Clowns – who have been together for eight years, written three records, toured nationally and internationally numerous times and taken fans on adventures with their music blending punk, psychedelia, garage, hardcore and power pop – have released a new single.
‘I Shaved My Legs For You’ has been welcomed by fans who are excited to see the band going back to their earlier, heavier vibe. “It’s a little bit obscure, but it is a sonic nod to the heavy side of things that our band does,” singer Stevie Williams says.
“Ultimately it’s a love song about forbidden love, the kind of love people partake in but don’t tell anyone.
“It’s not about anything bad just, you know, when you have a partner and things happen in your relationship you don’t tell anyone about because it might shock them, but ultimately it was all just about your love.”
Stevie, who writes the majority of the band’s lyrics, says he draws on life experiences to help write music. “I’ve just got a note thing in my phone of previous life experiences and stories and thoughts that I think could be expanded out into a set of lyrics,” he says.
“I guess that just how this happened. We wrote the music as a band and all collaborated on it, but lyrically it was more so me,” Stevie says.
After being out for just a few days, the reception to the song has already been huge. “Just from reading comments a lot of people have enjoyed that Clowns are going back to heavier music.
“On the last record we were experimenting with mixing psychedelic and punk. I really liked that record and the people said they enjoyed the mix, because that hasn’t really been done before, but it’s nice to get back to the heavier stuff,” he says.
Clowns have just come back from touring Europe. “It was our fifth time over to Europe and we can see slowly yet surely that our name is growing. It’s a little bit weird to think we can go over there and have all this recognition and [play] shows.”
When asked why he thinks punk music is so popular in Europe, Stevie says it may be because heavy music is more accepted.
“I really feel like the social climate is different in Europe, they really love guitar music and it’s not uncommon to hear Turbonegro being blasted over the aisles in a supermarket. Heavy music is bigger and more accepted, where in Australia, comparatively, it’s a bit more of a niche,” he says.
Don’t worry Australia, Clowns are back on the road for the ‘I Shaved My Legs For You’ tour starting mid-September. “It’s going to be pretty fun playing our two new songs to Australian audiences,” Stevie says.
“As always, you can’t really tell what’s going to go on at a show, people get naked and jump off speakers. People can expect a bit of the unexpected.”
Clowns will also be gracing the stage next year at Unify Gathering in Victoria. “It’s going to be cool,” Stevie says. “I’ve never been there, I’m just excited to be playing another heavy musical festival in Australia.”
Clowns Australia Tour 2018
Fri 21 Sep - The Lansdowne (Sydney)Sat 22 Sep - The Small Ballroom (Newcastle)
Sat 29 Sep - Solbar (Gold Coast)
Sun 30 Sep - The Foundry (Brisbane)
Fri 5 Oct - Crown & Anchor (Adelaide)
Sat 6 Oct - The Corner (Melbourne)
Sat 24 Nov - Shaka Fest (Gold Coast)
13 - 16 Dec - Festival of the Sun (Port Macquarie)
11- 13 Jan 2019 - Unify Gathering (Tarwin Lower)
