ONE PAGER Back to Press Kit
“They packed the house and wowed me with their music. It is creative, fun and inventive! Anyone would be able to enjoy their sound…”
Lights up and they hit the stage. Surely this is not the same band that just wrapped up the acoustic set. But there they are. The boy and girl lead singers have come back with their electrics, and loud power now drives the catchy tunes. The mellow harmonies and rootsy percussion are gone and on is the classic rock drum beat. The upright bass has been replaced with its electric counterpart, which is now driving the eighth note rhythm of the “Mississippi Queen”-like rocker “Flower of the Gold Rush.” The boy and girl sing together, but not with the sweet, fluid Everly Brothers phrasing of last hour’s acoustic numbers. Now their voices lock into a rough tenor unison, a wailing AC/DC melody punctuated onstage by greasy guitar solos. The material remains fun, varied, and extremely melodic, with the boy and girl each taking songwriting turns trying to out-funk, out-blues, out-rock each other. But now it’s loud. The guitar work that peppered the unplugged music with a variety of flavors is now spitting out jagged, fast Zeppelinesque solos. Off with the stools. On with the Elvis suit. Meet The Cla-Zels.
“…Solidly melodic writing and [an] adventurous musical approach which shifts tones, moods, and styles…” --Mike Breen, City Beat
Joanie Whittaker (vocals, rhythm guitar), wearer of the aforementioned jumpsuit, and Jason Erickson (vocals, lead guitar) comprise the two-headed songwriting monster that fronts The Cla-Zels. Each takes on half of the songwriting and lead singing duties, alternately leading the veteran rhythm section of Brian Baverman (drums) and Chris Barlow (bass) through a variety of grooves and feels. Girl and boy strut their hours upon the stage. The group convincingly shifts from genre to genre like the best of pop bands, but still keeps the show cohesive with Joanie and Jason’s signature harmony sound. Nowhere is this more on display than with I Own Hawaii, The Cla-Zels’ acclaimed first album, which has garnered radio play on the reputable WNKU.
“…Both Whittaker and Erickson are strong writers, giving I Own Hawaii a fun, polished vibe…
They also mesh perfectly on harmonies…” --Rod Lockwood, The Toledo Blade
The Cla-Zels sing pretty but when it’s time for the gloves to come off they can bring the jam. For every finger picked ballad like “Bluebird” there is an amped-up Delany and Bonnie rocker like “Train to Alabama.” Man and woman equally represented and rocking your ass off. Fleetwood Mac on steroids. Whereas Hawaii stresses melodicism and stylistic diversity, the live Cla-Zels experience sometimes conjures up a late 60’s vibe, complete with psychedelic lights, go-go dancers, and long improvised vamps.
“A modern day incarnation of the best of male and female-led vocal rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s… their live show is something to be remembered.” --Cole Christiansen, The Sentinel
Hendrixian guitar textures, along with the steady drive of the drum/bass engine, lift the music beyond the typical boy/girl band fare. This injects both songwriters’ catalogs with six-string adrenaline and pulls them out of those old wishy-washy singer/songwriter doldrums. There is a poignancy to be certain, with a real focus on multilayered, poetic lyrics, but a Cla-Zels performance is always infused with pure lead guitar power. The Mamas and the Dominoes. Simon and Hendrix.
The quartet will further explore these heavier aspects of its sound on its next album, which is currently underway. Harder edged than I Own Hawaii, the follow-up will pull out all the stops, while still leaving room for mellow Baverman percussion and Chris Barlow’s impressive upright work.
“…Working with The Cla-Zels is a dream! All of the band members are fun and respectful. The Cla-Zels are playing The York St Cafe again soon and I hope many more times after that.” --Ryan Angell, Manager, The York St Cafe
An ad man strains to write: “This band is like if Paul was dead after all, replaced in The Beatles by Grace Potter, who came back in her time machine with Stevie Ray Vaughn, who gave John Lennon guitar lessons.” A woman shimmies in an Elvis suit. Onstage step The Cla-Zels.
info@clazels.com (513) 846-7460 www.clazels.com