CLAMM - DISEMBODIMENT - MEAT MACHINE

Naarm/Melbourne-based punk trio CLAMM release their new EP, Disembodiment, out now via Meat Machine Records. The EP includes previous single, ‘Change Enough’, which picked up acclaim from the likes of triple j, Double J, triple j Unearthed, Music Feeds and Rolling Stone AU. The band recently headlined a sold out send off show at Melbourne’s John Curtin Hotel, and surprised fans with a last minute free show at The Gem in Collingwood.

Disembodiment was recorded over two days in the middle of CLAMM’s third international tour at Katzwijm Studios in The Netherlands in 2023. Recorded at an old flower farm called Katzwijm Flat, the location held a special energy for the band, contrasting the hard and heavy themes and sounds of the collection of songs. Disembodiment covers a combination of cultural, political and spiritual engagements including an exploration of pressures of modern society, ‘freedom’ within capitalism and democracy, materialism, change and meaning.

Speaking on the meaning behind the four tracks, CLAMM share; ‘Change Enough’, the first single of the EP speaks on the importance of counting to change oneself, especially from the lens of lead singer Jack Summers’ masculine perspective. Change, whilst not easy, is necessary especially during violent times where individuals around the world are feeling let down by their respective governments' inaction toward the murder of innocent civilians.

‘Disembodiment’ is a song that’s message is clear in its name and its key line: ‘what’s the fuckin’ point?’ In a world where the cost of living and expectations placed on the individual are excessive, young people are being forced to ask themselves, what is the actual point of material possession?

‘Define Free’ speaks to the idea that even within the privilege of a first world country, how free is the individual? A good citizen works hard to pay rent, a mortgage, tax, for food and water, for education and for health. A person's labour and time is often sold for a low hourly rate, begging the question, how free are we really? The song also mentions the seemingly complicit nature of Australia and its acceptance of this system.

‘The Pressure’ combines all of these ideas and expresses the notion that the combination of ideas in the rest of the EP make for an existence that is hard-pressed and under stress.’

About CLAMM:

Melbourne punk trio CLAMM explore the confusion of what it is to be a young person trying to live an honourable life in this fucked up world. Their songs are about trying to navigate systems of power and oppression while retaining a healthy sense of self and mental health. Community, creativity, and catharsis are what they hope to achieve through their music.

They released second album Care in August 2022, via Australian indie institution Chapter Music and UK label Meat Machine. Full of blown-out, dystopian punk power, Care found Double J rotation, was feature album on RRR, PBS, ZZZ, and saw the band score a Spotlight Artist feature on BBC 6 Music with Steve Lamacq. The album reached #4 in the AIR Charts and #19 in the ARIA Australian Albums charts and was written up by the likes of Chicago Reader, NME, Paste, Music Feeds, DIY Mag and Dusted.

CLAMM’s 2020 debut album Beseech Me was a Triple R and FBI Radio feature album and sold out its original cassette pressing almost immediately. It was reissued on vinyl in 2021 by Meat Machine (renowned as the home for Canadian art-punk provocateurs Crack Cloud), which saw CLAMM featured on the cover of French Rolling Stone and played on BBC 6 Music.

In Australia the band has played with Wolf Alice, Ty Segall, King Gizzard, Amyl & the Sniffers, the Chats and the Murlocs, and played festivals like Melbourne Music Week, Tentpole and Do the Pop. CLAMM toured UK/Europe in August 2022, again in February 2023 for shows with A Place To Bury Strangers and Preoccupations, and return for a run of UK/Europe summer festival shows in May 2023 including Wide Awake, Levitation and Badd Bonn.

In late 2022 bassist Maisie Everett departed the band, and new member Stella Rennex (Parsnip, Thibault, The Toads) joined the fold.

2024 is gearing up to be another big year for the Naarm-based trio, who have announced the release of their new EP Disembodiment plus a headline Melbourne show and international headline tour across EU and the UK - all happening over June and July.