- 2 days ago
Israeli-born artist, Eef Barzelay and his band Clem Snide have been bringing us his beautiful goods for years. The indie rock star has just birthed his 10th studio album, Oh Smokey , which he describes as 'slow, sad songs about God and death.' Barzelay wrote the record's eight tracks during an introspective time, while upending much of his life. His 25-year marriage dissolved, parting ways with his longtime manager, and leaving his Nashville home after two decades. He stopped by the LifeMinute studios to tell us all about it and play us a few tunes. This is a LifeMinute with Eef Barzelay.
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00:00Hey, this is Yves Barzillet of Clemsnide and you're watching Life Minute TV.
00:06Did you know these were Roger Ebert's dying words?
00:14Singer-songwriter Yves Barzillet and his band Clemsnide have been bringing us beautiful goods for years.
00:21The indie rock star has just dropped his tenth studio album, Oh Smokey, and Oh Is It Good.
00:27Stop by the Life Minute studios to tell us all about it and play a few tunes.
00:31This is a Life Minute with Yves Barzillet.
00:34Yves Barzillet in the house, otherwise known as Clemsnide.
00:39Yay, thanks for joining us on Life Minute.
00:42Yeah, thanks for having me.
00:43So good to have you. And you have a new album, Oh Smokey, your tenth album is it?
00:48I think, yeah, I stopped counting two years ago. I think it's the tenth one.
00:52Tell us about that, why that title and what's it sound like to you?
00:56Yeah, well I made it with this guy Josh Kaufman, who works on a bunch of records, worked with all kinds of people.
01:05Yeah, mostly I just wanted to make a record with him. You know, I just, I make records more, I'm kind of opportunistic.
01:11You know, if I, if I, if there's, if the things line up such that I can make a record, you know, then I'll finish up the songs that I have.
01:21And, and so yeah, we just got together. It was very casual, informal at his house, you know, over a few months.
01:28And yeah, but it came out really good. He played most of the, most of the instruments. He's like a multi-instrumentalist producer engineer, which was wonderful.
01:38And yeah, I just kind of stumbled in and, and sang, you know, just sang my parts.
01:46It was, it came out really nice. I'm proud of it. I think it's good. Yeah.
01:51You were born in Tel Aviv.
01:53I actually was born in Haifa. I know it says Tel Aviv on the Wikipedia. I don't know who wrote that.
01:58Oh, okay.
01:59But same difference. Yeah. I was born in Israel, Haifa, me and Gene Simmons. That's something that I have in common with Gene Simmons.
02:05Right, right, right, right.
02:07But I, you know, I, I don't, I haven't, I moved to New Jersey. My family moved there when I was really little, so I, I didn't, I grew up here.
02:14What made them come here?
02:16Um, yeah, it's a good question. I'm not, it's, I think for why most people come, you know, my dad was ambitious and wanted to, was an engineer.
02:26And, you know, he could get more, you know, more gigs here than in Israel. Yeah.
02:31Did you always know you wanted to be a musician? When did you know?
02:35When did I know?
02:37I didn't do very well in school and I didn't want to go to college and I didn't really want to do anything else.
02:42So I'd made the decision without really knowing what that even meant. You know, I, I just, yeah, just kind of went for it.
02:50When did you start writing songs?
02:52Um, like early, yeah, like 21, 22. I think I wrote my first, uh, I played guitar before then, but yeah, I didn't, I didn't really start trying to write songs until I was in my early twenties.
03:04And you have a really unique voice. How did you know you could sing?
03:08Yeah, I don't know. I just started singing, you know, I, uh, I, uh, yeah, again, I didn't, I didn't take any singing lessons or I don't even, I don't like to think of myself as a singer necessarily.
03:20You know, I just sing. That's how it comes out.
03:23Very modest.
03:24Hope for the best. Hope for the best.
03:26But, uh, you know, I've been doing it for, yeah, I think I figured it out finally, but you know, those first couple of records, I mean, it, yeah, you can tell my voice sounds a little, you know, a little tentative.
03:36It takes a while.
03:37I didn't know about that.
03:38It's just definitely unique. Like, you know, it's you and you're saying.
03:41Oh, thank you.
03:42How would you describe your sound over the course of all these years?
03:46Um, I don't know, you know, the sound of each record has been sort of different. The band, different people have come and gone. I think for me, it's just, uh, yeah, it's just about the words, you know, the, the melody. The song is just a melody and words.
