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A Dirty Dozen with ROB CLORES – July 2020

| 28 July 2020 | Reply

 

According to a recent press release: “Split Second Meltdown is the brainchild of NYC based keyboardist and composer, Rob Clores, who has spent the better part of his career performing and recording with a host of well known artists including Jesse Malin (D-Generation), The Black Crowes, Colin Hay (Men at Work) and Alejandro Escovedo, among many others. His love of Alt Rock led him to step from behind the keys to pick up a guitar and write his first solo E.P., which draws on everything from the sounds of the Classic 70s and Prog Rock to 90s Grunge.” We get Rob to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

My debut EP Split Second Meltdown is a collection of alt rock songs that mention social and personal issues.  On the last song “The End Of Your World,” a song about Chris Cornell, there is a cello and violin section as well as a passage of Hail Mary spoken by an Italian priest.  Fans may not hear that the first time through.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

My parents got me into music – they exposed me to a wide range of genres and styles . My Dad played piano and guitar so I wanted to play as well. I decided I wanted to be a musician in grammar school. I got a lot of attention playing music and I was good at it so I thought that’s what I might like to do.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

I remember hearing “Communication Breakdown” by Led Zeppelin when I was about 12 and the spine tingling excitement made a big impact on me.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

My main 5 musical influences would be The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Soundgarden, and Trent Reznor.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

If I could call one person to collaborate with it would have been Chris Cornell for his lyrical content and harmonic sensibilities but now i suppose i would want to collaborate with Dave Grohl because i like his songs and I imagine it would be fun!

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I would describe my music as grunge influenced alternative Rock with a splash of keyboards.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

When the band is hanging together, I am the cook, I get the drinks but there’s no sing along unless we are in the studio recording.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

The last time I was star struck was a few years ago meeting Paul McCartney. We had a 20 minute chat in an empty backstage after a show I played. He was such a normal, regular guy and he was so comfortable to be around.  It was amazing.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best thing about being a musician is being able to create sound waves that affect people and hopefully give them enjoyment. If I may add, the worst thing is trying to get paid! If I weren’t a musician, my dream job would be a philanthropist. (With someone else’s fortune – unless i had my own).

10. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Looking back at my career, a misstep would be not releasing my own music sooner. I guess I wasn’t ready, but I should have pushed myself more because I’m finding that it’s giving me a lot of gratification.

11. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Rolling Stones Goats Head Soup.  Its rockin’, rollin’, and funky. and has a couple of great ballads.  It comes off as very heartfelt.

ROB CLORES LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

Category: Interviews

About the Author ()

ToddStar - that's me... just a rocking accountant who had dreams of being a rock star. I get to do the next best thing to rocking the globe - I get to take pictures of the lucky ones that do. I love to shoot all genres of music and different types of performers. If it is related to music, I love to photograph it. I get to shoot and hang with not only some of my friends and idols, but some of the coolest people around today.

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