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“There are some giddy tunes and sone really downbeat heartbroken songs. “It’s a really wide-ranging album,” said Iguana. They merge earthy blues and soul with pop hooks and punk spirit, writing an intriguing new chapter in American roots music. But the Claudettes have created their own fanatical fusion of blues and soul-jazz. Rather than attack the blues with one or two guitars, the Claudettes brandish a piano instead. The Claudettes combine the Chicago blues-piano tradition with the energy of rockabilly and punk and the sultry sound of ’60s soul-jazz to create a thrilling new spin on American roots music.Īccording to Downbeat Magazine, “The Claudettes hit listeners upside the head with a mash-up of Otis Spann blues, Albert Ammons boogie-woogie, Ray Charles soul and “Fess” Longhair New Orleans R&B.” We listen to them over and over and learn a lot from listening.” “For us, new songs are the most exciting thing. It was mastered by Joe La Porta at Sterling Sound. The second session, in Chicago, was helmed by Grammy-winning producer Ted Hutt (Violent Femmes, Old Crow Medicine Show) and mixed in LA by Hutt and Ryan Mall. The first was recorded and co-produced in Chicago by recent Grammy nominee Anthony Gravino (Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter) and mixed in NYC by Grammy-winning legend Kevin Killen (David Bowie, U2, Elvis Costello).

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We play together enough so we knew how to do it tightly.”įor “The Claudettes Go Out!,” the band completed two sessions. Michael and Zach practiced and came up with the right parts to overdub. Because of the lockdown, it was done piecemeal. “The new album was done in several sessions. “Later in 2020, we got together to make a new album,” said Iguana. One bright side about the band’s break from the road was it allowed time to work on their upcoming album.

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They said – we’ll just crack a beer and watch TV.” “When people were deciding about whether to go out, they didn’t go out. “Going out” is what the Claudettes have been doing – and what they are suggesting as an activity for music fans. “I spend a lot of time booking shows, arranging for our lodging, sending out posters, arranging promo for our shows and editing our music videos.” “The percentage of time I spend writing and recording is miniscule compared to all the other things I have to do to keep things going,” said Iguana. He is the singer, main writer, musical director, booking agent and spokesperson. Iguana wears many hats with the Claudettes. After what we went through with the pandemic, we don’t take anything for granted - including the van’s checkups and oil changes. “Our shows are really special,” said Iguana, during a recent phone interview from Des Moines, Iowa on his way home from a gig in Denver. This weekend, the Claudettes will visit the area again for a show at City Winery (990 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, ) on July 22. The band recently did a European tour and now has a schedule of Friday-Sunday mini tours now through November with weekend visits to the Northeast, Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan, South Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The title of the band’s soon-to-be-released album is “The Claudettes Go Out!”, which will be released via Forty Below Records Release on October 14. Now, the quartet that features pianist/songwriter Johnny Iguana, bassist/singer Zach Verdoorn, vocalist Berit Ulseth and drummer Michael Caskey, has returned to the road with a vengeance after taking time last year to record a new album. Late last year, the Claudettes returned to playing live concerts – including a powerful show at the Arden Gild Hall just over the state line in Delaware.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 robbed the Chicago-based band of that aspect for more than two years. But, more than anything, the Claudettes are a great live band. The Claudettes do wonderful work in the recording studio.

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