04:00You know, everything else is just sort of can be whatever you want it to be, you know, and I, I've never committed to, we used to be more like rock and then we went very quiet and more country.
04:12It's, yeah, it's, uh, I just think of it as like American music, you know, rock and roll, country, folk. I mean, I, I don't get too like genre.
04:20Yeah. Yeah.
04:21Sort of focused.
04:22What comes first for you, the music or the lyrics or just both?
04:26The pain. That's what comes first. The anguish. Um, yeah, it goes both ways. You know, sometimes I'll, I'll, uh, I'll have some words and, and a melody will find its way into the words and sometimes I'll have a melody and the words kind of find a way into that.
04:41Um, yeah, I think, uh, but for me, the words are important. I think I'll probably focus more on the, on the words than anything else.
04:49What about the instruments of guitar? Were you self taught or did you have lessons?
04:54Yeah, no, I studied, I took guitar. I took guitar lessons in high school, uh, with this, uh, great old guy from Jersey named, uh, Van Moretti, who could have been, uh, yeah, one of the greats, but just chose to stay, you know, around Jersey and just teach and stuff.
05:09But he kind of groomed me to be like a jazz. He taught me how to play jazz guitar, like that Joe Pass kind of, you know, style.
05:18So I, I went to Berkeley college of music after high school with the vague notion that I would be like a jazz guitar player.
05:26But, but then I, uh, I didn't even know what that meant. And then I heard like, you know, I got more, uh, interested in like the punk rock music than the jazz music.
05:37I felt more, uh, more doable to me.
05:40Like who are your influences?
05:41My influences, uh, it's hard to say. It's sort of changed over the years.
05:48Um, you know, the big influence for me in terms of songwriting, I'd say it was Hank Williams.
05:53Actually, I'd say I learned to write songs by learning Hank Williams songs.
05:57I think it's a good, like just foundation. Um, but yeah, I don't know, I love all, all kinds of music.
06:03I, I, it's hard for me to, I love Daniel Johnson. He was a big influence back in the day.
06:08And the Townes Van Zandt, you know, Graham Parsons, uh, Neil Young.
06:14I got deep into Neil for, for many years for sure. Um, yeah, you know, all the usual cats.
06:21Very eclectic. That's cool. And then Clemsnide, how did that come to be?
06:27The name? Oh, I know the name. Wow. All right. So yeah, we started, uh, the band, it was a band, uh, initially.
06:35And, uh, we were, we had this William Burroughs, uh, cassette of him just reading some of his writings.
06:44And it just opened with, uh, he said, my name's Clemsnide and I'm a private asshole.
06:50And the name just stuck, uh, all these years later.
06:54But later on, I found out that a lot of bands had gotten their names from William Burroughs.
06:58So it's not the most original, original way to find a name, but, uh, you know, it works. It's cool.
07:05Brief touch with mainstream. Yeah. Your songs have been on Ed, Californication, that show.
07:11What was that like when that got picked up?
07:13And I mean, I love when that stuff happens, but it, it, uh, I have like nothing to do with that.
07:18I just get like an email. They're using, uh, my cover of I'll be your mirror in the Handmaid's Tale.
07:25Again, I used it in a couple of seasons back and I've been using it again this season.
07:29Awesome. Awesome.
07:30That's cool. Yeah. It keeps the lights on, you know, for sure.
07:33And you've dug deep into other artists' catalog, um, cover versions of their songs.
07:38Yeah. Um, any favorites that you have?
07:40Oh God. I do a lot of fan, I do this thing called Fan Chosen Covers where I just, you know, let people suggest covers.
07:48And, uh, and, uh, uh, the one I love doing Staying Alive. That's, uh, Bee Gees, you know, that's so good.
07:55I love the Bee Gees so much. I know. Um, I do that one a lot. Uh, yeah, I'll be your mirror. I do, uh, I've been doing, I wanna be your dog by the Stooges recently.
08:05That's fun. I do kind of a Yacht Rock, uh, version of it though. If you can imagine.
08:11I can.
08:12And, uh, and then now I, uh, yeah, I spend about three or four months out of the year just going from one house to the next and playing in people's living rooms and backyards.
08:23Um, and it's great. I, uh, I have some fans that I've, yeah, I've been, I've known for almost 20 years.
08:30I mean, it's like old friends and it's kind of special, you know, in that way. I think, yeah, one of the advantages of not ever becoming too famous, just famous enough.
