How Do I Listen

The McClymonts' single “How Long Have You Known” hit No.1 on the Australian country music chart and CMC video chart. The girls' new album was released and showcased with a massive live performance in their hometown at the Grafton Racecourse in mid-May.  Growing up, Sam McClymont (she's the blonde one) was constantly playing the piles of cassette tapes her parents and sisters cranked on their Walkmans. Sam's father was a massive fan of Don Williams, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson and a bunch of other country stars, while her mother rebelled, favouring the sweet sounds of female pop/country stars like Shania Twain and Trisha Yearwood.

Last year while on tour, the girls spent a lot of time watching 'old-school' rock and roll videos as well as lying in their bunks listening to their own playlists. “The good thing about having an iPad is you all go back to your bunk and listen to your own music at night,” says Sam. “I enjoy listening to artists such as Alison Krauss, Regina Carter and Brad Paisley, but then I cross over to non-country artists like Robin Thicke.”

When the girls are travelling they also like to get out and about and check out the towns they're visiting, which has led Sam and her sisters to some cool tourist attractions like the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Of all the music The McClymonts listen to, it's their own album they are most excited about hearing. Because it's so fresh, they get a chance to become more familiar with the new material and learn how to adapt their polished studio tones into a raw, live setting. When listening, Sam really focuses on her own vocal parts in order to hone her harmonies. After a while though, playing four or five shows a week, she finds the idea of listening to the same songs to be a little weird.

Growing up as singers, the girls learned a lot from listening to family-based bands like the Cox family and the Judds, especially when developing their vocal harmonies. A lot of harmony singers have trouble hearing themselves when singing live and are unable to accurately reproduce the right notes, but a seasoned pro like Sam finds it essential to listen to not only what she's doing, but to what her sister Brooke (the main lead singer) is doing too. Sam feels that being a harmony singer is all about following the lead voice and making sure the vocals are tight, following certain inflictions and particular licks of the lead voice.

Hearing yourself is a crucial part of being able to sing in key when playing live, and so far The McClymont's have often been reliant on the humble stage monitor, a.k.a. foldback wedge, to get their vocal bearings. They have only used in-ear monitors a few times, as it's not something they're yet comfortable with. However, Sam is well aware that it's something they can't avoid forever.

When recording “Two World's Collide” the girls not only had the chance to record with one well known producer, but three. Sam considers herself lucky to have worked with Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift's producer), the legendary Peter Asher (whose credits include James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt), and finally Luke Wooten, known for his work with Lee Kernaghan.

The second single “Piece of Me” features some haunting string sounds, fat rock guitars, catchy lead lines and a memorable chorus that seems to pull this song away from the country genre and place it in more of a pop sphere. Sam is firm to assure that this direction didn't come from the producers, but is something that The McClymonts have always loved. “Our sound is just evolving, I think. We hadn't recorded for two years so we've all changed and grown up a little and we were all listening to different music, so it's a natural progression,” says Sam.

Unveiling “Two Worlds Collide” at Grafton Racecourse in the girl's hometown, Sam was not only able to catch up with all her friends and family, but was also elated in the knowledge that they could debut their new songs, on the day of the record's release, in the place where it all began.