a keyboard participant within the band, who was Jeff Chimenti. I principally simply gathered a bunch of my favourite musicians collectively and began touring the west coast in an Airstream motor dwelling.
And I would at all times mentioned, ‘If I had a keyboardist in my band, I needed to do ‘Pigs” – as a result of it is one in every of my all-time favourite songs…positively one in every of my favourite Floyd songs. So, we began doing ‘Pigs,’ and I assumed, ‘Properly, hell – let’s do the entire report. We’ll do two units and we cannot must have a gap band.’ That is how it began. Then it turned a problem – particularly again then, as a result of I actually had little or no confidence in my vocals in these days. It was an immense endeavor and a terrific waypoint for development for me.”
AllMusic: What are Primus’ future plans?
Claypool: “We’ll be on the market doing our stuff. We’re engaged on a bunch of stay data proper now, attempting to get these collectively. There is a documentary being made proper now. In truth, my son is spearheading that. And he is gone by means of 9 hundred and a few odd hours of video footage that we have collected over time – so he is bought a reasonably monumental activity in entrance of him. However he is chiseling away at it.”
AllMusic: Any discuss of going again within the studio with Primus?
Claypool: “Oh, there’s at all times discuss. I’ve bought a reasonably full dance card proper now, so it will not be anytime quickly.”
AllMusic: Which Primus album would you say is probably the most neglected?
Claypool: “They’re all neglected – that is the crux of my profession! We had been hoping to make an enormous splash with [1997’s] The Brown Album after we did it – as a result of it was simply such a left flip. And it was a really controversial report – lots of people liked it, lots of people hated it. I do know Tom Waits has mentioned that is his favourite Primus report, as a result of he says, ‘It sounds prefer it wants wash.’ So, I’ve at all times prided myself on that.
However I do not suppose it was the favourite of the report firm by an extended shot. That is after they began going, ‘Hey whoa hey whoa, Claypool – possibly you need to begin speaking to some producers,’ and this, that, and the following factor. So, I am going to simply say that one. It was a really experimental report for us – we purchased a bunch of previous gear and set it up. It was very lo-fi. There is not any Professional Instruments or something on any of that stuff – it was all simply tape. I do not suppose we even did any overdubs on that report. It is very, very uncooked – and you may inform.”
AllMusic: Just lately, the e book Over the Electrical Grapevine: Perception into Primus and the World of Les Claypool was reissued as a paperback model.
Claypool: “By no means heard of it! What are you speaking about? [Laughs] Yeah, it has been launched as a paperback. I believe it has been supplemented with extra images and whatnot. But it surely’s virtually to the purpose the place we now have to do an replace/revision – as a result of it has been a number of years because the unique has been launched. Clearly, Herb‘s been again within the band for some time, and we have been tromping across the globe doing considerably fascinating issues – Willy Wonka [Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble] and Rush [A Tribute to Kings tour] and all these completely different initiatives. I am certain there is a couple tales to inform.”
AllMusic: Which Purple Pachyderm wine is your favourite?
Claypool: “I might in all probability say the Rice-Spivak [the ‘CC Pachyderm’ Rice-Spivak Vineyard Pinot Noir], as a result of I simply at all times gravitate in direction of that. However they’re all wonderful as a result of they’re made by Ross Cobb. I at all times say, ‘I am in a band with Stewart Copeland [Oysterhead, with Trey Anastasio] which is a tremendous factor, and I make wine with Ross Cobb, which is equally as wonderful’ – as a result of he is form of the ‘Stewart Copeland of wine makers.'”
AllMusic: I just lately noticed an fascinating sizzling canine [called “whamola wieners”] served at Claypool Cellars, which included Fortunate Charms as a topping.
Claypool: “For the vacations, I often provide you with a specialty canine. So, St. Patty’s day was coming, and what are we going to do? So, we had our regular wiener – however with yellow mustard versus wholegrain mustard, dill pickle relish not candy pickle relish, after which Fortunate Charms on prime. It began as a joke, but it surely’s really actually good! It is magically scrumptious – but it surely freaks some folks out. However that is form of the purpose. We simply did an occasion final weekend – we did a Crusing the Seas of Cheeseburger. Which was wonderful – it was two smash patties with slices of cheddar and Swiss cheese, bleu cheese dressing, and cheddar cheese Goldfish on prime of it.”
AllMusic: Who’re some present rock artists that you simply fancy?
Claypool: “Fancy? Up to date stuff, I am not even certain. Clearly, I get my dose of Billy Strings – as a result of he is a buddy of mine. However I believe so far as a musician, Billy is a pressure to be reckoned with.”
AllMusic: What are some unusual albums you take pleasure in?
Claypool: “All I do nowadays is I placed on the MoogTube playlist on Spotify, let it run, and let it simply wash over me. So, that is the place my head’s at nowadays. It is all Moog synthesizer music, but it surely’s all fascinating variations.”
AllMusic: Different upcoming initiatives?
Claypool: “I am midway by means of this Delirium report, I am midway by means of a report with Billy, we really put some power just lately in attempting to get a South of the Pumphouse movie made. It is at all times one thing. And I bought my pilot license – that is the large factor. I’ve spent the final 4 months principally specializing in nothing however getting my pilot license – which was an unbelievable quantity of labor. I might stand up at 7am each morning and examine till darkish, and I used to be only a hermit – I remoted myself till I bought my license. So, I am joyful to be social once more.”
AllMusic: What made you need to change into a pilot?
Claypool: “Properly, I had began a few years in the past and by no means completed. So I assumed, ‘Properly, I would higher end. I am not getting any youthful.’ And I used to be on the lookout for one thing – I wanted a brand new chapter. So, that is my new chapter. Typically, you should discover issues that make you need to stand up within the morning or fireplace the synapse. It positively knocked an entire hell of a whole lot of barnacles off my synapse – as a result of I used to be utilizing elements of mind I hadn’t used ever in my life. And happily – I can attest to this – there is no silly folks flying airplanes. There is likely to be some assholes on the market…however they’re clever assholes, as a result of you must be sharp to get your pilot license.”
AllMusic: What kind of airplane do you fly?
Claypool: “A Cirrus SR20.”
AllMusic: Now that I give it some thought, there are fairly a number of rock musicians who’re additionally pilots – Bruce Dickinson, Krist Novoselic, and Alex Lifeson come to thoughts.
Claypool: “Alex used to fly. I do know Krist – actually, we had been going forwards and backwards once I was getting my license. I do not know Bruce. However I do not know a whole lot of musicians who’ve their license. You form of named the one ones I’ve heard of. Oh, Gary Numan does, as effectively. That is like 1%. So, it is not rather a lot.”
For extra Claypool, take a look at his official web site.
