The Click Clack Boom

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/blogs/nonstop-sound/New-York-Band-of-the-Week-the-Click-Clack-Boom-123751774.html - NBC

The Click Clack Boom, rising stars of the Tri-State area and what slowly seems to be the rest of America, stood up and made me take notice at Crash Mansion on Tuesday night. I’ve heard this hardworking band’s material before, and while I enjoyed it, I hadn’t thought to see them during CMJ. That is until Nathanial, the natural leader, speaker, dreamer and front man got in touch with me on the day of the gig.

And in all seriousness, I’m so glad he did. The band lived up to the hype surrounding them, which to be honest, I did not completely understand prior to the show. Like all good bands, they had the songs, the look and most importantly, the talent. And it was the talent that was so mesmerising. These guys are musicians. They play each other’s instruments, create mind blowing effects, and move like the ground is shaking. The songs morph, twist, and twirl to the creative beat of these four ridiculously talented bastards.

When I met Nathanial beforehand, he looked tired, sounded tired, and acted tired. But when he and his band reached the stage, everything changed. You get the feeling with The Click Clack Boom that they are in a professional mould, pre-professionally. They are passionate guys, and I can’t imagine that any amount of fatigue would stop them from putting on a great show. Even exhausted Nathanial, acting as though he was high on substance, pounded his single drum as though he were trying to release as much energy as possible to end the muscle-twitching trip. If this was them tired, I wanna see them with energy. They have a big and raw sound with a huge potential to go places.

Trust us on this one, try go and see these guys before they tour. They’ve just been voted as a band of the month in High Times magazine and have strong backing from Warner. - The WIld Honey Pie

Singer Nathaniel Hoho leads energetic Pennsylvania rock outfit Click Clack Boom. After kicking off CMJ with a rollicking set at Crash Mansion, the band is booked for a loft party video shoot on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 260 Moore Street, Apt 301, beginning at 12AM ET. If you go, be prepared to get covered in paint.
- Spinner.com

Thanks to the Howling EP, The Click Clack Boom has just made my list of bands to see live. Yes, their name sounds like it was inspired by the sound effects of a pinball machine, but look past that and enjoy lead singer Nathaniel Hoho’s gorgeous voice, fantastic songwriting and an overall unique sound..........(click link for more) - Knocks From The Underground

view @.... http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=10810053 - WPSU Television

The Click Clack Boom started as a two-man outfit from rural Mifflintown, Pa. Now a full garage band, lead singer Nathaniel Hoho and drummer Grant Wilson are joined by bassist Bill Newman, keyboardist Sam Primak and guitarist Eric Miller. Making its second appearance at SXSW this year, the band with a high-flying sound speaks to us about living in buffalo country, drinking with Devo and loving both Aaron Neville and Phil Collins. Plus, partying with naked strangers.

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Describe your sound in your own words.

Sam Primak: I would describe our sound as energetic, vocal-oriented garage pop.

You say you're from The Middle of Nowhere, Pa. Where is that exactly?

Nathaniel Hoho: Central Pennsylvania. Mifflintown. We have buffalo in our backyard. There's a lot of farming.

Grant Wilson: I live the next county over but it's really just a nine-mile drive. I personally don't live on a farm but my neighbors do have a chicken and corn.

But you're sometimes listed as a New York band.

NH: We still rehearse and record in Pennsylvania. When we aren't doing things in the band Grant and I are in the city. We've been really focusing on playing in New York, fitting that kind of market. Where we're from there's not as many opportunities.

How did growing up in Pennsylvania affect you musically, and what are your influences?

SP: For me, I was raised in a choir school music background. My dad was a trained opera vocalist so that kind of influenced some of what I play. I discovered rock music in the early '80s and then finally after years of saying The Beatles are overrated, I gave them a chance. That has probably had the biggest influence on me.

GW: Being in a small town actually gives us more of an opportunity to listen to a lot more music because we specifically seek it out. People in the city hear a lot more new music because there's bands playing down the street from them. On the Internet we're thirsting to find anything we can.

NH: Growing up in an area like this, such a rural area, really gives us a lot of time to focus on songwriting and not have as many distractions as you do somewhere else. Because of where we're from we were able to find the other musicians that had common tastes ... For being in such a rural, confined area, it's just a very dense population of very talented people.

How did your band form?

NH: We had all known each other. We had played in bands together in high school and later we kind of all met up together.

