Photo Credit: Paul Haggard
Few rock artists of the trendy day stay as persistently busy – or a member of as many tasks – as singer/bassist Les Claypool. Best identified for his work with Primus, Claypool has additionally been noticed through the years 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 May, one other one among his tasks, Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, will probably be returning to the highway for the primary time in 20 years with the 41-date Summer of Green Tour 2023. And as that they had accomplished on their 2001 launch, Live Frogs Set 2, Claypool and co. will probably be overlaying Pink Floyd‘s 1977 traditional, 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 missed album, his vineyard, and just lately acquiring his pilot license.
AllMusic: What made you resolve to reunite the Flying Frog Brigade now?
Claypool: “There had been simply a whole lot of requests through the years. My supervisor, Brad, stored speaking about how there was an entire technology of parents that felt they missed the unique Frog Brigade, missed the Animals factor. So, we would at all times talked about it, and we had a giant ‘Primus couple of years,’ so it was time to take a bit of breather and it simply appeared like the correct factor to do.”
AllMusic: Who will probably be within the band?
Claypool: “Because Frog Brigade and the Claypool tasks on the whole have been different through the years, it is kind of a blended forged 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’re additionally in one other band with Sean [The Claypool Lennon Delirium], however how did he become involved with Flying Frog Brigade?
Claypool: “Well…I wanted a guitar participant. And Shiner and I’ve been engaged on a 3rd Delirium document, so I simply mentioned, ‘Hey, do you wish to do that factor?’ And he mentioned, ‘Yes.’ So, it was fairly easy. We’re going to be doing stuff from my complete catalog, so theoretically, we will dip into some Delirium now. It’s going to be a smorg-e-bob of Claypool materials.”
AllMusic: You simply referred to Sean as “Shiner.” How did he get that nickname?
Claypool: “Because he is ‘Shine Lemons.’ He’s 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’s 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 coated in its entirety and what does that album imply to you?
Claypool: “Well, a few years in the past after I began Frog Brigade, in response to the Primus hiatus [from 2000-2003] – which was only a fancy manner 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 residence.
And I’d at all times mentioned, ‘If I had a keyboardist in my band, I needed to do ‘Pigs” – as a result of it is one among my all-time favourite songs…undoubtedly one among my favourite Floyd songs. So, we began doing ‘Pigs,’ and I assumed, ‘Well, hell – let’s do the entire document. We’ll do two units and we cannot must have a gap band.’ That’s how it began. Then it grew to become 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 enterprise and an awesome waypoint for progress 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 dwell information proper now, attempting to get these collectively. There’s 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 accrued through the years – so he is bought a reasonably monumental job in entrance of him. But 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 essentially the most missed?
Claypool: “They’re all missed – that is the crux of my profession! We had been hoping to make a giant 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 document – lots of people beloved it, lots of people hated it. I do know Tom Waits has mentioned that is his favourite Primus document, as a result of he says, ‘It sounds prefer it wants a very good wash.’ So, I’ve at all times prided myself on that.
But I do not assume it was the favourite of the document firm by a protracted shot. That’s after they began going, ‘Hey whoa hey whoa, Claypool – possibly it’s best to begin speaking to some producers,’ and this, that, and the following factor. So, I’ll simply say that one. It was a really experimental document for us – we purchased a bunch of outdated gear and set it up. It was very lo-fi. There’s no Pro Tools or something on any of that stuff – it was all simply tape. I do not assume we even did any overdubs on that document. It’s very, very uncooked – and you may inform.”
AllMusic: Recently, the ebook Over the Electric Grapevine: Insight into Primus and the World of Les Claypool was reissued as a paperback model.
Claypool: “Never 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 is nearly to the purpose the place we’ve to do an replace/revision – as a result of it has been a number of years because the unique has been launched. Obviously, Herb‘s been again within the band for some time, and we have been tromping across the globe doing considerably attention-grabbing issues – Willy Wonka [Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble] and Rush [A Tribute to Kings tour] and all these totally different tasks. I’m positive there is a couple tales to inform.”
AllMusic: Which Purple Pachyderm wine is your favourite?
Claypool: “I’d 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. But they’re all wonderful as a result of they’re made by Ross Cobb. I at all times say, ‘I’m in a band with Stewart Copeland [Oysterhead, with Trey Anastasio] which is an incredible factor, and I make wine with Ross Cobb, which is equally as wonderful’ – as a result of he is sort of the ‘Stewart Copeland of wine makers.'”
AllMusic: I just lately noticed an attention-grabbing sizzling canine [called “whamola wieners”] served at Claypool Cellars, which included Lucky 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 Lucky Charms on prime. It began as a joke, however it’s really actually good! It’s magically scrumptious – however it freaks some folks out. But that is sort of the purpose. We simply did an occasion final weekend – we did a Sailing 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 are some present rock artists that you simply fancy?
Claypool: “Fancy? Contemporary stuff, I’m not even positive. Obviously, I get my dose of Billy Strings – as a result of he is a buddy of mine. But I believe so far as a musician, Billy is a drive to be reckoned with.”
AllMusic: What are some unusual albums you take pleasure in?
Claypool: “All I do as of late 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 as of late. It’s all Moog synthesizer music, however it’s all attention-grabbing variations.”
AllMusic: Other upcoming tasks?
Claypool: “I’m midway by means of this Delirium document, I’m midway by means of a document with Billy, we really put some power just lately in attempting to get a South of the Pumphouse movie made. It’s at all times one thing. And I bought my pilot license – that is the massive factor. I’ve spent the final 4 months principally specializing in nothing however getting my pilot license – which was an unimaginable quantity of labor. I’d stand up at 7am each morning and research till darkish, and I used to be only a hermit – I remoted myself till I bought my license. So, I’m comfortable to be social once more.”
AllMusic: What made you wish to turn into a pilot?
Claypool: “Well, I had began a few years in the past and by no means completed. So I assumed, ‘Well, I’d higher end. I’m not getting any youthful.’ And I used to be in search of one thing – I wanted a brand new chapter. So, that is my new chapter. Sometimes, you want to discover issues that make you wish to stand up within the morning or hearth the synapse. It undoubtedly 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 thankfully – 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 sort 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 – in truth, we had been going backwards and forwards after I was getting my license. I do not know Bruce. But I do not know a whole lot of musicians who’ve their license. You sort of named the one ones I’ve heard of. Oh, Gary Numan does, as effectively. That’s like 1%. So, it is not rather a lot.”
For extra Claypool, take a look at his official website.