His Clancyness

His Clancyness

His Clancyness is the alias of Jonathan Clancy, a Canadian-Italian indie act based in Bologna, Canada. Clancy is born in Ottawa and raised between Canada and Italy, moving between the two countries until his late teenage years, when he settles in Bologna. He signs to FatCat in March 2013 and is also associated with Maple Death Records.

Background

Before starting His Clancyness in 2009, Clancy gains experience in a number of hardcore and punk bands, and also tours in a couple of indie groups. He begins the project as a solo outlet, recording at home, often late at night, and writing and playing everything himself.

Recording style and early releases

The early recordings are characterised by bedroom-made psych-pop, with fuzzy guitars, cloudy ambient textures, warm drum machine pulses, bittersweet chord changes and a strong melodic focus. Clancy’s vocals are often reverb-heavy and wistful in tone. A collection of these tracks is compiled in 2010 as Always Mist. It first appears as a self-released cassette limited to 100 copies, then is reissued in March 2012 by Splendour and Secret Furry Hole as a remastered and expanded edition with seven additional tracks. The original release is selected for Altered Zones’ Tapes of the Year in 2010.

Influences and covers

Clancy cites a wide range of influences, including Swell Maps, Can, David Bowie, the Modern Lovers, Lee Hazlewood, Scott Walker, the Gun Club, Women, Stevie Nicks, Gastr Del Sol, the Zombies and “just about every psychedelic pop nugget ever produced”. Other audible reference points include the Beach Boys, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Panda Bear, Deerhunter, Kurt Vile and Lower Dens. He also records covers of songs by Eddie Cochrane, Ariel Pink, El Pierro Del Mar and Altro.

Vicious and later line-up

Vicious follows as a more fully formed album. It is recorded in Detroit as a trio with Paul Pieretto on bass and Jacopo Borazzo on drums, and produced by Chris Koltay, who has worked with Atlas Sound, Lotus Plaza, Akron/Family, the Dirtbombs and Liars. The record is described through its material as more direct, forceful and cohesive than the earlier home recordings, with luminous guitars and a taut, motorik-style rhythmic drive.

Although the recorded music is written, performed and, up to Vicious, produced by Clancy himself, the live version of His Clancyness expands into a full band. On tour, Giulia Mazza contributes synths, keyboards, noise boxes, vocals and percussion, Emanuela Drei plays bass, sampler, vocals, and Jacopo Borazzo plays drums and percussion.