“The Dirty Clergy” A Band Of Highly Skilled Musician

Today we had conversation with Co-founder & guitarist of “The Dirty Clergy Band” Brian Manasco. The Dirty Clergy is a multi talented music band who recently released a new single “ALL I NEED”. We really loved this conversation with Brian Manasco who spoke on behalf of all the band members. Sharing it here with our readers.

Twist Online : How you entered into Music Industry? Is there any story behind?
Brian Manasco : We began as a folk duo in 2009, but we didn’t form into a full rock band until 2010. I think sometime in 2011 is when people really began to take notice. After we made that change from folk to rock things really changed. We had the opportunity to work with The Strokes/Regina Spektor producer Gordon Raphael that year and we learned a lot from working with him. That, in a way, put us on a low key map and it’s just grown from there.

Twist Online : Tell us a little about your band members?
Brian Manasco : Brad White is the vocalist and we go back to 2003-2004 really. We would just get together and freestyle songs and come up with these riffs and melodies and record them on a little tape recorded. He didn’t enter the band until 2011 though, another reason things really changed in the band that year. Joshua Pope started with the band in 2010 as the bass player, ultimately moving over to guitar after a few lineup changes.
After our midwest tour in 2012 we had some departing members. Kyle Estes left us on drums and Michael Pope decided to do the family thing so we had to find a drummer and a bass player about 6 weeks out from our big west coast tour.
Enter Cody Moorehead (Drums) and Ky Carter (Bass). They were like a packaged deal. They had been playing together for years and they made the adjustment well and very quickly. We have held this lineup since 2012, so we must be doing something right now.

Twist Online : It’s said about you that you got the 50’s element in your singing style. Any reason for that?
Brian Manasco : Well it goes hand in hand with the way I write songs and the way Brad can sing songs. He has a pretty incredible vocal range and the ability to harmonize like I’ve never heard. As far as the songs go, I’ve always liked the early days of rock and roll. Buddy Holly, Elvis, Roy Orbison and all those guys. Where do we go today in music? There’s hardly any guitar on the radio anymore. Is that good or bad? I don’t think it’s very good. Let’s bring it back. It deserves to be heard.

Twist Online : Tell us about Your new single “ALL I NEED” ?
Brian Manasco : One day before we entered the studio to record ‘Rattlesnake’ all we had for ‘All I Need’ was the verses. There was no chorus and I had been trying to get a great chorus for it. So, I started sifting through remnants of songs I had to see what I could
make fit and I came across one and snatched the chorus from it and it became ‘All I Need’. I guess all I needed was a chorus, right?
But as far as the meaning of the song goes, it’s whatever you want it to mean.

Twist Online : What music genre ‘The Dirty Clergy’ follows?
Brian Manasco : I’d say we fall under the rock category, but after that it branches off. We don’t categorize ourself as one specific kind. We have an ability to do many things and that’s what we intend to do. So, call it indie rock, pop rock, power pop, garage rock, or just call it rock & roll. We will do what we do.

Twist Online : We are impressed by the lyrics of “All I need” who wrote it?
The Dirty Clergy : I wrote it. I kinda covered most of the things about this song in an earlier Question. However, it’s our lead single and people are reacting really well to it.

Twist Online : Is there someone in music industry who is your inspiration?
Brian Manasco : We all have different inspirations really. I’ll name a few to cover everyone. The Raveonettes, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, Bono.

Twist Online : Are You working on any new project? When it will be released?
Brian Manasco : This album releases July 1st. So we are getting prepared for that. I try not to look too forward into the future, but that is what we are working on at the moment.

Twist Online : How your fans can follow you?
Brian Manasco : Mostly on Facebook. www.facebook.com/thedirtyclergy @clergyrock on Twitter.