GW: Maybe three years ago Nathaniel and I started playing acoustic shows around Pennsylvania and we didn't really have any fanbase yet to speak of. We thought we'd book small shows when we could and to promote these shows we just hit the streets, walk around and ask strangers if we could sing them a song. We'd give them a flyer when we were done and it helped us to get a big buzz in these college towns. We'd get on buses and sing with people. Then get kicked off the buses. When we recorded a record we recruited some of our friends and made the Nathaniel Hoho solo EP. Because it was a rock 'n' roll band sound, venues and club owners wanted us to come as a full band. It became Nathaniel Hoho and the Click Clack Boom. Eventually the band became the identity and it grew apart from the solo thing.

Your bio says you average 150 shows per year. Isn't that quite a lot?

NH: We play a lot of small shows in Pennsylvania just to make extra money to get by. Last month we played a few shows here and we use that to pay for SXSW.

You've been to SXSW before, how was that?

GW: It was so fun. It was the best. Everything that I ever had wanted to do up until that point I pretty much did in four days. I got to hang out and drink some beers with Devo. You can't beat that.

How did you come up with your band name?

GW: At the time it was just me and him [Nathaniel]. The sound of him and the [click, clack, boom] sound of drums.

What's your biggest vice?

GW: I love marijuana. I gave up alcohol for Lent so SXSW is going to be different for me than a lot of people.

NH: Ping pong.

SP: For me it's definitely alcohol.

GW: Sam is the nicest guy in the world but as soon as he gets drunk he wants to fight me over Rush.

What's in your festival survival kit?

NH: We're going to play a few shows on the way out. We're actually bringing a good friend, Jimmy Shirk, with us, who's a photographer and also a mechanic, which is kind of necessary.

Who was your first celeb crush?

N: I was madly in love with a girl named Erica Rhodes from 'Barney' when I was 4 or 5 years old. I actually looked her up online.

Bill Newman: Fiona Apple. She just was a crazy, angry woman and I was into it.

GW: I'm into Bette Midler.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

NH: I really like Hellogoodbye. I've listened to them since high school.

SP: The Phil Collins album 'Face Value.' I'm always kind of ashamed to scroll through that. It's pretty good. Not knocking Phil Collins.

GW: I'm pretty sure I own every Aaron Neville record.

Beatles or Stones?

SP: Beatles.

GW: Beatles.

BN: Beatles.

NH: Beatles.

Eric Miller: The Rolling Stones.

What's the craziest thing you've experienced at a show?

BN: A couple years ago I was just getting naked all the time. So we're in New Jersey and we just play a show and after the fact we go to this party and 15 of us are just hanging out. I had just gotten to that point in my drunkenness and next thing we knew 15 people in this party were getting naked.

Are you working on a new album?

NH: We've recorded probably about 14 to 15 songs. We're just getting to the point now where we're wrapping everything up. Whenever we come home we're hoping to take that month and make sure everything's finished. Early this year we're hoping to have the record out.

- by Amy Kuperinsky


http://www.spinner.com/2010/03/15/the-click-clack-boom-interview-sxsw-2010/
- AOL / Spinner (Official 2010 SXSW Coverage)

...Up next was The Click Clack Boom. I really enjoyed them, even though they are a bit outside my realm. They are a slightly psychedelic pop rock band of what looks like brothers from Pennsylvania, though they are New York based now. The drummer was amazing, and my friend and I cracked up because I was sitting there staring at him going, ‘this guy is amazing’ when he looked over and cracked a big smile at us. “He heard you!” she says. They were really fun to watch, I’ll definitely catch them when they come through SF.


http://www.hardrockchick.com/2010/03/22/sxsw-10-gene-ius-prophit-the-click-clack-boom-turbogeist-phoenix-830p-31810/
- HardRockChick.com (California-based blog)

Five men with inviting stage presence, energy, and positive attitudes believe, "It's important to not choose influences while writing music," but rather "accept what life presents to you and use from it what you see fit." Such sentiments are reflected in The Click Clack Boom's songwriting which, in addition to its "charming drummer," has attracted many fans across the eastern states. Now with a full U.S. tour in the works and a return appearance planned for the next SxSW festival, we await The Click Clack Boom's first full length album in 2010. A successful single "Open Hands" has presented a taste of what's to come and is available now on iTunes. Manager Luke Watson is said to advise the band, "Don't be late to shows, and don't drink." The Click Clack Boom admits, "We are still working on this."

