Since its formation in 1991, the band line-up has included Neil Fallon (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), Tim Sult (lead guitar, backing vocals), Dan Maines (bass, backing vocals) and Jean-Paul Gaster (drums and percussion). To date, Clutch has released thirteen studio albums, and several rarities and live albums. Since 2008 the band have been signed to their own record label, Weathermaker.
Clutch (originally called “Glut Trip” and stemmed from “Moral Minority”) was formed in 1991 by Dan Maines (bass), Jean-Paul Gaster (drums), Tim Sult (guitar), and Roger Smalls (vocals) in Germantown, Maryland. Smalls soon departed and was replaced by Neil Fallon, a longtime schoolmate of the other members at Seneca Valley High School. The band quickly gained notice through constant touring. The 12" single “Passive Restraints” on the Earache label was Clutch’s first commercial release, garnering attention from other labels. Their debut LP, Transnational Speedway League, was released in 1993. It was followed by a self-titled album two years later that gained Clutch mainstream exposure. The band moved to the larger Columbia label for the 1998 album The Elephant Riders. They followed it in 1999 with a self-released groove-based album Jam Room.
On April 28, 2009 Clutch released Slow Hole to China, a collection of unreleased tracks.
On June 10, 2012, the band released a new single, “Pigtown Blues”, on iTunes, backed with an acoustic version of “Motherless Child” from Strange Cousins from the West.
On March 16, 2013 Clutch released their tenth album Earth Rocker which entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at #15 giving Clutch their highest chart position to date. It would remain on the chart for a total of 5 weeks. The album also reached #4 on iTunes’ overall Top 100 album charts and was #1 in their rock chart. Earthrocker won “Album of the Year” 2013 from British publication Metalhammer, and was rated highly on many rock/metal magazines’ and websites’ end-of-the-year “Top Tens”.
In an interview on January 7, 2015 with music and entertainment company 88 Miles West, Fallon stated that the band was heading to Dripping Springs, Texas, to record their upcoming eleventh album. Fallon states the venture to Texas was due to the relocation of record producer Machine, with whom they worked on Blast Tyrant and Earth Rocker, and who recently opened a new studio there. He stated in the interview that “Septemberish, give or take a couple of months” is when they hope to release the new album.
Their eleventh studio album is titled Psychic Warfare, and was released October 2, 2015. Fallon said the concept is influenced by science fiction author Philip K. Dick. “His general philosophy and questions have always crept into my lyrics, because I share an interest in it,” he adds. “On Earth Rocker, ‘Crucial Velocity’ was definitely a Philip Dick song for me. On this record, ‘X-Ray Visions’ certainly is.”. Gaster described the new material as more diverse than ever.
In April 2018, Neil Fallon announced through the radio station The Eagle Rocks that the band's twelfth studio album would be titled Book of Bad Decisions. The album will be released on September 7, 2018. The album was recorded at Sputnik Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer and engineer Vance Powell.
On November 13, 2020 Released The Weathermaker Studios Vol. 1. A collection of re-recorded hits and 4 unreleased covers and songs.
On September 16,2022 Clutch released their 13th Studio album: Sunrise on Slaughter Beach.
Between 2004-2018 Clutch created seven straight top 10 releases on Billboard’s Independent Album Chart.
Neil Fallon – vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, keyboards, percussion
Tim Sult – lead guitar
Dan Maines – bass guitar
Jean-Paul Gaster – drums, percussion
The Soapmakers
Clutch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I heard a fiddle and a mandolin,
Keeping rhythm on an old washboard
And stomping on the floor.
Saw people of all sorts
Dancing 'round in twos and fours,
Caroling about days of old,
And what the future holds.
That they were stirring, stirring,
And there were trees around
That they kept burning, burning.
I asked a toothless man
Who all these people were,
And he said, "The soapmakers,
And we are working, working."
