Amoeba Music

Clogs - Biography

Even to most music scholars the New York quartet known as Clogs are difficult to classify. Not avant garde enough to be considered 20^th Century Classical and yet too traditionally classical to be considered rock. Clogs exist in the miasma in between, nestled next to their friends and contemporaries the Books and Belle Orchestra. Comprised of Padma Newson (strings), Rachel Elliott (bassoon, melodica), Thomas Kozumplik (percussion), and guitarist Bryce Dessner (from indie rock crooners The National) the quartet performs as a chamber ensemble utilizing elements of jazz and post rock. Clogs formed at the Yale School of Music in the late 1990’s. Formerly a concert violinist for the Sydney Symphony, Newsome departed to devote six years in an ashram near New South Wales before attending Yale on a Fulbright Scholarship.

At Yale the quartet began experimenting with classical composition. Clogs developed a songwriting formula revolving around jam sessions. Newsome would then arrange ideas from these sessions into a fusion of minimalism, modernism, Indian folk music, Jewish Diaspora, and various influence from across the musical landscape. Clogs released Thom’s Night Out (Brassland) in 2001, quickly followed by Lullaby for Sue (2003 Brassland). They were awarded a Special Commissioning Award from the National Endowment of the Arts and Chamber Music America that same year and subsequently embarked on their first tour of North America. Stick Music (Brassland) was released in 2005 and the band accompanied the Books on tours of North America and the UK. A year later Clogs released their fourth full length, Lantern (2006 Brassland), which featured their first ever vocal performance and the use of an electric guitar. Clogs also exist as an unlikely sister band to The National, sharing guitarist Dessner, and often utilizing Newsome’s string arrangements, though the two bands have very little in common sonically. Think of Clogs as the indie rock version of classical music. Whatever you want to call them, sit back and prepare for a gorgeous ride.