What do you love most about Save The Music?

Many of us were in school music programs, and the impact of these programs on our lives has been huge. Sometimes kids aren't the best at math, or at sports, but maybe they can rip apart a sax, you know? I think it's important that people be given the opportunity to discover what they're good at, and likewise to be introduced to something that they may fall in love with and do forever!

Great photo on your MySpace banner. Where did you take it?

You can't beat the vision of Grant Wilson and Jess Davis. Grant had decided to use the living room of our great friends Nick and Katie because their house is filled with amazing textures and a welcoming atmosphere. The scene cleared the skeptics especially after the first few shots were taken. Seeing was believing. Photoshoots are a bit of a Pandora's box. You rarely ever know what you're actually getting in to, but the process is fun and challenging. Seeing some really great pictures at the end of a good idea is always the best part.

You're known for your lyrics by fans. Which topic to you believe to be over-sung about?

No topics are taboo, it's how you choose to sing about them. Get creative... I recommend that anyone who writes lyrics should read a book or two in their lives. A love song can be sung a million different ways.. having said that, there are a lot of cliches in music: machismo in hard rock to materialism in pop music and, of course, a young man's underdeveloped idea that a girl has done him wrong.

When you first formed as a band what was your greatest fear?

Whatever fear we had then has probably been replaced with another fear now. We are always hoping to progress as a band, as artists, and as people. Any obstacle, large or small, can sometimes be intimidating... but I think it's important to try and not get caught up in all that. We're not the best at worrying anyway. We're better at making people dance!

- by Gina Alioto


http://www.thedelimagazine.com/FeatureView.php?artist=clickclackboom
- The Deli Magazine - (NYC - Issue #21, Volume #2, Winter 2010)

The Click Clack Boom hails from the Central PA Music Scene - Mifflintown, PA. but they are also partially based in New York City since going under Andy Hilfiger Entertainment. Having big city success does not prevent the Click Clack Boom from returning to its roots to practice and record.

This vocally-oriented garage pop band collaboratively combines their talent with songwriting efforts which tends to be melodic and upbeat. They prefer not to be called indie. They are not sunshine pop, baroque pop, or bubble-gum pop. The Click Clack Boom grew from the Nathaniel Hoho solo project.

Hoho explained, “At the beginning, it was just Grant and myself; I played the guitar and Grant played a drum kit. The sound of the drum kit, to me, was best described as Click - Clack - Boom… AND so it was born."

The group is comprised of: Nathaniel Hoho (lead), Will Markley (guitar), Bill Newman (bass), Grant Wilson (drums), Sam Primak (keys) and Jeremy Mertz (percussion/keys). What is interesting about this band is that everyone in the group has the ability to play a number of instruments and they easily rotate through them. Sam laughing says, “We could be a full blown orchestra if we each had four arms.”

Having so many positive things happening right now with labels, meeting celebrities, working with great management in NYC, there is still the issue of having personal finances. With six band members, it is hard for everyone to continuously work for something, that at the moment, is not really padding their pockets as much as they would like but it is not all about the money. Music is their passion.

It is easy to see that the Click Clack Boom is on a quest to make their music heard. They have had a few meetings with major labels who show interest in the group. They want their music to reach everyone. Nathaniel tells me, “Two years ago, I did a solo show at a nursing home. They had a Renaissance Day, so I dressed up as a troubadour and had to wear tights.”

The band boasts about their fans. “The fans here [in Pennsylvania] are the best fans in the world,” says the band. “We love them dearly and try to stay close to everyone. We just played a major label showcase in NYC. Over 40 PA fans rode in a chartered bus to NYC just to come to our show! And it was a weekday so many of them called off work to make it. Our PA fans go the extra mile!” They want people to dance and have a good time.

So why do they do what they do… Nathaniel says, “I feel passionate about it. I think it’s important to pay attention to your passions in life.” Sam goes on to say, “The experience has been great, so that’s always a motivator. As we keep playing, we’re only going to develop into a tighter band and get better, so I would say the reason for me involves musical growth.” Will grins, “I do it for the nookie.” Click Clack Boom!!

