The Swedish alt-rock four-piece talk everything from their debut album ‘Sugar Rush’ to their favourite sweets.
Photo: Press
On the release day of their debut album Sugar Rush, we caught up with Swedish alt-rock four-piece Clutter (Hilda Ander, Emma French, Ove Jerndal and Ville Scott) to talk about staying true to their inner child and ‘clutter’ as a way of life.
What are you doing right now? What is your day looking like?
Hilda: I’m supposed to be working with a technician, but he has had lots of meetings today, so I have just been at home on my phone all day, going crazy.
Ville: There are not a lot of activities related to the release of our debut album today, but we are just keeping our eye out on social media for reactions to it.
Ove: Me and Emma have been locked in with our music studies this whole week, so we’ve been swamped with that. We have work that needs to be handed in today. We haven't really been on social media or anything. I think that will be a late-night activity.
How does it feel to release your debut album? Is it the culmination of lots of blood, sweat and tears or has it been more of an easy, organic process?
O: I think it is both. It is definitely an emotional process making something like this, but it is also very much a benchmark for a band our age. More of an achievement than an emotional ride.
H: Our New Year’s resolution was to put out an album. So, if I managed to fulfil my New Year’s resolution, then I’m gonna be happy either way.
Emma: I get more ecstatic when playing live, so I have more feelings for this than the album release. But then that’s part of it all. Through the release, I get to play the songs out live.
You described your debut EP Clutter Loves You as about growing up, and Sugar Rush as “learning how to be adults whilst trying to stay true to our inner children”. How do you do that?
H: It is learning to not compromise the things you enjoy. Growing up, there are still things you need to do, like staying kind and ambitious, but you need to keep doing the things that bring you joy.
V: Maintaining a youthful spirit and not seeing everything as set in stone. Being open to possibilities and doing something like making music or an activity that involves creation is the essence of this.
What are your favourite tracks on Sugar Rush?
E: I really like Pop Rock Sugar Rush right now. You change your favourites during the process. I am really happy with the music video for it. It captures the true nature of the song and all the personalities in the band.
H: Mine right now is Everything Suxx. I listened to it this morning, and I got the urge to start jumping around and punching things, which I think is a good reaction.
V: I like the drum part on GirlVsHeart. That is my favourite song to play.
O: I really like to play Fame live. It’s got a cool guitar solo at the end, which I’m a big fan of.
You toured the UK in September with ShitKid. How was that?
V: We have been going to the UK for the last two years. The first time we played in London was at the Shacklewell Arms. We have mostly done short concert runs, like one or two gigs sporadically. We had a longer tour with Hinds last spring. It feels like once you have kicked the door down, touring becomes more normal. You get an idea fairly quickly what you are going to deal with riding in a van for seven days straight. This time, for me personally, I was able to enjoy it more than last time because before it was a learning process.
Who would be your ideal headliner to support?
H: I think ShitKid was one of them. We had been badgering our label to ask her. Viagra Boys would be cool, of course. I would love to support Charli xcx, that would be amazing. She is going rock ‘n’ roll; we could do it!
O: Neil Young. Sonic Youth went on tour with him in the ‘90s during his rock era, so a stadium tour with an artist like that would be cool.
Hilda was quoted as saying the band name has a double meaning: “It’s about partying and not wanting to go home, because when everything is Clutter then everything is right”. Thinking about this existentially, is it the world around you or your mindset that causes a cluttered life?
H: A bit of both, really. It is a state of mind to not be completely put together, but you choose to adopt it. But I am also that way because of my surroundings and leading a stressful life, maybe? I’m going to stay all over the place, as it makes my life more exciting.
V: I am a materialist, so it is outside my circumstances and my control that is the cause.
What are your future plans?
H: We have some friends who are going to do remixes of some of the songs, so that is the next immediate project. After that, play as many gigs as we can and get back to writing the next record.
E: We are also going to have a release party in Stockholm with our friends.
H: There is a strong community in Stockholm right now. We hang out together and work with the same people and, even though we produce different genres of music, we support each other. We are playing at our release party with Cockhouse and Klas Bas. Cockhouse are featured on the remix album. They have been fun to play with before.
Do you have any interests outside music?
H: I like watching movies. I really like superhero and comic book ones.
E: Running makes me happy and energetic between making music.
O: I base my personality on food and what I crave. If I crave dumplings, I’m a bit cosy. If I crave something spicy, then I am a bit stressed.
V: I am currently studying history and would say that I am in a polyamorous relationship with music and history. I have two cats that I am fathering also, which takes up a lot of time.
Since you said that you always landed in candy territory when coming up with song titles, what is your favourite confectionary?
H: Candy straps that you get at a carnival.
O: Salty liquorice, all day.
V: I am big into chocolate pastries, and my favourite is the humble chocolate muffin.
E: I like crisps more than any candy; that is my go-to.
Sugar Rush is out now via PNKSLM Recordings.