As they stirred Heaven and Earth, they combined to one,
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
As they stirred I heard a trumpet call,
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
As they stirred Heaven and Earth, they combined to one,
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
As they stirred I heard a trumpet call,
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
The lyrics to Clutch's The Soapmakers tell the story of the singer discovering an eclectic group of people behind a cliffside inn. They are gathered around a cauldron, stirring and burning various things while playing music and dancing. Despite their toothless appearance, they exude a sense of community and camaraderie as they come together to create something greater than themselves. The chorus of the song suggests that as they stir their cauldron, they are unifying Heaven and Earth, becoming one with everything and everyone around them.
The Soapmakers is an allegorical song about the power of collective action and the ability of diverse people to come together and create something greater than themselves. The cauldron and the act of stirring represents the efforts of the group to combine their respective talents and energies to create something new and transformative. The trumpet call in the chorus signifies a breakthrough or a moment of realization when everything becomes clear and unified.
Line by Line Meaning
Behind the Cliffside Inn,
The singer hears music coming from behind a cliffside inn.
I heard a fiddle and a mandolin,
The singer identifies the instruments being played.
Keeping rhythm on an old washboard
The instruments are being played in rhythm with an old washboard.
And stomping on the floor.
The people dancing are stomping on the floor to keep time with the music.
Saw people of all sorts
The singer observes people of different backgrounds and types.
Dancing 'round in twos and fours,
The people are dancing in groups of two and four.
Caroling about days of old,
The people are singing about old times.
And what the future holds.
The people are also singing about the future.
In the middle was a big cauldron
A cauldron is in the center of the gathering.
That they were stirring, stirring,
The people were stirring the contents of the cauldron.
And there were trees around
There were trees surrounding the gathering.
That they kept burning, burning.
The people kept the trees burning.
I asked a toothless man
The singer spoke to a man with no teeth.
Who all these people were,
The singer asked the man who the people were.
And he said, "The soapmakers,
The man replied that they were the soapmakers.
And we are working, working."
The man said they were working.
As they stirred Heaven and Earth, they combined to one,
The people's stirring seemed to combine the elements of Heaven and Earth.
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
This caused everything to seem as if all individuals had combined into one entity.
As they stirred I heard a trumpet call,
The singer heard a trumpet call as the stirring continued.
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
The trumpet call seemed to further reinforce the idea of unity and oneness.
As they stirred Heaven and Earth, they combined to one,
This line repeats the idea of the people's stirring combining Heaven and Earth.
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
This line also repeats the idea of unity and oneness.
As they stirred I heard a trumpet call,
This line repeats the previous mention of the trumpet call.
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
This line again emphasizes the idea of unity and oneness.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FALLON, GASTER, MAINES, SULT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ambrosepearce413
Behind the Cliffside Inn,
I heard a fiddle and a mandolin,
Keeping rhythm on an old washboard
And stomping on the floor.
Saw people of all sorts
Dancing 'round in twos and fours,
Caroling about days of old,
And what the future holds.
In the middle was a big cauldron
That they were stirring, stirring,
And there were trees around
That they kept burning, burning.
I asked a toothless man
Who all these people were,
And he said, "The soapmakers,
And we are working, working."
As they stirred Heaven and Earth, they combined to one,
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
As they stirred I heard a trumpet call,
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
As they stirred Heaven and Earth, they combined to one,
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
As they stirred I heard a trumpet call,
And everything was everyone and each one was all.
@kofradya-oficial
Good morning friends, first of all I want to apologize for my English, I don't speak it and even less write it, but there is my appreciation of the band that we all love. Greetings from Peru..... "I just saw a series of concerts by this great band: CLUTCH, and I had a clear revelation. CLUTCH IS THE ROCK; They don't do Rock, they don't play Rock, they don't compose Rock ... they are THE ROCK ... I say this because, at this stage of life, they have managed to balance their roles within the band with extreme precision, that is to say: each one does what he should without detracting from the others.
Each allows his companions to express his vitality in the way and time they need, without pressure of any kind. Because of this it is possible for everyone in general to become the Frontman of the group at some point.
And something extremely important, which leads me to the first conclusion, is that you can do without them, yes, do without all the members, and get into the songs. It seems that they have become mere accessories or mediums whose function is to reveal the songs they have composed, with such vitality and dedication, and that they have taken on a life of their own for us, their audience.
