Clutch working on “a handful of tunes”

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Clutch drummer Jean-Paul Gaster says work is under way on the follow-up to 2015’s Psychic Warfare

Clutch
Clutch

Clutch report that they’ve started work on new material.

The band are known for their gruelling touring schedule but drummer Jean-Paul Gaster says they decided to take some time off to begin writing new material together – and those sessions are already bearing fruit, with the Clutch unveiling new track How To Shake Hands at Download over the weekend.

Gaster tells Metal Wani: “We took a good bit of time off from touring. We were off for nearly four months and for us, that’s quite a long time.

“We spent a good portion of that writing new songs, working out in the jam room, working on new arrangements, working on concepts. And at this point, we have a handful of tunes that have vocal ideas. We’ve been putting them into the set.”

Gaster adds: “For us, it’s super important to put the new material in the set regardless of the setting – whether it’s a festival or club gig. it really gives us the opportunity to hear the song for what it is.

“It’s an exciting time for us. We’re in a very creative mind space right now.”

Clutch are currently on tour across Europe and will perform at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods in association with Orange Amplification tonight (June 12). Also appearing at the event will be Orange Goblin, Avatar and Mastodon.

You’ll be able to keep up with all the news from the Golden Gods on our live blog and via Facebook Live.

Find a full list of the Clutch’s live dates below.

Clutch 2017 tour dates

Jun 12: London Metal Hammer Golden Gods, UK
Jun 14: Belfast Limelight, UK
Jun 15: Dublin Academy, Ireland
Jun 17: Dessel Festival Stenehei, Belgium
Jun 18: Clisson Hellfest, France
Jun 24: San Bernardino Glen Helen Amphitheatre, CA
Jun 14: Cadott Rock Fest, WI
Jul 15: Bridgeview Chicago Open Air, IL
Jul 17: Charlotte Metro Credit Unio Amphitheatre, NC
Jul 18: Raleigh Red Hat Amphitheatre, NC
Jul 20: Sterling Heights Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre, MI
Jul 21: Henrietta The Dome Center, NY
Jul 22: Lancaster Freedom Hall, PA
Jul 23: Boston Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, MA
Jul 25: Portland Maine State Pier, ME
Jul 27: Burlington Waterfront Park, VT
Jul 28: Asbury Park Stone pony Summer Stage, NJ
Jul 29: Philadelphia Festival Pier, PA
Jul 30: Pittsburgh Stage AE, PA
Aug 01: Milwaukee The Rave, WI
Aug 02: Mankato Vetter Stone Amphitheatre, MN
Aug 04: Cedar Rapids McGrath Amphitheatre, IA
Aug 05: Kansas City Crossroads KC, MO
Aug 06: Dallas South Side Ballroom, TX
Aug 08: Tempe Marquee Theatre, AZ
Aug 09: Las Vegas The Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, NV
Aug 11: Bonner KettleHouse Amphitheatre, MT
Aug 12: Troutdale McMenamins Edgefield, OR
Aug 13: Eugene Cuthbert Amphitheatre, OR
Aug 15: Redmond King County’s Marymoor Park, WA
Aug 17: Stateline Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, NV
Aug 18: Berkeley Greek Theatre, CA

The 11 best Clutch songs, as chosen by CKY

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Scott Munro
Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.