08:43You can go to the website, the Clemsonai.de, um, Instagram. Yeah. Send me a message and, uh, yeah, I'll throw some dates at you. Let's make it happen. Come on.
08:53Unbelievable.
08:54You know, it's no, uh, pay whatever you want. It's kind of a pay what you can deal.
08:57Talk about an intimate show.
08:59Oh, I've done some real intimate ones. I played for two people once. Just two people.
09:04You're kidding.
09:05They sat right in front of me, just as close as you are.
09:07Oh my God.
09:08And they started talking too, while I was playing.
09:11They were excited. They had to just talk about it.
09:14What does music do for people?
09:16Oh man, you know, it definitely does something. You know, I've had, uh, more than a few people on this tour, just, uh, you know, weeping like into my shoulder for, um,
09:28Um, I, yeah, I'd like, I think it, I like to, uh, just get down to some core.
09:34You know, we're all just the same. We're all just like, you know, children of God.
09:40You know, I like to, to just get right to that. You know what I'm saying? The truth of just being alive and being a person.
09:49Yeah. I want to be free. You know, I want to live as free as I can. You know, I want to achieve a state of grace, um, and just be free in my mind, body and spirit.
10:00And just, uh, bring the good vibes. You know, I just try to, to bring good vibes wherever I go.
10:06Are you going to play for us now?
10:08Yes.
10:09All right. What are you going to play?
10:10Um, I was going to play the Roger Ebert song that I, that's on the record before.
10:16All right, here goes.
10:37Did you know these were Roger Ebert's dying words?
10:46Did you know these were Roger Ebert's dying words?
10:57It's all an elaborate hoax.
11:07It's all an elaborate hoax.
11:16He looked ever peaceful. He looked ever young. Accepting his moment that soon would be done.
11:25He wrote in a note that he passed to his wife as he felt himself shedding the skin of this life.
11:34It said, there is a vastness that can't be contained or described as a thought in the flesh of our brain.
11:44It's everything, everywhere, future and past, dissolving together in an eternal flash.
11:53With no words to say that he loved her so much. His hands seemed to pass through whatever it touched.
12:00With no words to say that he loved her so much
12:16His hands seemed to pass through whatever it touched
12:21And the credits that rolled listed all of God's names
12:26As images floated away from their frames
12:31From their frames
12:37Did you know these were Roger Ebert's dying words?
12:49Did you know these were Roger Ebert's dying words?
12:59It's all an elaborate hoax
13:08It's all an elaborate hoax
13:18It's all an elaborate hoax
13:27It's all an elaborate hoax
13:37One more?
13:51Can we do another?
13:52I can do one off the new record
13:54I can only play like three songs with this ukulele
13:58This is one of the two
14:01All right, here, we'll do this one yet
14:06It's called At Your Command
14:08And it's on the Oh Smokey record
14:11Like a prayer
14:15Non-denominational
14:18God
14:21Won't you meet me half the way
14:25I've come
14:29With my seeds in hand
14:33God
14:38Treat me as you would a child
14:43I'm here
14:46Always
14:49At Your Command
14:51I'm here
14:58Always
15:00At Your Command
15:03God
15:12Make me bend
15:16Towards Your light
15:18Then softly
15:21Lay me in the field
15:25God
15:30Hold me
15:32Hold me
15:33Like a baby bird
15:35Naked
15:38Before everything
15:42What's real
15:43Tempted
15:48As I am
15:49All these earthly things
15:53That only
15:56Ever
15:58Just slip
15:59Through my
16:00Hand
16:01Oh
16:05Where
16:05Do I end
16:06And where
16:07Is it
16:08That
16:09You
16:09Begin
16:10Guide me
16:14As I
16:16Take my
16:17Final
16:18Stand
16:18God
16:40I'm hiding
16:43In the uncut grass
16:46A bright red lighter
16:51Buried in the sand
16:54God
16:58Please
17:00Just meet me
17:03Half the way
17:04I'm here
17:07Always
17:10At Your Command
17:12I'm here
17:16Always
17:19At Your Command
17:22All right
17:31Play the third one
17:33All right
17:35I'm gonna do
17:35This is also on the new record
17:39Well this is one that I
17:41Yeah it's one of those songs I wrote for
17:43I started doing this thing
17:45During COVID
17:47When I was
17:48You know all the tours