Get your groove on - shake it on over to the Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing Company located at 50 North Cameron St., Harrisburg 717-221-1080 Friday, Feb. 19, Nathaniel said the sound guy there is awesome. The Click Clack Boom takes the stage at 11:00 p.m. as part of MMC 14 weekend.


http://blog.pennlive.com/afterdark/2010/02/click_clack_boom_bringin_it_to.html - PennLive.com

Hoho's first EP, called "Wait Until the Story Ends," was released in the fall of 2007. Currently, all physical copies of the EP are sold out, but the songs can still be downloaded on iTunes.

In the process of creating The Click Clack Boom's new EP, "An artist and dear friend of ours, Ben Sperry, came along when we started writing the album. He sat with a typewriter and camera and documented the entire thing," says Hoho. The entire documented processes can be see on The Click Clack Boom's MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/clickclackboomband, underneath the "Wachakanda" picture album.

Hoho says that the band has been working on the album for approximately nine months, which he admits is "…well overdue, but it sounds great." The band started working on this album shortly after "Wait Until The Story Ends" was released. "A few of the songs happened on the road. One track in particular, "Howling," was written in a hotel room in Las Vegas, in the middle of [a] two-month tour. Another song, "Wild World," was written in Utah, [while] staring at the snow. These songs were then taken to Wachakanda, and finished."

The way that songs come about is a tough question for Hoho to answer. "Lyrics and melodies just kind of happen. People ask me this question a lot, and I really never know how to answer. I am living, [and] I try to reflect that."

As for playing at the 8X10 Club, they've never played there before, but they have played at the Ottobar about a year ago. "I've heard nothing but great things about the [8X10] club, and [the] people running it," Hoho says. "I'm also looking forward to playing in Baltimore again."

The Click Clack Boom likes to keep in contact with their fans, and they do so in different ways. "We have email sheets that we set out for people to sign, but I think [that] Facebook works best for keeping touch with fans - Facebook and phone numbers. I'm a big fan of Facebook events and unlimited texting."

As for the debate between using MySpace or Twitter to keep in contact with people, Hoho knows what he likes best. "Does Twitter offer free music streaming, photos, and video?" he asks. Guess that's one for MySpace.

Check out The Click Clack Boom on their MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/clickclackboomband or their website at http://clickclackboom.com.

- by Meghan Hole


http://media.www.loyolagreyhound.com/media/storage/paper665/news/2009/10/13/ArtsSociety/Click.Clack.Boom.Heads.To.Baltimore.On.Their.Tour-3800968-page2.shtml
- The Greyhound (Loyola College - Maryland)

http://www.burgoblog.com/2008/03/30/nathaniel-hoho-under-the-radar/ - Burgo Blog

Despite their big-city success, indie rock band The Click Clack Boom said it's still at home in central Pennsylvania.

Rooted in Mifflintown, Pa., guitarist and singer Nathaniel Hoho and drummer Grant Wilson went from roaming around town and the Jersey Shore with an acoustic guitar and a hand drum to playing with a full band based out of New York City.

The band also had the opportunity to perform at last year's South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas.

"That one week alone, I did everything I wanted to do in my whole life," Wilson said.

"I got to eat bean burritos with people from some of my favorite bands."

Hoho said some of the people he met were Annie Clark of St. Vincent, Dave Navarro and Perry Farrell from Jane's Addiction, Michael Shuman of Queens of the Stone Age and the members of Grizzly Bear.

"We met a lot of people from Spin Magazine," Hoho said. "The CEO was there, and it seemed like he really liked our stuff."

The band will be returning to play in central Pennsylvania tonight at Café 210 West, 210 W. College Ave.

J.R. Mangan, co-owner of Café, said he heard the band play last spring when they opened for local act The Rustlanders. Mangan, who performs with the local band J.R. & Natalie, said he appreciates the band's songwriting.

"It seems upbeat and very melodic," Mangan said. "I want to develop them into an act we have every once and a while."

The Click Clack Boom grew from Hoho's solo act, he said -- the musicians he uses on the album were all friends who decided to form an ensemble. The songwriting efforts have since become a collaborative effort among the band.

"It's different, because nowadays he'll come to the band with a loose idea and it will become a song because of the band," Wilson said. "I like that we're diversifying."

Despite being partially based in New York, Hoho said he thinks of his band as still having a home in central Pennsylvania.

"Everybody is from central Pennsylvania," Hoho said. "It's where we practice and where we record."

However, Hoho said he moved to New York when the band became managed by Andy Hilfiger Entertainment. The band now plays there as much as they do in Pennsylvania.

