After-Effects

Clint Boge sounds surprisingly calm. The vocalist has just recently quit The Butterfly Effect. Always a passionate and animated conversationalist, the former frontman nevertheless seems uncharacteristically sedate when discussing his departure. Not muted or despondent – but calm, peaceful, untroubled. Philosophical, even. Regardless of specific terminology; it's not the outlook expected of an artist walking away from a ten-year relationship.

“It was pretty difficult when we made the official announcement, I'll admit. I don't think it really sunk in properly until it was announced,” Boge says of his state of mind. “But I'd made the decision back in September. We just decided not to say anything until February because we wanted to get all the stuff for the final tour together. And, you know, it gave us all time to have a good think about whether we were all on the same page… Now, though? Now, I'm feeling pretty good about it.”

As conversation unfolds, it's revealed that time actually plays a significant role in Boge's optimism. Not simply in regards to time spent reflecting on his pending departure – but time spent by The Butterfly Effect as a whole negotiating various conflicts that would eventually lead to said departure. Boge, for example, quite candidly speaks of disagreements and schisms dating back to before the release of the band's last album – 2008's prophetically-titled Final Conversation Of Kings.

“I think we jumped too early to record it. I think we should have waited another six to 12 months and written another ten songs to flesh out that album,” the frontman says of the band's third album. “I don't think the album sounded very good. I actually asked for a remix for the entire album – and was quite unanimously opposed. I got a very blunt 'no'. More than that, though, I felt, as a band, we missed a lot of key elements that go into making an album.

“There should have been more group input on the songs, on the sounds, on the recording of those sounds – and none of that happened,” he elaborates. “Whoever was recording at the time was the person in charge. I still think it's a good album – but it could have been a great album. Certainly, we all feel within the band that it could have been a lot better and none of us wanted that to be our last album together. Unfortunately, our relationships just couldn't hold.”

Calm demeanour acknowledged, it's obvious that Boge is still somewhat troubled by the disagreements. The frontman refrains from accusations and complaints but nevertheless makes frequent and consistent reference to the disintegration of trust and relationships. The Butterfly Effect's new compilation Effected, for example,does not feature new material on account of aforesaid disintegration of trust. That said; Boge doesn't sound angered so much as saddened.

“I just couldn't be in a band with those guys anymore. I had to leave before the relationships decayed any further,” he says matter-of-factly. “We did talk about doing some of the songs we'd written for the fourth album for the compilation. Like I said, none of us wanted to go out on Final Conversation Of Kings. I said to them, though, that I wanted to record the vocal parts by myself – without them looking over my shoulder – and they didn't go for it. They simply didn't trust me.

“It really is all in the past, though, man. You know, once it was decided that I was leaving, it all kind of evaporated. I'm not just saying that to be a nice guy, either. We'd been trying to write an album for three years and we just couldn't get on the same page. They didn't like what I was doing, I didn't like what they were doing. It took us two years to write five songs. Once the pressure of writing was gone, though, we could kind of enjoy our time together again.”

In truth, Boge's quiet demeanour seems indicative of a much broader shift than a simple change in musical association. It's hard not to suspect that, even without The Butterfly Effect's interpersonal problems, Boge could not have endured much longer as the frontman for the notoriously hard-touring hard rockers. It's telling that, following the band's final tour, Boge's plans are not to form another band or to work with side-project Thousand Needles In Red.

“I'm really looking forward to just doing a tour by myself,” he smiles. “I just want to take the guitar out by myself and go play. Just really small rooms, the back corner of a dinner club or something, just blend in with the artwork at the back of the room. That's going to be cool, man. I've never done it before. Just me and my guitar. I'm really looking forward to it.

“I really do think I'm kind of over bands – the whole, 'Does this idea work? Does mine? I don't like it, do you like it?' – it's just too messy. [The Butterfly Effect side-project] Final Days Of Autumn was supposed to be my solo stuff but that just got too messy with the band and imploded,” the singer sighs. “I'm still looking forward to working with Needles eventually but, really, I'm just excited to be kind of getting my solo stuff out there.”

He just doesn't seem interested in being any form of rock star. The Butterfly Effect were, at one point, Australia's most promising hard rock export – signed to a major label, critically acclaimed, commercially respected and with strong overseas prospects. Boge's soaring vocals and charismatic presence frequently saw him discussed as one of the country's great young rock frontmen. Ten years later, Clint Boge – now a family man – doesn't seem interested in stardom. He just wants to work.

“For me, I don't want to be one of those guys. I look at Bon Jovi and Aerosmith and those guys still jumping around on stage at their age and, good on them for doing it, but I don't want to be like that. I've never wanted to be like that,” he says with a chuckle. “I think it works for them but, for some dude to be like 50 and doing some kind of screamo, emo, nu-metal – that's how old I am, I don't even know what I am anymore – I just think it would look really ridiculous.

“You know, I've been really enjoying doing my vocal coaching clinics every now and then – teaching young singers how to sing without damaging their voice – and I'm hoping I can develop that into the future,” the singer reflects wistfully. “Just kind of sit at the back of some pub on a residency or something on the weekend, teach during the week and work on music in between. I'd be really happy doing that, I think.”