 |
Les Claypool
(September 2005 Issue)
 Les Claypool sat down with MD Online to discuss an impressive partner
in rhythm, his new bandmate in Oysterhead: Stewart Copeland.
MD: Let's talk a little bit about Stewart Copeland.
Les: Who? Who's that?
[laughs]
MD: How did you first hook up with Stewart?
Les: When we were working
on the Primus Antipop record,
we approached different musicians we admire and respect to produce
different cuts on
the record. Stewart's name came up?not so much for
his Police stuff, but because of Rumblefish and The
Rhythmatist. We contacted him and he was excited about it, and he came and did it. We became friends.
So we
jammed with him at SIR. His drums showed up before he did, and we
were all sitting there freaking out looking at his
kit?because, you
know, it was Stewart Copeland's. And I even got to play his drums.
So anyway,
he showed up and we played, and it was a pretty incredible experience.
MD: So you got Trey involved and
played a show in New Orleans last year. Is that how the Oysterhead project come about?
Les: I was
asked by Superfly Productions to put together a jam
for their Superjam. I called Trey, and Trey said, "You know,
I've
always wanted to play with Stewart Copeland." I said, "I know Stewart!"
So we got a band together.
MD: When you three got together, was it your songs, or Trey's songs, or did you collaborate?
Les: We just jammed. When we did the show in New Orleans, we got together for three days prior and
came up with seven songs.
MD: How does Stewart like to work in the studio?
Les: His feeling is generally that the first take is the
take. He likes the emotion of discovery. He
hates rehearsing songs over
and over with a passion. So we didn't do too many takes. We'd play it,
and that was
it.
MD: How is your bass playing influenced by Stewart's playing?
Les: Well,
obviously, anyone who was of age in the '80s grew up
listening to Stewart Copeland. Stewart is to drums in the '80s
what
Bonham was to drums in the '70s. He was the guy. He was the guy who was able to achieve huge commercial
success and still maintain strong musical integrity and credibility.
Stewart and I have talked about this. Stewart was a
huge influence on
me as a musician. I play drums as well as bass, and when I go to see a
band, the first thing I look at is the
drummer. His approach to music,
rhythm, and phrasing?a lot of that is translated to my bass.
MD:
It's safe to say that he doesn't play like anyone else you've played with before. Did that change your style of
playing?
Les: I can tell you about the first time I played with him. He's
one of these guys who
looks at the bass player. So here I am playing
with Stewart Copeland for the first time, and I want to watch him play,
because
he's Stewart Copeland. But every time I look at him,
he's staring at me with this eager look. So I couldn't
look at him! I
kept looking down at my bass. So eventually I moved over to the side,
where a cymbal was hiding his face, so
that I could watch his hands and
watch him play.
Whenever you're playing with a new musician, you have to
change your
approach to your instrument. That's sort of a given. You feel out the
situation and away you go. Stewart
listens to melody more than the
rhythm of the bass. If you listen to a lot of the stuff he's done,
you'll notice that his
fluctuations come with changes in the melody,
whether it's the guitar or even the vocal part. He'll play right
along
with the vocal part?it's amazing. So I tend to follow him a little more.
Stewart also plays
traditional grip, and his accents are amazing. He
sat down on our drummer's kit [during a Frog Brigade show] and sat
in.
He's playing along, but as soon as he hits those accents, it's like the
kick drum is leaping off the riser. It's
not like he's a bashing
player. In fact, he doesn't really hit that hard?but he hits his
accents incredibly hard. From
my experience, most players who have
gotten to the point where their instrument is an extension of them,
their personalities
come out of their instruments. Stewart's a very
passionate person. Consequently, he's a very passionate
player.
 Go to Artist Index
|
|
|
|
