"My body, my time, my rules." Brighton three piece Clt Drp (pronounced "Clit Drip") unapologetically take up the space they deserve in the punk scene with a message that refuses to be ignored. We were so excited to score an interview with the lovely Daphne, Annie and Scott ahead of their debut album release scheduled for the 28th of August.
Clt Drp, left to right: Daphne, Annie and Scott.
DRAB: First of all, let’s acquaint our readers with your band! Who is Clt Drp? How long have you guys been making music together?
Annie: We are a Brighton based trio consisting of Daphne, Scott and Myself and we have been making noise since February 2017.
What got you all into music and how long did it take to develop your bands sound/style?
Scott: I have an older brother, so when I was a kid I was brought up on 90’s grunge, brit-pop etc and all the other gems like Primus, Therapy? and The Prodigy. Our sound came together pretty much straight away to be fair. For some reason, we’re all able to just express ourselves how we want, and it doesn’t seem to get in the way of each other. Not one of us has to play in a way that makes us feel held back or playing a role we don’t like. On a personal level, I'd spent the last 15 years or so experimenting with effects playing in instrumental projects so I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do with this band.
Daphne: My dad taught me my very first drum groove when I was about 10 years old. And since I can remember he would put on his vinyl collection and we would listen to music together for hours. He definitely was the one who firstly influenced my music taste. With CLT DRP my drumming style is a combination of styles I’ve been experimenting with for the past 12 years.
Annie: I have been singing since I can remember, was always a drama queen and I guess performing went hand in hand with that.
I’m sure you’re sick of this question, but right off the bat I have to ask, what does Clt Drp mean? How did you come up with/settle on the name?
Annie: What started off as a joke quickly became a controversial topic amongst our friends, families and colleagues. A lot of people actually got quite offended over the name so we decided to keep it because we’re stubborn and we wanted to see if it would become normalized over time. It has slowly. The name itself doesn’t really mean anything in particular, but we find joy in giving a little two fingers up to the music industry for getting so wound up over the name.
I've definitely already come across people made uncomfortable by the name - I love it! Where are you guys all from and how did you meet? I’ve seen in your Spotify ‘about’ section that Annie is from Toronto - what brought you to the UK?
Scott: We met at BIMM Brighton. I think there can be a lot of negative stigma around music schools, but I can honestly say I don’t think the three of us would have ever met if it wasn’t for such institutions.
Annie: I heard good things about Brighton through a close family friend. I wanted to go to university somewhere very far away, and BIMM ticked all the boxes. I got really lucky with the community of people that surrounded me and obviously finding Scott & Daphne was a big bonus. Daphne: I come from Drama, Greece and moved to Brighton for my music studies. I’ve always dreamt of going abroad and chasing a career as a musician and BIMM was absolutely perfect for me. And as Scott mentioned, without these institutions we wouldn't be here as a band right now.
What artists inspire your material?
Scott: Ahh where to begin. Chemical Brothers, Meshuggah, Digitalism, JpegMafia, Peaches, Dog Blood, Sleaford Mods, Bjork, Anna Meredith, Todd Terje, Death Grips, Pussy Riot... I could literally go on for ages.. That's what springs to mind at present.
Annie: JPEGAMFIA, Chelsea Wolfe, Peaches, Brooke Candy, PJ Harvey, Caroline Polachek, Princess Nokia, Viagra Boys, Kim Gordon, No Doubt. Those are a mix of things I grew up with and what I’m listening to now. Daphne: I listen to such variety of music genres, few artists I can name are: half alive, Polynation, JOYRYDE, Civil Twilight, Frank Ocean, Mac Miller, Nothing but Thieves, Twenty one Pilots, Black Futures, TOOL, TOTO, Tame Impala, Vulfpeck. All these artists have inspired me in some way as a drummer and as a musician. Also Hayley Williams’ new solo project is super inspiring from all angles.
Your sound is very reminiscent of anthems of the Riot Grrrl movement - am I right in seeing that influence and if so how do you think it has affected you/your music?
Annie: There’s definitely a bit of Riot Grrl attitude and playfulness in our music. I didn’t actually listen to too much of that era growing up, but I love the cheekiness of it and I definitely try to incorporate that into the music.
Your veracious lyrics detailing the female experience are sure to resonate with any woman - who writes these lyrics and why do you think the messages are important to communicate?
Annie: I write the lyrics for the band from personal experience and observation. I’ve sort of said before that the band ultimately gave me this platform to speak openly and honestly about my frustrations. I find it empowering to be on stage, and very grateful to be making music that is being heard. It’s always important to share experiences and have uncomfortable conversations in music, at least that’s how I feel when listening to other female lyricists. It makes me feel sane.
I’d venture to say that the genre your music sits in often attracts a predominantly male audience. When I’m listening to your music, I can feel the raw emotion in the vocals seeping through the roaring noise and electronically charged instrumentals; as a female singer, do you find it difficult to be so vulnerable on stage singing about personal/feminist rooted subject matter to rooms full of men?
Annie: Firstly thanks for the compliment! You know what I actually do. It’s a really really tricky thing to talk about because I appreciate everyone that supports us and comes to our shows but it’s a little disheartening sometimes when you’re singing to a room full of men that just want to mosh and hear loud riffs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, I’m just saying sometimes I wonder how many men really listen to the lyrics and go home and think about them. There have been a few shows where I’ve told the womxn ('womxn' is a term coined to explicitly include non-cisgender women) to move to the front if they wanted to, and those for me were the best shows by far. I can’t really complain though, everyone that comes to see us live is usually so kind and supportive and that’s all you can really ask for, isn’t it?
