Clint Boge of Like Thieves

by Matt Karpe
– Senior Columnist —

Clint Boge rose to fame as the vocalist for The Butterfly Effect, an Australian progressive hard rock outfit that quickly became one of the biggest bands down under at the start of the new millennium.

After three albums he departed TBE and became the voice for Thousand Needles in Red and The Given Things, but it is with Like Thieves that Clint has finally hit the forefront once again. After a stunning debut EP in the form of The Wolves at Winter’s Edge, Like Thieves have just followed it up with their second release in Autumn’s Twilight.

I caught up with Clint to discuss the audio and visual power of Like Thieves, his solo work and maybe one day forming a Country Dance Thrash Core band…

[Like Thieves- Clint Boge (Far Left)]

HRH: First of all Clint, thank you for taking the time to speak to HRH. How are you doing today?

Clint: No worries at all, thanks for talking to me, I’m good, just preparing for another tour.

HRH: You have a pretty impressive resume so far- The Butterfly Effect, Thousand Needles in Red, The Given Things and now the excellent Like Thieves (apologies if I missed any other bands out!) You might just be one of the busiest musicians in the business?

Clint: Sometimes it feels that way. I have always had a few irons in the fire, it keeps me busy and I always seem to have a fresh supply of tunes to work on. I love creating something tangible from the intangible.

HRH: Let’s talk a bit about Like Thieves. How did this band come about?

Clint: I came on board a couple of years ago now but the core members have known each other for some time. They were all in different bands and came together through mutual friends. I have known Oden the guitarist for many years. We met whilst I was living in Mackay around the mid 90’s. We have pretty much kept the same social group since then with most of us moving to Brisbane, so fast forward to a few years ago, Oden asked me to listen to some demos for his band “Like Thieves” and I gave him some feedback. I really liked the direction and sound, so when it came about that they were looking for a new singer I was very happy to put my hand up for the job.

HRH: The Wolves at Winter’s Edge is a stunning EP. The progressive rock on show has elements of your previous work, but there seems to be something extra that makes Like Thieves really original. How did you approach the writing and recording process and did your experiences in previous bands make you do things any differently this time?

Clint: The formula that I used for writing the lyrics and melodies for the “Wolves” EP was the same as previous releases. I listened to the music in great depth from full band production pieces to acoustic versions, to really extract the essence of what the music was telling me. Next I translate that emotion of the song into a general overall theme. Then I start to craft the lyrics ensuring that the rhythm and melody paths compliment the song whilst still creating an engaging and memorable performance. There is so much to crafting a song it would take me a long time to write it all down so there are a few things I do.

HRH: The title track is great, and the video you made to accompany it is a visual masterpiece. You encapsulated life, death, nature, war…so many variables of what makes the world go round. What gave you the idea to make such a breathtakingly REAL video?

Clint: I have always toyed with this particular theme so it was a natural progression to manifest those thoughts and feelings into a film clip. I wanted to visualise what you can see on a daily basis or perhaps what you choose to see and what is really out there. I see a great deal of beauty in the world and a great deal of despair and in this instance art is definitely imitating life.

HRH: I’ve watched the video quite a few times now, how did you manage to get all the images and video clips together to use?

Clint: We have a great team around us and I want to mention Simon Smith @ Film Smith productions for his work on this clip. We put together a whole bunch of great clips (painstakingly I might add) with little “LT” logos all over the place, plus a few shots of the band here and there to mix it up. But the majority of the footage was taken from film archives from the beginning of TV up until now so it was just a matter of putting it all together.

HRH: Autumn’s Twilight has just been released, the bands second EP. “Brave The Day” has been released to tie in with your excellent anti-bullying campaign that you are flying the flag for. What made you decide to take a stand against this and what feedback have you received so far?

Clint: We as a society need to stop this destructive behavior. It’s not good enough anymore to say it’s just kids being kids. I am myself a victim of schoolyard bullying so it’s very close to my heart being that I have experienced it first-hand. We have lost too many kids and it’s time we stand up and let our voices be heard so that others will stand with us in the hope that one day no child will be lost.

HRH: With Autumns Twilight, what new elements did you experiment with?

Clint: I think the songs on Autumns Twilight are more mature (sound and content wise) and that comes from the natural growth of a band as a writing partnership. For me it’s the evolution as a band and as people within the group that gives these songs a point of difference. I’ll let you decide whether you can hear it or not.

HRH: Your solo work has also come to the forefront. “Boneyard” and “Dance with the Devil” are really good. Is there a solo album in the pipeline?

Clint: Thank you! Yes definitely if I can just find the time to record I would love to this year at some point, but as always in my world it seems my solo stuff takes a back seat to the bands. Stay tuned.

HRH: What made you decide that now is the right time to press on further with the solo work?

Clint: I have given so much to all my bands past and present and I feel that a balance is always appropriate. So for me the balancing act of band and solo work is essential. I think it’s a case of chipping away slowly but surely. My solo stuff is never far from the forefront of my mind.

HRH: Are there any other styles of music you would like to try out in the future? Maybe a little death metal perhaps, (laughs).

Clint: (Laughs) yeah I’m thinking “Country Dance Thrash Core” could be the next big thing.

HRH: So the second half of 2014 looks like it’s going to be just as busy as the first half for you?

Clint: Yeah every year is always busy, so much to do and so many songs to write. I wouldn’t change it for the world and I’m happy to be still involved in the music industry and still relevant.

HRH: Finally Clint, who are your musical heroes and influences?

Clint: Jeff Buckley, Mike Patton, Tori Amos, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, David Bowie, Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Interpol, Tool and the list goes on and on!! I think most people who have contributed to the universe of sound could be on this list. Big luv to all.

HRH: That wraps things up, thank you so much for your time and good luck with the new EP and solo work.

Clint: Cheers and thanks for having me.

For more information on Clint Boge and Like Thieves visit:
www.clintboge.com
www.facebook.com/LikeThievesOfficial

The music video for “The Wolves At Winter’s Edge” can be viewed here: