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In the past decade, South Wales has seen notable alternative, post punk and post hardcore bands sculpting the scene, turning it into arguably one of the best in the UK. Bands like Funeral of A Friend, Bullet For My Valentine and Lostprophets had claim its turf on the burgeoning Welsh scene, paving the way for newer guns who are waiting round the corner for a break.

One such band is The Clay, a three piece from Newport, home to pop punk giants like 60ft Dolls and Elastica’s Donna Matthews (who has started a new band, Klang), which according to their press release, were influential in carrying the “new wave of new wave” banner through the blood and piss-stained streets of the ‘Port.

Unlike the other bands waiting round the corner, The Clay is getting their break, having just signed on to the chief of indie labels, 1965 Records (the force behind The View, The Metros and The Draytones), to release their debut single, “What They Told You”, on 21st April 2008. That’s in three days!

The budding trio is made up of brothers Anthony Hill, aged 20, on guitar and vocals, and Jonathan Hill, 17, on drums and vocals. They grew up playing music together and are joined by their bassist friend Dougie Humphries, aged 21, who lives on the same street as the boys.

Anthony says, “My dad, Chris, is into his music big time. When we’d come home from school he’d be playing the Dolls at full blast and we decided pretty early on that’s what we wanted to do.”

Citing the Dolls as their elder statesmen influence, alongside historic English rockers The Clash, The Jam, Supergrass, The Kinks, Manic Street Preachers and The Who, the band offers their take on “new wave of new wave of new wave”.

Their debut single, “What They Told You”, sounds just like one of those old-fashioned anthems – raw and minimalistic, with unpretentious lyrics that simply tells you “it’s 3 o’clock, the football’s on, the boys are coming round to watch but what they told you they never did come true”.

In the midst of their heavy rehearsals, Halfway Street managed to have an online chat with The Clay via their MySpace.

HS: “What They Told You” is debuting next week. How’s the band feeling?
Jonathan: We are really excited about releasing our debut single, it’s a great start of things for us.

HS: So when did you guys form, and did everything just moved really quickly or were there some struggles getting your single out?
Jonathan: As a band, we formed last year, though we have all been playing music since we were young, I think it’s only a struggle if you try to do all the hard work yourself. Up until now, we have just enjoyed what we’ve been doing.

HS: How did the idea for the song develop? What does it really represent.. “but what they told you, they never come true anyway”?
Anthony: “What They Told You” really to me is about doing what you want to do, I don’t tend to put one story to What They Told You, I think what makes a good song is being able to see what you want within the words, and general feeling to it.

HS: What else will be happening for the band? Is there an album in the making?
Dougie: We are currently in the studio writing new material, enjoying some of the ideas we are coming up with, as of yet, we haven’t confirmed any details on the album, it will be a big step that we hope to achieve in the future. We also have a number of London gigs coming up within the next month.

HS: What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done?
Jonathan: I lived in China for a month back in August last year. It was an exchanged project, and I travelled around the country and lived with a Chinese family for a short time. That was pretty big I’d say.

HS: So… Pete Doherty or Lily Allen?
Anthony: Pete Doherty from his days back when he was in The Libertines, defiantly. But if anyone was to quote a great British artist, it would be the late, great Kirsty Macoll.

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The Single, What They Told You, will be available on iTunes digital download this 21st April 2008 and as a strictly limited edition 7″ vinyl from HMV/HMV online on 12th May 2008. Pre-orders for the vinyl will be available from HMV shortly.

Check out the full song in their latest video:

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Halfway Street would like to thank The Clay for their time in answering our questions. All pictures used with permission from the band.

STRPPN FRIDAYZ is a weekly feature on Halfway Street with artists of sorts (fashion, music, arts, etc). If you would like your favourite band or artist to be interviewed on STRPPN FRIDAYZ, drop us a mail at halfwaystreet@gmail.com

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