17:49Got canceled
17:50So I was kind of trapped
17:51In the basement
17:52And yeah I invited people
17:54To tell me
17:54Tell me
17:55Just yeah
17:56Talk to me
17:56Give me something
17:57Tell me your life story
17:59Give me something good
18:00And I'll try and make a song
18:01For you out of it
18:02And one guy
18:04That reached out to me
18:05Immediately
18:05Was real excited
18:06About the whole project
18:07A guy named Dan
18:09And Dan
18:11Dan's story
18:13Basically was that
18:14He had about four months
18:15Left to live
18:16He was a terminal
18:18And I had stopped
18:20All the you know
18:21Treatments
18:21And sold everything
18:23Was living in an RV
18:24In the deserts of Utah
18:25And we had a conversation
18:28I did it you know
18:29Through the computer
18:30For this like
18:31It just kind of
18:31Turned into a podcast
18:32Basically
18:33But anyway
18:36So Dan
18:36Yeah Dan knew
18:38When he was gonna die
18:39And was really
18:41Like just living
18:42You know
18:44With just
18:44Without a care
18:45Without a care
18:46In the world
18:47And it was
18:48It was really
18:48Kind of wonderful
18:49To talk to him
18:50He was
18:50He was really
18:51So full of joy
18:52You know
18:53And this freedom
18:54And he was
18:56Writing
18:56He was finishing his novel
18:58He was writing songs
18:59And also getting real
19:01Getting wasted
19:03Every night
19:03He liked to party
19:05You know
19:05So now it was all
19:06It was like
19:07A no holds barred
19:08Kind of
19:09Big
19:10Going out in a blaze of glory
19:11Kind of a situation
19:12And anyway
19:14So I wrote him a song
19:15A couple weeks after
19:16We talked
19:17And I sent him the song
19:19And he wrote me back
19:21So I was so excited to hear it
19:24But he had promised his friend
19:25They would listen to it together
19:26So the plan was to go back
19:29To San Diego
19:30For the weekend
19:31And hang out with a friend
19:32And also planning to take
19:34A lot of
19:35A lot of like
19:36You know
19:36Mushrooms
19:37That weekend
19:39And that was another part
19:39Of his plan
19:40So he was going to trip hard
19:42And listen to the song
19:42And anyway
19:43We were going to talk again
19:44After
19:44After that
19:45But the weekend came and went
19:49And I didn't hear back from him
19:50And then like another week went by
19:52And still
19:53Wrote him
19:54Hey Dan
19:55You know
19:55What's up buddy
19:56And I just never heard
19:58Never heard back from him
19:59So
20:00I don't even know
20:00If he heard the song
20:01So I don't know
20:02I like to
20:03I like to play it whenever I can
20:04You know
20:04Maybe
20:05Maybe he's somewhere
20:06Listening
20:06So it's called
20:09Angel Canyon
20:10Song for Dan
20:11And it goes like this
20:12Well at least there is bourbon
20:16At least there is weed
20:19And even mushrooms
20:21If you need
20:22And tiny little
20:26Empty eyes
20:29Kindly staring back at you
20:32Angel Canyon
20:35At night
20:36Has the darkest of skies
20:38It's quieter than death
20:42Seemed as good a place
20:47As any fort
20:48Drawn your last breath
20:52Cause you can't run
20:57You can't hide
21:01When it's your own
21:06Body's
21:09Time to die
21:12As you well know
21:16It's painfully clear
21:22So may some sweet
21:25Old song
21:28Be the last thing
21:31That you hear
21:35And Dan
21:54Well there are some
21:56Who have died
21:57And come back
21:57With many a crazy
22:01Tale to tell
22:02It's hard to know
22:04Just what to make
22:07Of all that
22:09But they all tend to speak
22:15Of some heavenly light
22:17And a love
22:18Outside of time
22:21And a joy for which
22:24There are no
22:26Earthly words
22:30Cause you can't run
22:33And you can't hide
22:38When it's your own
22:43Body's
22:46Time to die
22:48As you well know
22:52It's painfully clear
22:58So may some sweet
23:02Old song
23:04Be the last thing
23:08That you hear
23:12You can't run
23:31You can't hide
23:36When it's your own
23:41When it's your own
23:41Body's
23:44Time to die
23:47As you well know
23:51It's painfully clear
23:57So may some sweet
24:00Old song
24:03Be the last thing
24:06That you hear
24:10To see more of this interview
24:14Visit our website
24:15lifeminute.tv
24:17And don't forget to subscribe
24:18To our podcast
24:20Life Minute TV
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