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Outlining the Shadowclub
Dec 10 2011 | 381 views | Comments
By Genevieve Vieira
If ever there were a band to have come out of the shadows and take the country by storm, Shadowclub would undoubtedly be its thunder. Currently one of the wildest performance rock acts in South Africa, Shadowclub’s success was a long time coming.
Shadowclub’s tale is one of crazy rock n roll, fuelled by loud music, woman and too much booze. But it is their star studded history that has led to the release of one of the most powerful blues rock albums of the year. After a two year break from the infamous rock trio ‘Airship Orange’, fate paved the way for Jacques Moolman (vocals and guitar) and Isaac Klawansky (drums) to once again merge their talents and reform the club, only this time with a little more hair gel.
The band’s 12 track debut album “Guns and Money” has been praised numerous times in the media for its unconventional recording strategy. The band who managed to record the album live in studio (as opposed to separate parts) in just nine days, noted that playing together in studio helped contribute to the song’s powerful rock elements.
My Culture chats to Jacques about their notorious past, recording the album in nine days and the way forward.
How did Shadowclub materialise?
Myself and Isaac had been in a band together before called Airship Orange. We hadn’t seen each other for about two years after we split and were both getting itchy feet for the stage again. After a quick reunion brought about by our first bassist, we found ourselves in a practice space we like to call the egg box, and the rest is history.
Is it true that you recorded your debut album in just 9 days? And do you feel it has compromised the quality of the album?
Not at all! We had set out to do it in 12 but ended up with a completed recording in just 9 days. We were very comfortable with the material and had the intention of catching the live feel, which is very much a part of Shadowclub’s appeal. These and the simple fact that we had Matthew Fink behind the desk were serious contributing factors when it came to the timing of the recording.
How did you manage to break the notorious reputation of Airship Orange?
It took a lot of time and hard work. We still have people asking about it but we try to take from the experience what was good and leave the rest behind.
What did you learn as Airship Orange that you managed to put into practice today and has aided the success of Shadowclub?
We toured a fair amount, which has certainly helped in making us road hardy and able to deal with the immense amount of touring on our current schedule. We have a lot more respect for the bands and industry people alike that cross our paths and we are far more sure of what we want to achieve, which is worldwide success.
Has it been a challenge differentiating the two bands in the public eye?
Absolutely not! Airship Orange belongs to an era that has long passed. I think the public were gagging for something as fresh as Shadowclub.
How do your new fans differ from previous fans?
There are a lot more now!
I read that you drew a lot of influences from Kings of Leon, what was it like performing with the band on their SA tour?
Yeah we followed them from an early stage in their career and having the opportunity to open for them was an absolutely untouchable and indescribable experience. We were also pleasantly surprised by the feedback we got for our performances at both shows. The hard work from our label Just Music as well as our own huge effort has all paid off.
How do you maintain good relationships as mates outside of the band?
There is no outside of the band; we are an extremely close knit family, always there for each other no matter what the situation. For a band to work properly; you have to accept the ups and downs of a relationship between yourself and the other members - it is as intricate as a marriage.
Describe your ultimate rock n roll moment?
We played Splashy Fen in 2009 and the crowd went so wild that they stampeded through the barriers, over the bouncers and onto the stage, from where they proceeded to stage dive. Awesome!
How do you think the digital era will impact the future of music?
I’m no master on the music industry or its workings. I’m just glad people have started collecting vinyl again.
What are your plans for the future?
We obviously plan on continuing an extensive tour of South Africa. A possible headline or two at S.A festivals as well as some great opportunities over the pond.
You can listen to the album here:
http://soundcloud.com/search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=shadowclub
December Tour Dates:
7 December - Tanz cafe (Fourways)
8 December - Tings (Pretoria)
9 December - Raggies – (East London)
16 December - Nameless Pub – (Cape Town)
17 December - Mercury Live – (Cape Town)
21 December - Purple Turtle (Cape Town)
22 December - Amapondo Backpackers (Port St Johns)
Shadowclub’s tale is one of crazy rock n roll, fuelled by loud music, woman and too much booze. But it is their star studded history that has led to the release of one of the most powerful blues rock albums of the year. After a two year break from the infamous rock trio ‘Airship Orange’, fate paved the way for Jacques Moolman (vocals and guitar) and Isaac Klawansky (drums) to once again merge their talents and reform the club, only this time with a little more hair gel.
The band’s 12 track debut album “Guns and Money” has been praised numerous times in the media for its unconventional recording strategy. The band who managed to record the album live in studio (as opposed to separate parts) in just nine days, noted that playing together in studio helped contribute to the song’s powerful rock elements.
My Culture chats to Jacques about their notorious past, recording the album in nine days and the way forward.
How did Shadowclub materialise?
Myself and Isaac had been in a band together before called Airship Orange. We hadn’t seen each other for about two years after we split and were both getting itchy feet for the stage again. After a quick reunion brought about by our first bassist, we found ourselves in a practice space we like to call the egg box, and the rest is history.
Is it true that you recorded your debut album in just 9 days? And do you feel it has compromised the quality of the album?
Not at all! We had set out to do it in 12 but ended up with a completed recording in just 9 days. We were very comfortable with the material and had the intention of catching the live feel, which is very much a part of Shadowclub’s appeal. These and the simple fact that we had Matthew Fink behind the desk were serious contributing factors when it came to the timing of the recording.
How did you manage to break the notorious reputation of Airship Orange?
It took a lot of time and hard work. We still have people asking about it but we try to take from the experience what was good and leave the rest behind.
What did you learn as Airship Orange that you managed to put into practice today and has aided the success of Shadowclub?
We toured a fair amount, which has certainly helped in making us road hardy and able to deal with the immense amount of touring on our current schedule. We have a lot more respect for the bands and industry people alike that cross our paths and we are far more sure of what we want to achieve, which is worldwide success.
Has it been a challenge differentiating the two bands in the public eye?
Absolutely not! Airship Orange belongs to an era that has long passed. I think the public were gagging for something as fresh as Shadowclub.
How do your new fans differ from previous fans?
There are a lot more now!
I read that you drew a lot of influences from Kings of Leon, what was it like performing with the band on their SA tour?
Yeah we followed them from an early stage in their career and having the opportunity to open for them was an absolutely untouchable and indescribable experience. We were also pleasantly surprised by the feedback we got for our performances at both shows. The hard work from our label Just Music as well as our own huge effort has all paid off.
How do you maintain good relationships as mates outside of the band?
There is no outside of the band; we are an extremely close knit family, always there for each other no matter what the situation. For a band to work properly; you have to accept the ups and downs of a relationship between yourself and the other members - it is as intricate as a marriage.
Describe your ultimate rock n roll moment?
We played Splashy Fen in 2009 and the crowd went so wild that they stampeded through the barriers, over the bouncers and onto the stage, from where they proceeded to stage dive. Awesome!
How do you think the digital era will impact the future of music?
I’m no master on the music industry or its workings. I’m just glad people have started collecting vinyl again.
What are your plans for the future?
We obviously plan on continuing an extensive tour of South Africa. A possible headline or two at S.A festivals as well as some great opportunities over the pond.
You can listen to the album here:
http://soundcloud.com/search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=shadowclub
December Tour Dates:
7 December - Tanz cafe (Fourways)
8 December - Tings (Pretoria)
9 December - Raggies – (East London)
16 December - Nameless Pub – (Cape Town)
17 December - Mercury Live – (Cape Town)
21 December - Purple Turtle (Cape Town)
22 December - Amapondo Backpackers (Port St Johns)
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