Interview: Clare & The Reasons

Clare & The Reasons is the name of Clare and Olivier Manchon’s musical project. The two met at college in Boston and now call Brooklyn home. Arrow, their recently released second album, is a remarkable record. The songs are buoyant and melodic, but shrouded in proficiently arranged orchestration–complete with whistling, strings, horns, swells of vocal oohs and a Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) contribution on the track “This Is The Story.” Clare and The Reasons have tour dates posted here (including a show with Israeli/French songstress Keren Ann and a bunch of dates with the venerable Van Dyke Parks). Go find them! And do read our interview with Clare Manchon, in which she reveals a love for Stevie Wonder, tells us what Van Dyke Parks listens to and weighs in on our current administration, after the jump.

What are the reasons you’re referring to in your band’s name? It’s one of those “fall out of your mouth” names… It just happened, like like eating pizza at 2am, it just happens.

How did you meet your husband and decide to work together? We met at Berklee College of Music in Boston, we decide to work together after secretly respecting each other musically and otherwise.

I understand your father is a musician. Tell me about growing up in a musical environment. Can you remember when you first became cognizant of music and your desire to create your own music? Bessie Smith was my converter, she was my lightning hitting a rod moment. My father did introduce me to great American black music, grateful for that. I then found people like Harry Nilsson, Pete Ham, Queen, Brian Wilson on my own as a young teen.

How did the collaboration with Van Dyke Parks happen? Well, it happened, and continues to happen out of love and admiration. We are doing some touring with Van Dyke, first in Feb 2010 on the west coast of America, then likely Europe in March. Van Dyke is a musical gem and they don’t make ‘em like him anymore, so we just want to absorb all the wisdom we can from him.

Do you have any good anecdotes of time spent with Van Dyke Parks? He is a legend. Did he impart any wisdom? He likes to keep it real, really real. He also likes words and knows many many of them. He is a lover of Mariachi bands who seem to be playing in 7, but really are playing in 3/4…

I noticed you’ve recorded a few covers. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” is terrific. What about recording covers is so appealing? Less work for me as a songwriter! Nah, but we like to Reasonify things… try to make them our own, I see no point in doing a cover if you’re going to do it in a similar vein to the original. The Genesis cover and the Tears for Fears cover are just undeniably good songs, therefore fun to play each night. We only do those two, not going to become a cover band…Wait, maybe we should…

If you could pick any artist to cover one of your songs who would you chose? Stevie Wonder!

Tell me about singing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” with Obama’s name as the only lyric. How did that happen? It came from this whole idea that if you say something enough, it will come true, so I figured if you sing something enough, with a sweeping, overwhelming melody, well, that would be even better. I think it worked!

Has the President met, exceeded or disappointed your expectations thus far in his presidency? All of the above. I loved what he did when he first arrived, things like Lilly Ledbetter pay equity bill, signing children’s health care, getting a whole bunch of troops out of Iraq, his efforts with health care reform… Although, I do think he got a bit wimpy with the health care bill by letting it go to the private option, I smell corruption and greed ahead, will it be better, yes, but not as good as Canada or France. I’m disappointed by his views on gay marriage, he is acting like a conservative ding dong about that. I’m also very weary of his “finishing the job” statement on Afghanistan. Seems an impossible feet, as noted by every expert asked. I’m watching him closely, I realize he needs to take down all these old rich powerful men who rule our country slowly, but I hope he keeps it up. I also think he should be having way more strict policies on emissions—we have the technology, so why don’t we use it. I think he’s done honorable actions and gestures toward the Muslim community, which is very good. The best thing he has done is honoring Stevie Wonder at the white house.

Your music is very heavily orchestrated. Have you ever had the opportunity to score a film or commercial. Does that even interest you? We have had some songs in films, and have written some music for a few documentaries, but we would LOVE to score a film, Clare and the Reasons style… Not only heavily orchestrated, but whatever it calls for, maybe a scene just needs two rocks being rubbed together with koto… Who knows…

Arrow is a beautiful record. What would you like people to take away from listening to it? Dōmo Arigatō I hope they take themselves away with it, I hope it conjures up thoughts with colors and light and laughs and cries.