Edgar Clinks
From Providence, Rhode Island we proudly present Edgar Clinks, fronted by Joe Gaudiana who shares a listen to their new album i live in a tree these days & their single “MALLRAT”. What had initially had began as a solo project enhanced by Gaudiana’s poetry writing studies at NYC’s The New School became increasingly a collaborative affair with high school bud Sean joining aboard & college classmate Patrick Thomas contributing bass lines to Joe’s songs. Releasing their debut album on Super Wimpy Punch, Edgar Clinks begins the event with a host of wordplay fun on “Astroturf Universe”, introducing addictive & cleverly arranged punchy numbers like “Algal Bloom”, entertaining idiosyncratic anthems of beauty like “As My Daydreams Swim By”, while always keeping the adventure on the side of experimental (as heard on “& cherry alive”). Hop along rhythms of morning light are shed on “A Certain Slant of Sunlight”, the pookah shell fashion pop of “Sea-Shell Choker”, the sad & steady beauty of “Acid Green”, the psychotropic sky floating “(me & yves would watch some quartet & eat dinner there practically every nite)”, to hailing a taxi in Deutchland on “the last cab in Berlin”, right before closing it out with the enchanted somber song of “Water Shrew”.
“MALLRAT” from Edgar Clinks brings about the casual passive idolatry & indolence that goes with lazy afternoons. Employing a psychedelic approach, Joe & the gang provide hymns for strip malls, mega-malls, multiplexes & more alike where the grand expanses of commerce environments are exalted like temples devoted to capitalist decrees. Join us after the jump to read our exclusive interview session with Joe Gaudiana.
From your debut Ubiquitous American Sandwiches to I live in a tree these days; I get the feeling that the three of you have only grown more experimental and emboldened in these brave new directions. Describe for us how you all have grown as a group.
Well, edgar clinks has become increasingly collaborative. With my first record, I was entirely alone. I had a less focused idea of what I wanted to accomplish. My goals have stayed pretty consistent but having bandmates and some more experience has allowed me to create something closer to my original vision. With this new one, we were able to play the songs live for a while before recording them, which is something I hadn’t done before.
The most recent album feels like it’s very much focused on having fun with the seemingly mundane where the excitement of the obvious feels like it’s celebrated in an ecstatic fashion. Was this an intentional consideration going into the album sketching process?
I’ve always been enamored by the poetics of the mundane. I’m obsessed with William Carlos Williams, Pierre Reverdy, and Frank O’Hara: poets who have mastered this romanticization of the insignificant.
What is the story behind the moniker Edgar Clinks?
I wrote a poem that had the line “poems by Edgar Clink with felinity” or something stupid like that. It was an awful poem but I added it to a big list of possible names. I can’t remember any of the failed contenders but there were plenty of names on that list. Plenty of terrible, terrible band names.
Describe how the three of you know each other and how the band first began.
Sean and I went to the same high school, so I’ve always known him. We stayed in touch throughout college mainly because we would just talk about music all the time. He was a big fan of the earlier edgar clinks albums so I asked him to play drums. Patrick and I both studied poetry at The New School. He wore a Neutral Milk Hotel t-shirt to class one day so, obviously, we became friends.
What’s exciting & awesome right now in Providence?
Music ! Our friends Way Out and our friends Food Court who we’re going on tour with in January are both really amazing bands. Some of my best friends make comedy as Simple Town. It’s awesome that you can go to a show on any given night and have some buds up there doing something cool. Providence is really small and cozy, often in a comforting way.
What would you all say the Edgar Clinks philosophy would be?
Drink too much coffee everyday and listen to Pavement over and over
Let sit for 5 minutes
Once cool, brush each side with olive oil and place back in the water to continue steeping
Meanwhile sear each side of the tomatoes with a bunsen burner until it is completely crispy
Waft horizontally
Serve cold
Edgar Clinks debut album i live in a tree these days is available now via Super Wimpy Punch.
