Hitting the road: Interview with The McClymonts.

Sister act The McClymonts have been a permanent fixture on country charts for over a decade now. In that time they have released five albums and have won two ARIA Awards and a treasure trove of Golden Guitar Awards. In the middle of 2017 they decided to take a break to concentrate on some side projects and personal milestones. For Sam McClymont, for instance, it was the birth of Sam’s first baby, while Brooke McClymont teamed up with her husband to record their first album together. Interestingly, the hiatus only reaffirmed why they are so loved, as fans began champing at the bits for them to return. And so, after a year off Brooke, Sam and Mollie are hitting the road again with a huge national tour in celebration of the success of their latest single Like We Used To (debuting at #1 on the ARIA Country Charts) and their album Endless that took out the coveted Album of the Year award recently at this year’s Country Music Awards.

Just prior to the beginning of The McClymonts run of shows that will see them play a 23-date National Tour, I had the pleasure to chat with an excited Mollie McClymont. Here is some of what we talked about.

The ‘Like We Used To Tour’ kicks off very soon, what can we expect from The McClymonts?

You can expect a range of songs off our five albums, as well as a few covers. We love to share stories with the audience and let them in on what’s been going on in our lives lately. Of course we love to give them a high energy, rockin’ show. 

Will you be sneaking any new material into your show? 

You’ll have to come to a show to find out! 

Which songs do you perform most frequently? Is there a difference between your favourites and fan favourites?

Kick it up! Its definitely a fan favourite and it has become a favourite of ours as well because everyone is singing, dancing and always having a good time when we play it.

It must be really amazing to watch your audience grow and see some of the same people coming back and new fans too. Do you have a great fan story you can share?

We start to know some of our fans by name as they come to so many of ours shows which is awesome! A young country fan named Shaz got our song lyrics tattooed on her wrist! We’ve had a couple more tattoo stories since… now that is a true fan! So cool! 

What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set routine or are most things spontaneous?

They are very planned out. We make sure there’s a setlist before we get to rehearsals so everyone knows what is going on, then if we have to move a song here or there because it’s not sitting right in the set, we move it. We work out our segways, and make sure the show runs as smoothly as possible. We like to be polished! 

How have your live shows evolved since you first began playing together?

In the beginning we started out with just the three of us on instruments. We now have a band, lighting, videos in our shows and a lot more songs to sing! 🙂 

The McClymonts are indeed quite the family affair! Do you think this has had an impact on your music in anyway?

Yes of course. I think there’s something very special about family bands, they just seem to blend without trying. 

Recently on your social media sites The McClymonts said, “We have always loved each other. But having children has certainly made us appreciate and value one another so much more. It has made us realise that family is the most important thing, no matter what.” Do you think there will never be a day when you say goodbye to music for family sake?

We have been a band for 12 years, in that time we have ironed out all of the teething issues like any business and we make sure we are all on the same page before doing anything. I don’t think we will ever say goodbye, we are just getting started.

Do you ever feel nostalgic about all that you have achieved as a family? 

Yes of course! I always look back and can’t help but feel so proud of everything we have achieved and gone through together. 

Finally, I certainly hope there is another album around the corner. Are there any plans for a pending new release for the future?

Yes there is! We are set for a Jan 2019 release, but that does mean we need to get our butts into gear and actually record the thing! 

For tickets and touring information on The McClymonts Like We Used TO Tour click HERE. You can also connect with the McClymonts via their Facebook page. Follow them on Instagram and Twitter. Listen to them via Spotify. Watch to them on You Tube.

Photo credit: All images are supplied by the PR team Revolutions Per Minute. I am not the uploader of You Tube clips embedded here.