That's some super interesting insight! Reminds me of when Noname talked of being uncomfortable playing to crowds of predominantly white people. Some people attacked her for viewing it that way but music is a very personal thing and I don't think you're able to control how things like that may make you feel. As a woman myself, your lyrics automatically jump out at me - I hadn’t even thought about the fact that men may not even really hear them.
Varun's self proclaimed nerdy music question: Speaking of your sound, you have a really distinct sonic palette, especially in your blend of electronic produced sounds and raw rock textures which impressively manages to avoid sounding cliched or forced. It’s only more impressive when you realise that it all comes from one guitar, a drumset, and gorgeous powerful vocals. How do you go about creating these textures and sounds, and what considerations go into having such a dynamic, modern sound like you have?
Scott: Well first off, thank you for the lovely compliment. Over the years of experimenting with effects my board has grown into a kind of an instrument all on its own. There’s enough variety in the manipulation of sound on there now and different ways to patch things, there are always new things to explore... though I do still need more pedals! There’s just a genuine buzz you have when you stumble across a new sonic that the riffs kinda write themselves.
Daphne: Personally, trying to explore drums as a more melodic instrument rather than just a rhythmic one has been my goal especially since I started at BIMM. I usually bounce off Scott's riffs/melodies and try to complement them in a way that the song will both groove but also add some melodic textures underneath it too. It is always a new challenge for me everytime we write and I love that.
I absolutely loved your recent single ‘Like Father’ from your debut album dropping on August 28th. Do you explore any new themes or sounds on this record that may surprise pre-existing fans of Clt Drp?
Annie: Thanks! It’s one of my favourites too. I’m curious to see the responses about the album. The sounds are loud and weirder than ever, and the content is very honest. I think people expect it to be this big feminist anthem, which I personally think it is but it’s just more of an open conversation about how I got there. I’m still learning and struggling to break down things that are ingrained in me. I hate this whole idea of being a ‘bad feminist’. When you make a mistake, you apologize, correct yourself and move on. That’s all we can try and do to try and be more progressive.
Daphne: I think the way that we manage to capture our sound through this record is unique and different from our first couple of releases. Working with two amazing producers Joe Caple and Toby May has definitely helped us achieve what we always wanted-to capture: the energy and punch from our live shows onto a pair of headphones.
Cover art for Clt Drp's debut album 'Without The Eyes'
Why do you think the time is right to make your full-length debut now? What does the album mean to you?
Scott: Ha, well I'm not so sure the time is right anymore, what with coronavirus. All jokes aside, I think the time was right because we had the material ready and it felt like the next important step to take to set ourselves up for a great 2021...
It’s no secret that bands will usually tour to promote their albums, what strategies have you taken to promote your album in the current climate?
Annie: It’s been hard to find motivation during this time because everything is so uncertain. We are still putting out singles so people have something to listen to, and trying to make hype as much as we can. Doing interviews like this are always helpful and keep us occupied, been doing some podcasts too. Also, we’re doing a whole remix album so those have been fun to get back and promote. Just trying the best we can in this weird time.
I noticed you on the line-up of StrangeForms 2020 at Brudenell Social Club which has unfortunately now been rescheduled to 2021. Do you know yet if you’ll still be playing the new date? Scott: We were all so gutted about this being cancelled. Yes, we have expressed to Stewart at Bad Owl that we are still so keen to play! Have you ever been to Leeds before? If yes, what’s your favourite thing about the city?
Scott: We played at Wharf Chambers when we went on tour with No Violet. I think it was genuinely one of our favourite gigs as a band so far. Pave and Slow Loris were on the bill too and absolutely blew us away. The venue was just a great atmosphere, and all the staff were super lovely. So probably we have to say Wharf Chambers is our favourite thing about Leeds from our first visit!
Wharf seems to be at the top of everyone's list! What have you heard or seen about the scene here? Any art or music, even venues or restaurants to recommend or that you’re excited to check out?
Scott: I’ve been told by so many people that the Brudenell is like the best venue in the country. So absolutely gutted that Strange Forms was cancelled because that felt like a real big achievement for us to be playing there.
At the time of writing, the country is still in lockdown. Do you have any words to say about what’s important to you as artists during this time?
Annie: I’ve felt caught between feeling grateful that I have time off to be creative and practise self-care but also feeling worried for my friends and families on the front-lines. Nothing feels real and watching our government handle the pandemic is disconcerting and frustrating. If I’m being honest I don’t really feel like I’m in a place to really give any advice. I’m just trying to do my bit and stay as calm as possible.
Daphne: Keeping busy teaching myself new things. I’ve recently purchased an interface and I’ve started recording some songs and started to get into production very slowly. It is very important that we support each other in times like these. Keep streaming new releases of fellow artists and just be there for each other. These are very uncertain times but this too shall pass. Stay safe x
Thank you guys so much for talking to us, this has been a super interesting interview and we can't wait to hear the album, have you in Leeds and see/hear what's next for Clt Drp!
Watch them perform their latest single 'Like Father' at Small Pond Studios now!
and stream the track/pre-order their album here!
Writing by Summer Crane
Photography by Stewart Gardiner @highforneon