The band's new album, which is being produced in Boalsburg and partially mixed in Brooklyn, is a perfect blend of the country and the city, Hoho said.

Matt Richey, rapper for the show's supporting act, Pasadena, said he remembers seeing Hoho in Brooklyn performing. The backing musicians he performed with would later become The Click Clack Boom.

"I remember him being really talented and really driven," Richey said.

"Whatever he does he does extremely well."

The Click Clack Boom invited Pasadena to open for them for several shows while they are on their current tour.

- by Jim Warkulwiz


http://www.collegian.psu.edu/venues/2009/10/08/click_clack_boom_to_bring_indi.aspx
- The Daily Collegian (State College, PA)

Of all the sets at Spike Hill last night, The Click Clack Boom stole the show. With an 8 pm slot, it’s often difficult to bring in a crowd and get the energy pumped up. But this 5-piece indie pop/rock group met the challenge and flew past it, busting out their lively tunes complete with layered vocal harmonies, catchy riffs and serious guitar breakdowns for a crowd that only grew as their upbeat songs filtered out to the Bedford sidewalk and drew in new fans. Throughout their set, the band members switched up instruments with ease, culminating in a driving number where lead singer Nathaniel Hoho banged wildly on the tom-tom while wailing the lyrics. Their songs were tight and fun, the band members leaping and vigorously shaking their fuzzy heads throughout the entire performance. While their MySpace recordings don’t capture the same energy, their live show will not disappoint.

- by Becky Firesheets

http://www.knocksfromtheunderground.com/ny-live-reviews/2009/10/22/cmj-day-2-the-click-clack-boom-volcanoless-in-canada-and-dem.html
- Knocks from the Underground (NYC-based blog)

What a difference a clack makes.

On the surface, new group Click Clack Boom, which returns to Youngstown for a Saturday show at Cedars, may sound like a Saliva cover band making light of the rock-radio group’s hit single “Click Click Boom,” but the truth is this New York City outfit couldn’t be any more stylistically different.

“Yeah, we don’t pay too much attention to [the Saliva song],” said Click Clack Boom visionary Nathaniel Hoho, calling from the Big Apple. “The name was derived from when I was playing solo shows and I had this drummer playing with me. So for a while, it was Nathaniel Hoho and the Click Clack Boom. And the click clack boom was something that happened when I talked about drums playing along with me. Click clack boom seemed like perfect words to describe the sound.”

For Hoho, who supported his 2007 solo debut EP, “Wait Until the Story Ends,” with a show at Cedars, the idea of forming Click Clack Boom came naturally. Not only did the majority of his current band mates play on his solo EP but they had all been friends for years back in their native Pennsylvania.

Having spent the past two years honing its rock style while also recording its debut full-length effort, which is due out in early 2010, Click Clack Boom is hoping its amalgamate sound speaks to music fans looking for something different on their iPods.

“We like to think our songwriting is a little bit diverse, but a lot of people categorize us as indie rock or indie pop,” Hoho said. “Indie to me is such a vague word. It pretty much varies from song to song. I’d say what we listen to has a big influence, and that’s something that is ever-changing. One thing that is pretty consistent throughout the band is that we all love The Beach Boys. We love the harmonies they use, and because everyone in the band sings, we do try to incorporate a lot of vocal harmony.

“But also some of us have rock-group [influences], so we like to be loud and play mean-sounding guitars and heavy drum kits. I don’t know. I’d say somewhat closer to Wilco. I play an acoustic through an amp and have that dirty tone.”

Among the new tracks Hoho said he’s excited about playing at Cedars are the gritty “The Negative” and the radio-friendly “Open Hands.” The singer also hinted there may be Kinks or TV on The Radio covers thrown into the set for fun. Speaking of fun, there is no denying the uniqueness of Hoho’s name, which some may instantly connect to a certain tasty chocolate dessert. So did he ever consider changing his name?

“No, I embrace it,” Hoho said. “Whenever I meet people, I’d say most of the time the reaction is one that it seems that they will remember me. That can’t be a bad thing. I’ve been in New York City for a while, and whenever you meet people, it’s good to be remembered. So that’s nice.”

You better believe Hoho is hoping his band’s music does the same.

- by John Benson


http://www.vindy.com/news/2009/nov/19/ny8217s-click-clack-boom-marching-to-its-own/?newswatch
- The Vindicator (Youngstown, OH)