They may or may not be on stage.
They could contort like haunted madwomen, like demonized possessors ... but they don't.
They could throw a thousand harangues, manage the audience at will and ask them to do any idiotic thing like raise their hands and clap together ... but they don't ...
They could use thousands of weird, ethereal or cutting edge effects ... but they don't need them ... they've managed to tame distortions, wha-wha and delay ... and it's more than enough ...
They do not need to make fuss of any kind such as destroying or burning guitars, spitting at the public, jumping or doing risky things ... IT IS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY, their music, THE ROCK, is everything ... it has taken on a life of its own ... and they keep total respect ...
We thank them that they do not wear weird, lavish or fashionable outfits, we thank them that they have not had facebook for a long time, we thank them that they do not worry about being hyperlinked or filling stadiums ... I feel (without fear of being wrong in the least) that their life, their profession, their food is Rock ... through them it survives ... because they are ROCK"
@shrapnelhead4694
Behind The Cliffside Inn,
Heard A Fiddle And A Mandolin,
Keeping Rhythm On An Old Washboard
And Stomping On The Floor.
Saw People Of All Sorts,
Dancing 'Round In Twos And Fours,
Caroling About Days Of Old,
And What The Future Holds.
In The Middle Was A Big Cauldron
That They Were Stirring, Stirring,
And There Were Trees Around
That They Kept Burning, Burning.
I Asked A Toothless Man
Who All These People Were, And
He Said, "The Soapmakers,
And We Are Working, Working."
As They Stirred Heav’n And Earth, They Combined To One,
And Everything Was Everyone And Each One Was All.
As They Stirred I Heard A Trumpet Call,
And Everything Was Everyone And Each One Was All.
As They Stirred Heav’n And Earth, They Combined To One,
And Everything Was Everyone And Each One Was All.
As They Stirred I Heard A Trumpet Call,
And Everything Was Everyone And Each One Was All.
@kdmason
Behind the Cliffside Inn,
I heard a fiddle and a mandolin,
keeping rhythm on an old washboard
and stomping on the floor.
Saw people of all sorts
dancing 'round in twos and fours,
caroling about days of old,
and what the future holds.
In the middle was a big cauldron
that they were stirring, stirring,
and there were trees around
that they kept burning, burning.
I asked a toothless man
who all these people were,
and he said, "The soapmakers,
and we are working, working."
As they stirred Heaven and Earth, they combined to one,
and everything was everyone and each one was all.
As they stirred I heard a trumpet call,
and everything was everyone and each one was all.
As they stirred Heaven and Earth, they combined to one,
and everything was everyone and each one was all.
As they stirred I heard a trumpet call,
and everything was everyone and each one was all.
@DameIchbinschlect
My brother was a huge fan. He passed away in May, and we played 'The Regulator' at his funeral. Thank for your music, and please know you mean so much to so many people.
@theyeticlutch3486
Sounds like your brother was a badass. Cheers to him.
DRINK TO THE DEAD ALL YOU STILL ALIVE
WE SHALL JOIN THEM, IN GOOD TIME
SHOULD YOU GO CROSSING THAT SILVERY BROOK
IT’S BEST TO LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK
@toasttoasted3492
Absolute badass🤘🙏🤘🙏.
@dr.doolittle6865
That's so badass. I hope he's regulating in heaven. I saw this comment last night and I kept thinking about it all day. I bet he was a cool dude. I'm learning this song on drums right now and I'll always think of your bro when I hear this or regulator from here on out when I meet yall in the sky one day!!! Ttfn
@paisleysmom81
Sorry for your loss, but what an epic choice! I love that! Prayers…
@dw89music73
Easily one of the best, most underrated bands of modern times.
@Akimb0
How are they underrated? They're incredibly well known.
@dw89music73
Clockwork Knight
No they're not. Hardly anyone knows who they are.
@BonziBUDDY
+Clockwork Knight Only way I knew about them was from L4D2
@jawbuster79
Good song, but I really miss their hardcore days.