THE CLAES
A BAND TO GET INTAE
Robert Neil
On a Tuesday night, I set off to The Auld Brig Bar in Irvine to meet the town’s brightest new hope, local band, The Claes. The band is made-up of four well-mannered young individuals. They are Jude Shedden on vocals and rhythm guitar, Ryan Duddy on lead guitar, Kyle Rhodes on bass guitar, and Jamie McClean on the drums.
They have just released the beautiful and enchanting track ‘Double Denim Ballerina’ and are gearing up to get their debut album out into the world.
Jude comes across as a natural leader and is very focused and direct in his vision for the band. He has a definite plan and is extremely confident, but not in an arrogant way.
“At the moment we rehearse at least three times a week. We avoid microphones when we practice because it produces a tighter sound,” he explains, when asked about their professional quality. “Kyle, Jamie and I have been playing together for years. Duddy, our guitarist, just joined towards the end of last year and he has fitted in perfectly.”
So far, The Claes have been all over the UK supporting the likes of Chris Helme (The Seahorses) Brownbear and Kyle Falconer (The View). The latter has taken the boys under his wing and is mentoring them.
“Kyle has been like a big brother to us and is always there by text or by phone whenever we need advice. He was a hero to us growing up and now here he is giving us tips and advice.”
I can see the joy in each of their faces as Jude lets me know this.
Unlike a lot of musical acts out there today, these boys are doing it the old-fashioned way. That means getting gigs and using the money to fund recordings. Apparently, they have a lot of tracks ready to go, all recorded by the capable hands and ears of Jason Shaw at Fuzzface Studios in Largs.
They currently lack a manager, but have a well-defined future strategy, as Jude confirms: “At the moment it’s been mainly supporting slots, but we have also played larger festivals which even took us to Spain. We are working on growing our fanbase and getting recognition for our electric, live performances and quality songwriting.”
He pauses momentarily and laughs before continuing: “Sorry, I’m not trying to come across as some big head, but I really do believe that we can offer something truly special.”
I remark that they seem to have found a good balance between confidence and humility. Jude thanks me and continues: “When we are out on the stage and our group of hardcore fans start chanting ‘The Claes are on fire’, it gives us all such an amazing buzz.”
They have a meeting soon that will hopefully get them a management deal and see them get further up that ladder of success. They also praise their parents for their understanding and support and are working to get their own Claes clothing out there.
“We are just four working-class blokes from Irvine who want to show that it can be done. To play Barrowland would be a dream come true, but our ultimate dream is to play Irvine Beach as the returning heroes.”
I fail to notice two hours have passed and I wish them every success before heading off.
‘Double Denim Ballerina’ by The Claes is out now on all major streaming services.
