- Tim Soter
- The Clean
Punk’s wake reached the shores of Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1978 when brothers David (guitar) and Hamish Kilgour (drums) formed the Clean. With Robert Scott on bass, the band’s 1981 single “Tally Ho,” the second single released on the beloved Flying Nun label, zoomed up the national charts. A combination of periodic recording, fruitful reunions, a gentle grasp of the untrained melodic guitar scratch that makes its hooky tunes so particular, and the likes of Pavement singing their praises have kept the act alive (at least occasionally) to this day. Fortunately, they’ve also been fairly immune to industry machinations.
I saw a video of you pulling some of your favorite records out and there was a lot of folk, rock, psychedelia and punk—Incredible String Band, Stones, Syd Barrett bootlegs and a few punk records—but I noticed you made a point of explaining how important the Saints album was to you. Can you elaborate on that?
Punk, new wave, and old music.
And does that brotherly connection have something to do with the longevity of the Clean?
I’m always searching, till the end. Recently I’ve been experimenting a lot with guitar tone.
Does interest in the Clean sometimes swell when you least expect it?
